A “Wet” New Year

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 551, 2 January 1929, Page 9

A “Wet” New Year

HIGH REVEL IN NEW YORK

Many Night Clubs Raided

(United P.A. —By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and ''N.Z. Press Association)

Reed. 9.5 a.m. NEW YORK. Tuesday. THE New Year celebration was noisy and “wet” until midnight, after which it became subdued, because a police raiding squad, supplemented by a large force ’of Federal agents, entered approximately 30 night clubs and saloons within an hour.

COME of these were most popular Broadway resorts, with the result that the streets were soon filled with revellers hurrying homewards long before the expected time, despite the fact that some had paid as much as 100 dollars for reservations. However, up to n\idnight it was probably the “wettest" New Year’s Eve since Prohibition came. Theatres, night clubs and hotels had been sold out for a week, and it is estimated that 100,000 persons from other cities came to New York for the festivities. Liquor Was plentiful in other sections of the United States; but the combined forces of Federal, city and State officials made the celebrations one of the quietest in the history of the country.

All public parties were abandoned before one o’clock in some southern centres by order of the authorities, to guard against the danger of spreading influenza.

SNOW IN BRITAIN LONDON CELEBRATES WELL THOUSANDS AT ST. PAUL’S (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) LONDON, Tuesday. The old year ended with snowstorms throughout the country. It is generally agreed that the NewYear’s Eve revels in London broke all records. Every hotel, restaurant, cabaret and night club was crammed. Between 10,000 and 12,000 people gathered outside St.. Paul’s Cathedral, where the usual singing and dancing took place. The good-natured crowd stretched from Ludgate Circus to Cheapside.

NOISY CROWDS IN SYDNEY SYDNEY, Tuesday. The year 1928 departed unmourned, but not unsung, as noisy crowds last night welcomed joyfully the new- year. The weather was beautifully fine and cool after a hot day. Many thousands of people were abroad. The various churches held watch-night services, which were w-ell attended.