THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1920, Page 4

THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

RECORD CROWD AT THE RACES XO ACCIDENTS RECORDED. RECORD TAKINGS OX TRAMS.

Beautiful summer weather prevailed in Taranaki for the Christmas holidays, bringing large crowds out-of-doors. Christmas [i\e saw throngs of people in New Plymouth, and the festive season, bringing with it the universal spirit of goodwill, provided welcome relaxation from every day cares for many hundreds. Proceedings were orderly throughout, according to police reports. The pleasure seekers who frequented Devon Street on Friday night were many, and Hie thoroughfare was a busy one. A feature noticed by those in charge of pedestrian trailic was that I lip public appeared to observe the regulations more carefully, and this had the re'ault of making matters easier for all. It was for the most part a tired but hnpuy crowd who wended their way homewards towards midnight Special car services were hugely patronised. Christmas Day and Sunday were passed in quiet holiday fanhion, picnicking and motoring being chiefly in vogue, while bowlers and tennis players put in some hours at their pastimes.

There were many visitors to the North Taranaki mountain house, about one hundred making the trip on Sunday from various parts of the province. The rn'afront liad its usual large number of devotees, and a resort which proved very attractive was the Ngaere Gardens, the number attending" on Christmas Day being about one thousand, while yesterday the crowd must have been in the vicinity of three thousand.

Racing at Xew Plymouth was <he principal attraction yesterday,- and the Taranaki Jockey Club's opening day yesterday was a record one in every respect. Tlie thousands of patrons who set out from all over the province commenced their journey in bright weather, but later in the morning the sky became overcast, and this continued throughout, close atmospheric conditions prevailing. The attendance at the course, it is estimated, was between nine and ten thousand people. Two lengthy trains brought numbers of visitors during the morninp, while the roads were used by hundreds of motorists. There were. about jiaO private ears parked on the course, while the taxis plying for hire numbered forty.

With such a volume of traffic gathered in town it ie very satisfactory to note that no vehicular accident of any kind occurred. The regulation of this department was under the direction of the borough chief inspector (Mr. R, Day), who, with his assistants, had a very busy time. The general behaviour of the crowd was extremely good, and speaking' on this aspect Police Inspector Hiitton expressed extreme satisfaction at the peneral lone, only one arrest for drunkenness being made yesterday.

The railways were largely used by the public throughout the holidays, and yesterday's traffic was preceded by lengthy trains on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day. On the latter date the express train consisted of fourteen cam, and three vans, and did not arrive at New Plymouth till 8.56 p.m. The New Plymouth tramways had to hear a heavy brunt of the traffic, and the figures as to revenue earned indicate that the number of passengers carried was easily a record one. On Christmas Eve the takings amounted to £lOl, a big increase over the previous year's total of £72. On Sunday the amount was .€".4, as against £4O in IflU). Yesterday's revenue was estimated at between CSO and £OO, which is about double that of last year. During the week the servi/a had as much as could Ik: coped with, but the department was i'>', t(1 M t c , v f or the public very satisfiv■: ■'!<•. the ae=nlt being highly creditable to..••]! concerned.