Solomon Islands
p. 43 · Read in the full issue
Recruiters Have Lean Days
From Our Own Correspondent.
TULAGI, January 4.
SINCE last writing, little has occurred to disturb the calm; even the price of copra tends toward the monotonous in that it has remained stationary for about four weeks on end, a most unusual happening which optim istic souls take as a sign of stability and promised improvement. The compliments of the season to their hopes.
This depression (hateful word) has cer tainly altered things from a recruiter’s point of view. For years, he was able to pick and choose his orders and complete them at his leisure, but now he goes after them with hat in hand. Fees have been cut almost in half One undecided planter the other day was cajoled into giving a small order by an offer to fix his own price. Still the price agreed upon was profitable to the recruiter, because there is a surplus of labour offering, and completing an order is now a matter of days where it used to be weeks or months.