New York’s Wild New Year.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 February 1922, Page 4

New York’s Wild New Year.

(London “Daily Mail’s” Correspondent) NEW YORK, January 2. Deaths from drunkenness and gencrnl disorder have been tlie leading features of the New Year celebration in New York. While the Prohibition authorities are issuing statements that the festivities have been the driest since tlie coining of Prohibition, newspapers report the wildest and most violent New Year’s holiday either before or since prohibition. "New York is recovering from one of the msot disorderly New Year celebrations in its history,” says the “‘New York Times” to-day. The “New York World” bluntly describes tlie complacent reports of the. prohibition authorities as “utter bosh.”

General license marked the formal celebrations in the better class sceiicv.of the city as well as in the leading country clubs on the outskirts, while in East Side, which corresponds to lx>ndon’s East, End, shootings, stabbings, •‘hold-ups,” and other forms of violence bv men under the influence of poison-whisky were the rule rather than the exception. Twenty-five deaths /from alcoholic poisoning occurred during the holiday. Even on Broadway and Fifth avenue, during Now Year’s night gUngs of intoxicated roughs prowled about, hustling and sometimes robbing inoffensive citizens. In several restaurants were staged “wild parties” of such a kind n, 9 old frequenters of these establishments could not remember in many years’ experience.

In country clubs of high standing women, and even girls in their early twenties were seen drinking freely and dancing with reckless abandon. Public halls and other buildings were hirej for some parties; other parties were held in motor-cars aud taxicabs lined along the pavements and streets leading off Broadway.