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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4493, 13 August 1875, Page 2

A return of the traffic on the Masterton railway for four weeks ended July 31, shows that the total receipts were £443 17s. Id., made ui as follows :—Passengers (7201), £273 12s. 2d. ; parcels, &c, £5 2s. 6d. ; season tickets, £32 4s. ; freight (620 tons), £132 18s. sd.

The Wellington Jockey Club races will be held on the Hutt Park racecourse on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 7th and Bth December. The following are the office-bearers: —President, Hon. W. Fitzherbert, M.H.R. ; vicepresident, George Hunter, Esq., M.H.R.; judge, E. Pearce, Esq., M.H.R. ; stewards, George Crawford, Esq., J.P. ; Messrs. J. McDowell, Joseph Paul, A. Braithwaite, W. Bromley, J. M. Thompson, and Dr. Diver; starter, Mr. Andrew Young ; lion, treasurer, Mr. J. R. George ; secretary and clerk of the scales, Mr. George H. Jackson ; clerk of the course, Mr. James Prosser. A libei-al programme is provided. There will be two days' racing. The events to come off on the first day are as follows : —The Maiden Plate of 100 sovs. ; the Wellington Cup (a handicap of 200 sovs.); the Selling Hace of 50 sovs.; Hack Race of 10 sovs.; the Provincial Plate of 125 sovs. The events of the second day will be— The Hutt Park Stakes (a handicap of 50 sovs); the Wellington Derby of 100 sovs.; the Jqckey Club Handicap of 100 sovs ; the Consolation Handicap of 50 sovs.; and a Hack Race of 10 sovs. With this liberal programme there is every reason to expect some excellent racing. A New Zealand Gazette was published last evening, containing description, line, and limits of deviations on certain lines of railway ; proclamation under the hand of the Governor, disallowing The Nelson Highways Act Amendment Act, 1875 ; appointment of sittings ol the Licensing Court for the licensing district of Awatere to be held for the future at Blenheim ; proclamation allowing the following Acts of the Provincial Council —Goldfields Local Revenues Act Amendment Bill, 1875 ; The Tolls Act, 1875 ; Nelson Waterworks Act Amendment Act, 1875; The Nelson Scab Act Amendment Act, 1875; and the Appropriation Act, 1875; proclamation of assent by Government to a number of Ordinances passed by the Provincial Councils of Wellington and Canterbury; also, proclamation disallowing the Fencing Ordinance, 1875, passed by the Canterbury Council; appointment of John Marshman to be registration officer for the province of Canterbury ; Alex. Win. Bickerton, F.C.S., local analyst, under the Adulteration of Food Act, 1866, for Canterbury ; notice of appointment of H. C. Brewer, of Oamaru, and C. E. Dudley, of Kaiapoi, to be deputy-registrars of marriages, &c. ; notification of election of Robert Pritchard and J. R. Mills, as Mayors of Arrowtown and Riverton respectively ; Digby Mitchell, Clerk of Resident Magistrate's Court at Mataura; T. G. Betts, of Queenstown, and J. W. Mitchell, of Invercargill, to be Justices of the Peace ; resignation of Alder Fisher as Public "Vaccinator for the district of Paparoa, of Lieutenant Thompson, Sub-Lieu-tenant Levy, Sub-Lieutenant Harris, Honorary Lieutenant Slight, Honorary Sub-Lieutenant Chapman, as volunteer officers ; the Auckland and Otahuhu troops Royal Cavalry Volunteers are announced to have amalgamated under the designation of the Nixon Light Horse, and the North Dunedin Rifle Volunteer Cadets have been disbanded ; E. H. Brittan, J. R. Hendry, and Lewis Morton have been appointed to various offices in the Defence Force; the Chairman of the Philadelphia Exhibition Commission has received authority to frank letters on the public service; a resolution passed by the Lyttelton Industrial Co-operativo Society, Limited, desiring the company to be wound up under the provisions of the law, is published ; C. E. Smith, L.R.C.S., Ediu, L.R.C.P., Ediu, has been appointed medical referee under the Government Insurance and Annuities Act, 1874, for the districts of Hampden and Otepopo, Otago. A number of notices under the Land Transfer Act are published. We have been furnished with maps of the North and Middle Islands of New Zealand, prepared by Mr. John Carruthers, M.1.C.E., and presented with the Public Works Statement to the House of Assembly. They show the roads, railways, and tracks made, in course of construction, and proposed to be made, together with other valuable information; while as maps of the colony they are very faithfully marked, and reflect great credit on Mi - . Cavruthers. The maps have been republished by Mr. Robert Burrett, stationer, to whom we are indebted for copies. The attendance at the Theatre Royal last evening was materially interfered with owing to the wretched stuto of the weather, but nevertheless the performance passed off well. The "Ticket-of-Leave Man" was repeated, Miss Colvillo and Mr. Douglas again giving great satisfaction by their lifelike impersonations of May Edwards and Bob Briorly respectively. To-night the youngsters are to have a rare treat, Mr. Hoskins having kindly given an evening with especial view to the pleasure of the children. The theatre opens at 7.30, so that the affair may not keep the little ones out of bed too long. Among other attractions there i3to be a Punch and Judy. An old veteran beloved by the children being at the bottom of a great deal of the fun. Most Wellingtonians will know whom we mean. We hope to see a good muster, By the inadvertent omission of two words in the report of Mr. Gillon's speech at the public meeting on Wednesday night, that gentleman was misrepresented. He was made to speak " warmly in favor of the provinces," whereas it should have been "of abolishing" tlio provinces.

