CHRISTMAS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 December 1931, Page 2

CHRISTMAS

IN'MANY 'LANDS. TRADITIONAL SNOW MISSING. SHOPPING CENTRES BUSY. (British Official Wireless.) ' RUGBY, December 21. The weather for the Christmas holidays promises to be fine, and jess cold than during the last few days. {Recent popular expectations of a traditional “white” Christmas are not endorsed by the meteorological who, however, forecast snow before the 5 now year. Despite the prevailing economic difficulties the shopping centres .have shown in the last few days the animation usual at this and traders .geport a large volume of' business, •fhoiigh generally at lower prices than •in recent years. ‘To-day saw the beginning, of the holiday traffic, and both railways and motor-coach services are offering specially reduced f area and numerous day and half-day. excursions. Trains are being run in duplioate, and often in triplicate to-day and fio-morrow. A feature of the holiday traffic is’the large number of visitors to the English resorts on the south coast and elsewhere, and a corresponding reduction in the Continental bookings. •,

IN AMERICA. GOOD BUSINESS IN .LARGE S CITIES, NEW YORK, December !;S. •Christmas business was fairly good in the large cities, despite the • hard times, but in the country districts it slumped, heavily, wheat, cotton and other staple products suffering a drop ill prices. Potatoes are half their values of a year , ago, and the lowest for a quarter of a century. Apples, pears and citrus fruits are below any quotations since people began keeping statistics. IN WINTER’S GRIP. ICY CHRISTMAS IN FRANCE. PARIS j December vl- - weather has ;env b the eountry here and southwards. The intense ■ coid. iti ; the Abs n ;| * driven hordes of mountai 1 to warmth ,apd- food in the villages. At Velledarbois one villager had a I disastrous Experience of the. rodents’ Christmas When he opened his garage he found his car nibbled to a heap of i refuse. . Only the metal work •was, intact.