War Economic Measures: The War Supply Board & The War Economic Advisory Council in Palestine before 9148 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 985. Chapter XXVI

CHAPTER XXVI.

WAR ECONOMIC MEASURES.

Section 1.

THE WAR SUPPLY BOARD. (Constitution, Organisation and Functions).

TERMS OF REFERENCE.

The War Supply Board was formally established by the High Commissioner on the 25th February, 1941, as a department of the Government of Palestine with the following terms of reference :-

11To do all things necessary to ensure that production in Palestine is so organized as to enable the country to make the maximum possible contribution to the war effort and to safeguard the essential needs of the community".

In pursuance of these terms of reference the following specific duties were laid on the Board :-

(i) to co-ordinate the operations of the various Controllers appointed under war-time legislation;

(ii) to supplement the operations of private enterprise in securing the importation and maintenance in Palestine of such supplies as in the opinion of the Board are necessary in the interests of defence, of the efficient prosecution of the war and of the life of the civil community, to regulate the distribution of such supplies and to hold reserve stocks; and

(iii) to arrange for the coordination or expansion of the existing industrial capacity of Palestine for the purpose of the production of such supplies and to render assistance to industry with this object in view.

The operations of the Controllers of Agricultural Production, Fuel Oil, Heavy Industries, Light Industries, Medical Supplies, Road Transport, and Salvage, of the Food and Price Controllers and of the Director of War Production are coordinated through the medium of the Board. Continuous and close collaboration has in the past been maintained by the Board with the Palestine branch of the United Kingdom Commercial Corporation (now in course of liquidation) and with the military authorities in the Middle East.

CONSTITUTION AND ORGANIZATION.

2. The War Supply Board proper, which is au advisory body meeting ad hoc to consider problems referred to it by Government

985