The oommitteo of the Wellington Rifle Association met on Wednesday night, when it was decided that the next competition for the L.V.C. Cup and other prizes will take place on Saturday, 2nd October, 1875, on Polhill's Gully rifle rango; firing to commence at 10 o'clock a.m. sharp. The resignation of Honorary-Lieutenant Slight, of the Marton Cadets, has been accepted. The dates for tho Christchurch Metropolitan Meeting have been altered to the 11th, 12th, and 13th November. Entries for the Cup and C.J.C. to closo on tho 20th September. Weights to be declared on Ist October.

The annual ball of the Order of Odd Fellows came off last night at the hall. About fifty couples were present, and the affair was a thoroughly enjoyable one. During the evening Mr. T. McKenzie, P.P.G.M., was presented with a vei'y handsome and valuable silver tea service. The presentation was made on behalf of the president, vice-president, and members of the Widow and Orphans' Society, by P.P.G.M. John Smith, who said that Mr. McKenzie had been honorary secretary of the society for a period of 27 years, and during that time had performed his onerous duties in such a manner as constituted him absolutely the mainstay of the society. Principally through his exertions, the fund had now reached£6s7l2s. Bd. It had been started with thirty original members in 1849, only three of whom were now left. There were now fifty members. During that time a very large sum had been expended on the objects of the fund; in fact, no claim made upon it had been refused. This success was mainly owing to the exertions of Mr. McKenzie. The contributions to the society were only one penny per week from members, and the additional _funds had been raised from outside sources by the work of the secretary. The presentation was made accompanied by Odd Fellows' honors. Mr. McKenzie, in reply, thanked Mr. Smith for the spontaneous and handsome gift of which he had been the recipient During the twenty-seven years that he had been lion, secretary for the society he had not looked for acknowledgment or reward, the satisfaction of relieving the widow and drying the orphan's tear had been to him more than compensation for any trouble he might have taken. The present unexpected manifestation of their kindness quite overpowered him, and he would keep their gift as an heirloom in his family, hoping that it would be an inducement to others to follow him, and they might meet the society with so satisfactory an acknowledgment of their services after 27 years. The service bears the inscription—" Presented to P.P.G.M. McKenzie, by the President, Vice-President, and members of the Widow's and Orphans' Fund, for his services as Secretary for the period of 27 years.—August 12th, 1875." After the presentation dancing was recommenced, and continued with vigor until an advanced hour.

An apparatus, patented by Bremen and Co., of Kiel, and introduced for trial into the German Imperial navy, not only enables the diver to communicate with those at the air-pump, but also to hear distinctly, to a depth of sixteen fathoms, every word spoken at the surface. The absolute safety of the divers being thus secured, it is expected they will be able to work for smaller wages, thus rendering their services available in many cases in which they would otherwise be too costly. It is said that the invention is very simple, and can be attached, without much expense, to any diving apparatus. The main principle involved is the application of vibrating metallic plates for the propagation of the sound, without, however, allowing them to come in contact with the water.