OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

Franklin Times, Volume 10, Issue 797, 5 January 1923, Page 5

OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

(From Our Own Correspondent). .Auckland,- December 29 FIFTY YEARS AGO. A local daily has been overhauling its files and digging into the past to discover how the people of fifty years ago kept Christmas. Of course Auckland in the seventies o£ last century was, comparatively, „a small place with a population; of probably not more than 40,000, but judging by the files aforesaid the Aucklanders of half a century ago .were just as fond of holiday-making and having a good time as are the Aucklanders of to-dav. We read of leaving Queen . Street wharf “crowded with excursionists and that the latter “numbered over 6000,” which was evidently regarded as a record away back in 1872. On Boxing Day in that year) the Holiday amusements included race meetings at the Whau, Papakura and Panmure. In those clays, of course, the “tote” had’ilt been invented, but the voice of the bookmaker 'was. heard in the land and the members of the pencilling fraternity were allowed to ply their calling without let $r hindrance, and . while the “sharps” were doubtless quite as numerous (in proportion to the population) as they are now, the “flats” were, depend upon it, equally in evidence. the fools, like the poor, are always with us. There' must be many still here who remember Auckland fifty years ago, but AMP youngsters who. survive to see the Auckland fifty years hence will witness changes infinitely more surprising than any our old-timers can recall. “THE STRAIGHT TI'P.” Seated in a racecourse train on Boxing Day I became an involuntary eavesdropper. A middle aged lady in the corner addressed a stout, man of horsey appearance in the opposite corner, t They were obviously acquaintances. “Oh, Mr /’ said the lady, with an ingratiating smile, as she fluttered her race card, how lucky for me to meet you! Now you can tell me what to back to-day, can’t you ?” , The fat man toyed with his heavy gold watch chain and smiled. ‘Til mark youri card with two or three with pleasure Mrs he said* “but don’t blame me if they turn out wrong-uns. The race is not always to the swift, you know. In other 1 words it is not always the best nag that wins. Depends upon whether he is wanted to wm. lake it from me, tips are not much good. If you write down the names ol the starters in a race on little slips of .paper (same as they do in a sweep, you know), then-chuck em in h hat and back the -nrsfe. name you draw out, you’ll probably do_ as weL as any outsider is likely to dm -However” (reaching for the card) lii mark you three, in three different events. But I don’t advise you" to back ’em, mark you. There’s only one sure winner—and that s the tote, and with a half bow he returned the card. “The glorious uncertainty ot the turf,” thought? I, and forgot all about the incident until later in the day, when passing the tote, I spotted the lady of the train in the crotod surging towards the pay window after the Cup was run. She looked hot but radiant. THE CUP. It is estimated that 32,000 people witnessed the race for the /Cup at Ellers'ie on Boxing Day, and although upwards of £24,00 went through the “gambling machine” on the one event, that amount fell short by about £2OOO of the money invested on the Cup race last year, and considerably upwards of £SOO short of the cash handled, on the same race in 1920 Seems to show “the root” is not quite so plentiful as'it was, anti I believe4he demand, for Xmas cheer (in liquid form) was not so big this year as previously. To return to the Cup race, the name of the winner proved an obstacle to a good many people. The popular prounciation was “Skyon,” which reminds me fcthat a sporting friendv of mine invariably backs horses with difficult, names to pronounce. He says i%% remarkable how often they turn out, winners. AUCKLAND POOR. The prosperous, well-dressed appearance presented by the people of Auckland has frequently been noted by distinguished visitors to the city, and anyone who witnessed the scenes in Queen Street and Karangahape Road on Xmas Eve, or rather on Friday, 22nd December, observed as Xmas Eve, and saw the crowded shops and apparent abundance of money, might have supposed that the “Queen City" has no poor. Unhappily it seems that that is not so. When returning thanks to the Rotary Club l'or its generosity in providing a wellladen Xmas Tree for the benefi c. of the children of the poor, the Rev. F. R. Jeffreys told the members of the Club that some of the homes from which the children had come were miserable and wretched in the extreme, adding that Dr. Truby King had visited several of these homes situated within a stones throw of the Town Hall, and hud been astounded at the conditions he found prevailing in the heart of the citv. It is certainly astounding that such a state of things should exist" in the most flourishing and progressive city in New Zealand —and also a little disconcerting.