HOLIDAY TRAFFIC

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 78, 26 December 1917, Page 6

HOLIDAY TRAFFIC

The holiday traffic has boen 'leavy, but not exceptional. The train and tram services have not had t.% ranch difficulty as the steamer services in meeting the requirements of the , people who wished to return to thoir' hemps, or get away from them, for the holiday season. There has been pressure hero and there, but it appears that enly in the .case of the-southern-ferry forvice has any substantial number :f people suffered disappointment. ' Thi, public hnd been warned veil in ach imee that late-comers would have difficulty, in getting accommodation on the coastal steamers after the holiday run} commenced. Very many of tho available berths had been boplwd a lung time ahead, and even with (the special arrangements made by tho shippiii!s companies in order 'to extend tho services whorr possible, there were people left hohind. The chief sufferers in many oases were ooldiers,- and the trouble was accentuated by the beInted announcement that the leave of tho members of tho Thirty-third Reinforcements hnd been extended to Decembei 2 I J. Men who had abandoned all hope of gettm? to' their .Inmes at Gl:i. u thins found that they had t'me to go' south, and proceeded to eeek Rccommedation. , The steamer arrangements nave been in many respents better than »t previous Christmases. The number of steamers stvailnble for the holiday services could not be increased, and the twnpanies could not undertake -.0 move more people than they had eccommodatton for. But there was less confusion on the wnnrvee than has jr>*n thn oase in other years, and the old trouTjie of belated ticket-holders being wiaffio lo get aboard owing to steamers being f.iil seems to linve been reduced to very Rinnll dimensions. A new system was m operation in connection -with the Welllngfcon-Ijyttelton to*! e»mo9, tad

only persous who had been allotted berths were allowed on board. The train traffic was heavy on Saturday, and again on Monday I,oth at Lambton Station and Thorndon Station. Many travellers tools their tickets at the Willis Street booking office, und there were queues outside this office at certain liours. The station. Biaffj were hard worked, but they kept atreast of requirements,, and the traffice moved smoothly during the rustdays Many crowded trains >voro diepatched on both Saturday and Monday, Saturday's traffic over the Manawatu. line being particularly heavy. Yesterday's trains wcro light. The people ivh) iyero spending the holidays cut of the city had already moved, and the number of picnickers and so forth was iv.it large. The closing of the military ciimps and the rather gloomy predictions of tho weather prophets may, have holped to keep the traffic down. Thu trams had a busy time yatcr* day., The summer weather tempted manj people out to the seaside and other resorts. The tram traffio'for the whole of tho holidays, up to -.he presoiit time, has been vory good. Busy Time For Telegraph Men. The telegraph operators had a busy time. The following figures indicate the traffic handled at the Wellington Telegruph Oih'cej for December 20, 21, -22, 23, and 24.'-.The forwarded messagos totalled 22,024: reoeivod mee« sages, 27,618; and the transmitted messages, 83,225, leaking a grand total of 82,867. For the corresponding period of 1916, tho forwarded messages totalled 20,663; the received messages, 20,260; and the transmitted messages, 32,298, making a grand total of 73,221.