NEW YEAR DAY 1913.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1637, 2 January 1913, Page 4

NEW YEAR DAY 1913.

SPOILED BY, RAIN. ,-, Optimists who turned out early yostep day to celebrate the advent of Iho.Nctf, Year by spending a day in the open ait wero eadly rebuffed and disappointed. Bain fell uncompromisingly, and' oon-< tiuuod to fall in such volume as to irro-' niedinbly BpJil tho day from the ploatmrcseeking point of view. In the forenoon groups of people stood dejeotedly under ; verandahs along tho main thoroughfares. . Shooting- galleries and other 6ido attrac-' tions did o, thriving trade. In tho afternoon tli6 streets were thinly peopled. One of tho few scenes of activity at this period •was tho wharf, where a number of steamers arriving from overseas each attractcd a crowd,. •:,. Numerous sporting fixtures and excursions had to he postponed, Tho Wollington Bowling annualtotirnamont; was iiostponcd for tie day, and similar action was taken regarding the'match, in ■which tho Wellington . and Canterbury: Wednesday crickofc representatives were > to havo tried conclusions. Both fixtures will proceed to-day, weather permitting. It had been intendod that tho Maori should make an excursion trip to Picton, and sumo four hundred enthusiasts '■■- would-bo eioursion/iste turned.'_ out, ;in spite of the weather. The Union Com? pany. dedded, however, not! to send tho>. steamer over, and tho gallant four dred had to go homo again. Y Railway and" tramway traffic*wcro~ both much lighter than they would have boeni . kid tho weather been reasonably good. Between i four and flvo hundred people, however, journeyed from Wellington to , attond tho Tauhcrinikau races. The- ', trams wero very poorly! patronised, and :: a rough official oscimttKi, ventured last -.. evening, was that tho returns would hardly equal those of on average Sunday. Tho tramway traffic on Now (Year's. Ev6 war also unprecodentedly light. . Picture shows tuid other entertainments reaped e, rich harvoßt, probably a muoh richer one.than if v tho weather had teen,, fine. In. Ike'.evening, practically .every entertainment hall in the town waa crowded. •.; „■'■.'. ' ; V"- ■;. .".