FRANTIC SCRAMBLE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 3, 27 September 1937, Page 8

FRANTIC SCRAMBLE

-Presa Association.)

Test Match Visitors iu Auckland

SCENES IN RESTAURANTS

(By Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, Last Night The Christmas periods and the racing carnival weeks were alike outrivalled by the crowds which thronged Auckland over the week-end, and for hotels, boarding-houses and restaurants business was done which was unanimously deelared to be thb greatest ever experienced- in the city. Although to-day many visitors left for their homes, others were apparently encouraged by the brilliant sunshine to remain until .tomorrow, and once again to-night the city's streets were crowded. . The provisiuniug of places where the visitors were aceommodated was accompanied by 6cenes that were almost unbelievable. Bupendous quantities of bread, meat, eggs and other supplies' wero purchased, and although many restaurants had, by Saturday night, to limit the selection of dishes on their menus, it said inuch for the efficiency . of the preparations that the extraordinary demands were met so promptly. Waiters., waitresses and other persons who were coucerned with the feeding of the erowds were almost run off their feet. After Friday, when there wero already large crowds of visitors in the city, had proved an exceptionally busy day, it wus decided by restaurants to extend their usual hours, and consequently it was possible to see a number, which usually close about 11 p.m., still open at four o'clock and later in the morning. They were stili packed at that hour. Saturday morning, before the match was worse, and in the evening, whai had already been a rush became a frautic scramble. Thousands of visitors who arrived by train had breakfast at the Auckland railway station, where special arrangements were made. Until breakfast was ready, those who arrived by eailier trains were allowed to reuiaiu iu.the carriagos. Later in the ujorning, hotels, clubs aud boardinghouses advanced tlie usual mid-day meal time by an hour or more, to enable their guests to leave as early as possible for Eden Park. Grocers, butchers and bakers probably profited most of all from the invasion of tho city, as well as those wholesale houses who had to supply hotels and restaurants. Many thousands of extra loaves were baked. Most of the butchers very quickly had their stocks of some of the more popular meals exhausted, and grocers were ready to declare that they had never before experienced such a trade iu essential kousekold supplies. Some of the visitors, who arrived late ou Friday night, decided not to seek lodgmgs, but either to walk tne streets, go straiglit out to the Park, or else to sleep in their cars. Othera went to tbe camp site at Western Springs. Hotels had people sleeping everywhere, diningrooms, billiard rooms, lounges. and even passageways being called xinto use. Boarding-houses and npartmeut houses were just as busy In addition to all the visitors, who were fortunate enough to secure this type of lodging, or else to be placed by the emergency bureau set up at the Government Tourist Office, there w.ere also hundreds more who stayed with friends.