THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 3 December 1925, Page 5

THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT.

PROGRESS IN PALESTINE

A MODERN SETTLEMENT.

The wonderful progress of Zionism and of Palestine generally was reviewed * at the annual meeting of the Auckland Zionist Society. The speaker, Rabbi Goldstein, said that the past year had been an epochal one in the history of the • movement. Zionism had now gripped the imagination, not only of the best elements of world Jewry, but also, of their fellowcitizens of all denominations and of the thinking world generally.' The leaders of the Christian world were giving the movement their whole-hearted support. As a moral and spiritual force its value could not be over-estimated. Its aim was the salvation of' the Jewish soul. Great Britain had given the Jewish people the Balfour Declaration in favour of a Jewish national home in Palestine. It .was for the Jewish people to realise the true import of the declaration and to endow it with meaning. It was a privilege for each of them to feel that they were adding a brick to the edifice. ... -

Referring to the practical progress made during the past year, Rabbi Goldstein said that 12,856 Jews had settled in Palestine in 1924, as compared with 742 Jin 1923. The Jewish population of Palestine had douh'ed since the armistice. Immigration was now proceeding at the rate'of 3000 a- month. Agricultural colonisation was proceeding rapidly, and during the past year over half a million pounds had been invested in agricultural settlements. A further large tract of 50,000 acres' was now being • acquired by the Jewish National Fund to bring the total area under the control of the Zionist organisation for agricultural purposes to over 300 square miles. Tlie Jewish agricultural population was now 23,000, as compared with 16.000 in 1923. There has been a steady expansion in in tlie electrification of Palestine, added the-speaker, and electric power was being increasingly used for industrial purposes. Afforestation was proceeding rapid'y, and during the year over a million trees had been planted by Jewish agencies. In tlie towns progress was being made with new Jewish' suburbs, laid out ps far as possible in accordance with the modern principles of town-planning. The progress in education was a source of pride.

The Haifa Technical Institute was opened in February, and the Hebrew University on Mount Scopus in April last. The university at present consisted of three, institutes devoted ip the main to advanced research in various branches of science and learning. The Institute of Medical Research was at present specialising in the. study of microbiology and tropical medicine. Theinstitute also provided advanced teaching for the members of the medical profession in Pa’estine. The Institute of Chemistry consisted of ( two departments devoted to general and biocliemistrv.

The Institute of Jewish and Oriental Studies, to which it was hoped shortly to add a department of Arabic and Arabic literature, was opened in December, 1824, added. Rabbi Goldstein. Preparations were now in progress for the opening of the Hebrew University. Hebrew was the language of' instruction in all subjects, and the university was the coping K tone of tho educationa 1 system of Palestine. Closely associated with the university was the Jewish National Library in Jerusalem, which contained 100,000 volumes.