February 1927
T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
93
be glad to turn into the Evangelical Churches, and will they not be eager to listen now to the message of God’s love with no priest to hinder and frighten them with their thundering excom munications? Thousands are saying “To whom shall we go?” Is not this the opportune time for His messengers to go through out the land giving out the Word of God? Mr. Bender says he wishes he had ten times six Mexicans who would volunteer and give their lives to this service' in their own country. This is what one of these workers writes: “How I do praise the Lord for what has taken place in our country. I hope the priest no longer will have control over our people and nation. Since this law went into effect many who would not hear me before are now coming to my meetings.” - Is not this an indication of the heart hunger of the people? “Shall we, whose souls are lighted, with wisdom from On high, Shall we to men benighted,, the lamp of life denigh?.-; Salvation!. O salvation!, the joyful sound proclaim, Till earth’s remotest nation, has learned Messiah’s name, Yes they call us to deliver their iand from error’s chain.” Let us pray now that the door be not closed for the preach ing of the Gospel in that land, and that many may be raised up to the work in Mexico. Also pray that literature.may be provided, to send to the workers there and that God will add His bless- ing to, our efforts, in spreading, the. Gospel in Mexico, and in Los Angeles,
Here’s an Idea F o r You r Town S OME eight years ago, while the late Charles Alexander was in Los Angeles launching the Pocket Testament movement, God laid upon the heart of one of our Bible Women, Mrs. David Cant, a burden to gather into her home Grammar and High .School boys in the neighborhood for the definite purpose of Bible Study. In this way she hoped to help many boys unreached by the Church and Sun day School. God greatly honored the effort and these classes have continued all these years. Some of the boys composing the first Grammar School group are now students at Occidental college but are still members of - the Club and meet every Monday evening. A year ago it was decided to extend this work and make it city-wide. The result is that at the present time we have some 18 classes of this kind under the direction of H. H. MacArthur, an expert boys’ worker. Every boy joining the ‘‘Nuntius Club” agrees to carry the Word of God with him' wherever he goes, and to read it daily. The aim of the Club is to first lead the boys to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Notes on Prophecy and the Jews B y D avid L . C ooper
Harnessing the Waters of Jordan Under the caption, “White Coal;” ap pears an article by Pinhas Rutenberg in the “New Palestine” of November 12. It is of the utmost interest to all who are interested,in current events and especially the rapid growth of the Jewish homeland, to know that recently there has been or ganized a corporation, Palestine Electric Corporation, which will foster and de velop one .of the most gigantic industrial developments conceivable for the trans formation of Palestine from its present state of barrenness and desolation into a great thriving agricultural and industrial country, Below appears the article in full. T_ ARGE numbers of immigrants will find immediate employment in Pales tine in industrial undertaking and public works as a result of the work to be un dertaken in the harnessing of the waters ° f the Jordan River. The agricultural colonization will develop gradually and coordinately with the increase of popula tion. Industry can be developed in Palestine only when cheap motive power becomes available. Under present conditions, cheap motive power in Palestine can be obtained from water only. Palestine has an average yearly rain fall equal approximately to that of Euro pean countries. But this rainfall occurs only during the winter. The water neces sary for irrigation and power during the summer can therefore be obtained only if the winter rainfall is properly collected in storage reservoirs.
The scheme for the utilization 1 of Pal estine’s water resources provides for the ■collection of sufficient quantities of water for irrigation purposes, using only the re mainder and the corresponding differ ences of level for electrical power. The quantities of available rainwater in different parts of, Palestine have been gauged chiefly from various data and in formation extant, collected and systema tized. Extremely valuable data have been obtained from the rain gauge, station of the American colony in Jerusalem for the years 1861 to 1920. The available quan tities of water, were estimated conserva tively. The first step in the execution of this project is the utilization of a part of the fall of the Jordan ,below Lake Tiberias for the *production of electrical energy. The preference given to this part of the whole scheme for the initial step is based on the following advantages : (a) Lake Tiberias is utilized as a na tural, huge storage reservoir (170 square kilometers). (b) The available quantity of water and its fall are capable of producing much more energy than Palestine re quires at present. (c) A small dam is necessary; its erec tion is easy and simple. (d) There are no boundary questions, disputed water or land rights involved in this particular site. (e) The Hai'fa-Damascus Railway passes along the projected works, afford ing it transport facilities. (f) Good building material is available: on the spot. The total energy produced will be ap proximately 100 , 000,000 kilowatt hours, only a part of which is needed in the pre sent undeveloped state of Palestine. The
surplus will serve for the industrial and agricultural development of the country. The energy obtained from the Jordan plant will be utilized for house and street lighting, water supply, industry, pumping, irrigation, railways, tramways, heating, cooking, etc. ---O--- The Palestine Government has decided to electrify the Jaffa-Jerusalem Railway as a first step and, if successful, electrifi cation will be extended to the whole of the Palestine railway system. This project is covered by a concession granted by the Government for seventy years with exclusive right to produce, transmit, and distribute electrical eilergy produced by water or any other means over the whole of Palestine and Trans- Jordania, and such additional territories as shall, for the time being, and from time to time, come under the jurisdiction of the High Commissioner for Palestine.' In carrying out the project, no distinc tion will be made between Arab and Jew ish labor, each being used according to his competency and qualification. The estimated capital necessary for the construction of the first hydro-electric plant on the Jordan, including the neces sary distribution systems, is $5,000,000. The concession allows that the charges to be made for the energy provided will be based upon the payment of a dividend, the minimum of which is 8 per cent, and the maximum, 15 per cent. The concession has been granted after detailed examination of all data and after approval had been secured by the British Government from highest authorities. The project has also received the approval of experts nominated by the financiers in Europe already participating in the Scheme.
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