PASSING OF OLD YEAR.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18889, 3 January 1927, Page 8

PASSING OF OLD YEAR.

NOISE AND GOOD HUMOUR. CELEBRATION IN THE CITY, The usual exchange of handshakes and friendly greetings ushered m tho year 1927, aud the City and suburbs made their embarkation upon the New Year with noisy jollity from every quaiter. Last year the celebrations were marred by heavy rain, but this yeai good weather was experienced, and youth was allowed to celebrate without discomfort.

With the exception of a few small street squabbler the celebrations were carried out, in perfect good humour, and the police force, members of which were thick in the streets on Friday night, reported a, very quiet and wellbehaved crowd. There were no "incidents," and only one minor accident in the City, a small boy having one of liis eyes damaged slightly by a bomb. Ljttelton celebrations were marred by a fatal accident, which occurred to a middle-aged man, who fell down some steps, fracturing his skull. There was also an unfortunate happening at Sumner, a very young lad falling over a cliff and marking his forehead badly. Christchurch was exceedingly wellmannered and well-behaved. Drunkenness was almost absent, and the Fire Brigadp, upon which institution harebrained' youths sometimes play illadvised pranks, was free from any alarms, false or genuine. The shops kept open until 9 o'clock as usual on Friday night, and business was quiet. Every quarter of the City saw houses well lighted, betokening "first-footing" parties, many of which lasted well into tho morning. Large numbers of bombs and crackers were exploded in the City and suburbs, and as midnight approached the noise increased until, for the last quarter of an hour before 12 o'clock, it was'impossible to carry on a conversation in Cathedral square. On the stroke of twelve motor-horns hooted, whistles blew, church bells pealed, and a pipe band played shrilly. From everywhere came the strains of "Auld Lang Syne,'' and groups of people, putting aside all reserve, joined hands in tho Square, coinciding with similar performances at many house parties. The last trams left at the usual hour, and many celebrants had a lengthy walk home.

In the Square. . The crowd in the Square was treated to a good deal of fun. Motor-owners were subjected to a little good-humour-ed horee-pjay. Groups of young men stopped all motors passing through the track between the safety zone and the Cathedral, and hauled them backwards, to the delight of the onlookers. It was not until 1 a.m. that tTie .crowd showed any diminution, and then it dwindled rapidly. Masks and caps from carnival dances were another feature of the celebrations. Although it is apparently not generally known, the Act prohibiting the sale of explosives and the use thereof, except by certain persons, is still in force, but the police found no occasion to take a harsh view of those who used noise-producers. In fact, one police official in plain clothes was nearly lifted off his feet by a bomb of the basket species, but the offender vanished immediately.