Electrical Outfit for Plantations

THREE things have been added in recent years to the equipment of the modern household, which have done much towards making life in the South- Sea Islands more comfortable, and more agreeable to European women. They are lighting systems, refrigeration, and communication by radio. These ensure the residents of the Islands a well lit residence during the coolest part of the 24 hours; fresh food and cool drinks; and the absence of that deadly isolation which formerly made life in the Islands either an adventure or the fore taste of Tophet—according to the indi vidual temperament.

So far as radio is concerned, the manufacturers of home receiving sets have not yet quite overcome the diffi culties in the way of guaranteeing nightly reception in all parts of the Pacific, but they are well on the way.

Radio, however, using Morse, already has given every little Islands com munity a telegraph office at its front door.

In the past, lighting and refrigeration have been usually supplied, on the islands plantation or trading station, by independent sets of equipment; but a new development, which is being intro duced to readers of this journal by Messrs. Dangar, Gedye and Co., Ltd., of Sydney, provides an installation of apparently reliable character which will supply the homestead with electric light, power for various kinds of electrical appliances, and refrigeration —all off the same installation.

Apparently this firm set out to design an installation that would supply the average Australian station homestead with all necessary electrical con veniences, while keeping the equipment in compact form and at a reasonable price. The equipment, which is called the “Nevertire” Automatic Plant, appears to meet the requirements of the average station homestead —and therefore will interest the average Pacific planter or trader.

It is officially described as “A series of semi-automatic and fully automatic home electric lighting plants designed for installation where no public elec tricity supply exists. These machines are known as the ‘Nevertire’ line and come in various sizes running from 10 lights to over 60 lights according to individual requirements. The larger plants, of course, provide all the necessary power for running refriger ators in addition to lighting and, through the employment of an in genious patented device known as the Omnistat, five or six lights are sup plied by the battery alone. As soon as ah extra load is applied, either by switching on more lights, an iron or fan, or the refrigerator, the engine starts up automatically and provides ample current. It stops automatically as soon as load is off. Automatic safety devices make failure impossible.

This method of operation means that no expensive heavy battery is required, merely a small one to carry the initial five or six lights.”

One of the difficulties connected with small electrical lighting plants installed in isolated places has been that of regulating the power between the generator or the storage battery and the globes. There was much variation which, sooner or later, led to serious depreciation of the plant. Under the automatic system that has been devised this trouble is apparently eliminated.