£12.500 War Gratuities To
p. 13 · Read in the full issue
Bse Natives
From Our Own Correspondent HONIARA, March 6.
A START was made he.e in February on the vast job of paying out £12,500 to nearly 3,000 Solomon Islanders as gratuities for war service. Only a small pioportion of these saw active service in the Defence Force; the bulk of them were members of the Solomon Islands Labour Corps.
Initial small-scale payments were made in a few areas on Malaita during a Gov ernment tour of inspection, and caused a flurry of embarrassment among those still absorbing the March'ng Rule doctrine of passive resistance to all Government tactics.
Some refused to accept their gratuities; others went bush to think the matter over: but a proportion accepted payment proudly and turned their back on March ing Rule demands.