HOLIDAY STEAMERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2960, 26 December 1916, Page 9

HOLIDAY STEAMERS

EXTREMELY HEAVY TRAFFIC.

Holiday traffic tliis year lias been extremely lieavv. Many hundreds a day "have been travelling for tho last five days, and every ship leaving, particularly those for Lyttelton, have been packed as closely as the law would allow. For some days beforo the holidays tlie utmost difficulty was experienced in getting passages to Lyttelton, and tho local office of tho Union Company have been worked harder during the last few days than they have at any time during the past year. Telegrams by the dozen flocked in oach day in conncction with getting berths, and during the whole of Friday and Saturday last tho passenger . counter was crowdcd, the would-be holiday makers standing three and four deep awaiting attention. In order to cope with the traffic the Union Company withdrew the Tarawera and Monowai

from the Auckland-Duncdin service, and put them into the Lyttclton ferry run. Even these were not enough, as besides tlie excursionists some thousands of troops had also to bo taken South, and tho Monowai and Tarawera were devoted more to the troop traffic than to excursionists. On Friday niglit some two hundred ' passengers could not get berths oil tho Maori, and could hoi go 011 the Mararoa or Monowai on the Saturday, or the Maori, again, on the Monday, owing to all vessels being completely hooked. Tho Takapuna was recommissioned, and daily trips to Picton and Nelson were maintained by her running in conjunction with the Pateena. Even this waa not sufficient, and the Mapourika was withdrawn from the "West Coast service to run a couple of special trips to Picton and Nelson, to cope with the rush. Besides these vessels there were also the Nikau and Kaitoa running to Nelson each on alternate days, and each was filled to overflowing with passengers. These were about tho only vessels running during tlie season, as most of tlie smaller coastal vessels withdrew aud laid up at Wellington until the holiday season was over, and most of them will sail far their various destinations to-day.