Blackout For Honiara

From Our Own Correspondent

Honiara, Oct. 10.

THE power-plant of Honiara, BSI, which has been limping along for the last five years, finally reached danger point early in October, and in order to avoid a complete break down (which, among other things, would have left the township without a water supply) each householder was given the choice of retaining either his electric light, or his refrigerator, the fuse for one or the other being removed by the Public Works Department according to the householder’s decision.

Most residents decided to keep their refrigerators going, largely be muse the first fresh meat and eggs for many weeks had arrived just jreviously by the Malaita.

There was a rush on the Govern nent Trade Scheme store and China own for candles and hurricane lan erns, candlesticks being improvised >ut of anything available, from bowls »f frangapani to beer bottles and [lasses. The blackout is expected to ontinue for some weeks.

Two engines for the new power ouse arrived on the Malaita. As the enerator for one had arrived pre iously, there is now in Honiara one omplete new 220 KW generating

set, plus a second engine, for which another generator is expected. When the new power house is completed and the new engines installed, Honiara’s electricity supply should be a good one. Meanwhile we await spare parts to keep the old power plant going.

Monsieur J. Djaban, who has been visiting Auckland for some months, returned to Papeete by TEAL on October 28.