SPECIAL TEEGRAM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7722, 17 November 1886, Page 2

SPECIAL TEEGRAM.

(Frqm Ops Own Cobuespondbnt.) ' 'Auckland, November JQ. EXPECTED BOOM* IN AMERICAN TRADE. One of the largest American manufacturing and exporting firms, writing to Auckland, gives the following forecast: —" Business is greatly improved in this country, with a prospect of a very great boom beginning with J. 887. _It will probably not reach its hsight nntjl l»9'p, but everything Imlio'atefc cbmwWt

clal prosperity such as we have not known for the last four years. We have more order* for the spring of 1887 than ever we had any previous year of our history at this date."

MORE DEFENCE EXPENDITURE,

Major Boddam, engineer of colonial defences, visited the North Head to-day to lay on more defence works. An addition torpedo is coming from Wellington by the Hinomoa to make the detachment 20 strong. Major Boddam's visit will not extend over this week, as he has to proceed to Southern ports to inspect the torpedo stores recently landed.

WORK FOR THE ENGINEERS,

The Hon. Mr Ballance is still perfecting a scheme of military organisation for the colony. It is intended to have an engineer corps at the leading ports, and Mr Ballance is getting the necessary equipment in readiness.

A PREMIUM FOR CEIME,

Auckland merchants or their storemen must bo very careless or else have profound faith in the honesty of the general public. On Saturday night as the police went the rounds they fouud no less than three warehouses and stores in' which keys had been left, sticking in keyholes, or back or front doors left unlocked. Remarking on this the Herald says: "It is fortunate at the present time that our best burglars are cooling their heels in Mount Eden gaol or have gone South for a change of air, or they would have taken occasion to read the careless ones a lesson on ' the barrin' of the door.'"

PRESERVATION OF NATIVE BIRDS,

At the annual meeting of tho Auckland Institute held last night a descriptive account of Little Barrier Island, the birds which inhabit it, and the locality which protects them, written by Mr A. Reischek, was read by Professor Thomas. It described the varieties o£ wood with which the island is well timbered and the winged inhabitants which make the woods lively. There were no easy landing places, and the hills and valleys formed excellent positions for protection. Various. birds, both native and foreign, were to be found in the island, including 40' specimens of New Zealand birds, some of the species being nearly extinct on the mainland. It has been resolved by the committee of the institute to ask the Government to preserve the island as a State forest for the timber and the preservation of tho birds. .

ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

At to-day's meeting of the Harbour Board Mr Walter Prince, who introduced the system in Auckland of lighting wharves by electricity, wrote stating that he had only just recovered from a serious illness, but was now quite prepared to proceed with the works. He enclosed plans and the estimated cost of lighting the wharves with 12 arc lamps of 2000-ca.ndle power each and 50 incandescent lamps of 20-candle power each. The Australasian Electric Ljght, Power, and Storage Company wrote that they had secured plant for the Queen street wharf, recently erected by Messrs Fletcher and Co., and, in the event of the board feeling favourably disposed to the light, would be prepared to undertake the work so as to "give complete satisfaction.