ALL HOTELS FILLED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1033, 25 July 1930, Page 12

ALL HOTELS FILLED

DRIFT TO THE CITY ROADS IN GOOD ORDER There are still a few vacant places : in the coal cellars and billiards rooms of city hotels, but all regular accom- 1 modation has long since been booked by visitors to Auckland for the third \ Test match. When buses and trains begin to disgorge their human freight of country visitors this evening, there will be many an envious eye cast to- j ward the city doss houses, but these 1 beds will not be available to football enthusiasts. The drift from the country to the city has been accentuated during the past few days. Hotels have not been so busy here since the Christmas rush and practically all have been booked entirely quite early this morning. Requests for “shakedowns” were numerous. All rooms at the Hotel Cargen, where the British team is staying, were spoken for several days ago, and the lounge is filled completely with footballers, past or present, who argue day and night respecting players on either side. Families exiled for many years from the South or from country districts are just beginning to realise the esteem in which they were held. For weeks past letters have been flowing in to the effect that Cousin Jack, or even Great-aunt Tabitha, has “deemed the present a suitable occasion to renew family ties, and will arrive in Auckland on or about July 26. Few suburban spare bedrooms will be untenanted this evening. Of course, the greatest number of visitors will be drawn from the country districts immediately surround ing the city, and tomorrow amateur statisticians will be able to begin their calculations regarding the old problem, “If all the motor-cars in the world were laid end to end—” The Auckland Automobile Association reports that main roads are all in good condition, with the exception of the stretch under reconstruction near Howick. Clay roads will be slippery after the recent rains, but few will be impassable. The work on Lincoln Road, a few miles north of Henderson, has been completed for the time being, and this stretch is quite passable, although rather bumpy. TRAIN ARRANGEMENTS An excursion train has been, arranged by the Railway Department, leaving Opua, via Kaikohe, today. Visitors will leave Whangarei at 3.30 a.m. tomorrow, reaching Kingsland Station,’ just across the road from Eden Park, at 9.46 a.m. The Tauranga special will leave at 12.43 a.m., and arrive in the city at 8.5 S a.m., and the train from Rotorua at 1.55 a.m. will join in along the route. A special will bring spectators from Taumarunui at 2 a.m., arriving in, Auckland at 10.13 a.m. Cheap fares are to be charged for all trains arriving here before 2.13 p.m. All Northern trains will stop at the Kingsland Station, and the department has arranged for a series of suburban specials io run from Newmarket to Kingsland from 10.20 a.m. to 3 p.m. Return trains will leave from 4.26 to 4.48 p.m. The three excursion trains from the Southern line will come to Auckland, but will stop at Newmarket to allow passengers to change over should they wish.

FINAL BOOKINGS R.U. SAYS EDEN PARK HAS CAPACITY OF 49,000 The last hundreds of seats available in the extended auxiliary stand at the Kingsland end of Eden Park were being sold steadily today. Inquiries for these seats were made

regularly at the Exchange Lane booking depot. There were 1,100 neats available tor booking in the auxiliary stand for the Test game. As with the 2,000 seats in the grandstand, they were quickly snapped up at tbe opening of the booking office, and, after the Auckland match, the Rugby Union had 700 more seats provided in the auxiliary stand. In addition to this, i the members’ stand has a capacity of , 1,000. Official opinion is that Eden Park i has a capacity of 49,000. The engineer to the Rugby Union certifies i that the slopes alone will hold 42,000, ' without ramps, stands, or the enclosI ure provided for school children on I the ground proper. The children’s • enclosure had only a comparatively , 1 small number last Saturday, and there ; , is said to be room for another 5,000 ; primary school pupils in the space. I Ground tickets are selling well at the several depots in the city, and j there is every expectation that last ! Saturday’s crowd will be exceeded j easily.