Labour Situation Eases In
p. 52 · Read in the full issue
Bsi
From Our Own Correspondent HONIARA, January 2.
T ABOUR problems are easing in the XJ Solomons. Recent recruiting trips for plantations havfe been highly successful, recruits coming mainly from the eastern Solomons (including Talesi, ex-Marching Rule stronghold) and the Reef Islands.
No hardy spirit has yet tackled Malaita for recruits, although indications are that the hostile Marching Rule move ment is gradually dying down, especially in the south, although there are a few cases of passive resistance in the northern area.
One of the inexplicable schemes/ of Marching Rule addicts was to erect fences—ranging from a few symbolical bits of brush to positive pallisades—round their domains, presumably to mark off Marching Rule sheep from pro-Govern ment goats. Recently ordered to remove these symbolical barriers, some villages have conformed, with an air of guilty relief; a few die-hards, however, have packed up their gear all ready to live at Government expense for disobedience.
Recently a representative of Levers’
Pacific Plantations Malaita to hand out back pay dating from the days of emergency war-time renatriation and indications were that Malaitamen, always the most prolific source of recruits pre war, were becoming more amenable to the idea of working again.
Mr. E. J. Jeffries, who has been Accountant of the Suva branch of the Bank of New South Wales, has left Fiji on transfer to an Australian branch.