EASTER HOLIDAYS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 175, 18 April 1908, Page 6

EASTER HOLIDAYS.

EXCURSIONS AND AMUSEMENTS.

Home, for all; ; its;much-sung sweetness,: is chiefly thought of; by many . persons at holiday. times as tho place to get; away from. Hence tho -numerous: special trains which are ■taking -people ,to town and townsfolk to:the' country this Easter. Soma of the trainsi merely, gratify , the desire for. some-where-elseness.. Others - will tako- people to some of tho fixtures mentioned below,' arid thero aro ■ special trains to' enable tho, public to run up: Johnsonvillo and'Plimmerton way, and seo noWs the Volunteers are ;'gettirig on with the attack ,on Wellington.. Whether ithe; stay-at-hornas or .the go-abroads will extract the most pleasure out of the holidays doponds very much on. the weather, which, at 'tho timo of writing,i gives little promise of a fine 1 Easter.',- Y ■ '■ r• ■, . TO-DAY'S EVENTS. . - . , Given a fine .morning, the Tauherenikau Races, at : Feathprstori;; should be - a . popular event to-day,, arid the . pony ■ races at Miramar.should also, draw their: crowd this after- ■ noon.- "■ ' ■- ' : • The inter-College.yOldj'Boys' Football Tournamont for the Devenish Shield begins this afternopn, when- the and Wellington Old. Boys will playrori the College, grounds. The winners- will meet',the Ghristcnurcli High. School.Old;BoysVt6am- on Monday' afternoon.Athletic Park, will be .occupied ..with the annual Wellington; Football.;: Club v. Christ-' church -'Football Club match, and the match' . betweeri-.St.i'James's: Football Club and tho . .visiting-. Kia:Ton.(team. :. ~ i.- . The Easter meeting of the Hutt.Valley Coursing Club,: at'Treritham, is fixed to begin at. noon'.'; . _ : In.' the evening, yMessrs. Anderson and Sheridan's pantomime, , "Cinderella," will open a season: at:. thei., Opera Housa. There will 'also .be attractive by Fuller's. Entertainers' at tho Theatre Royal and!the' Royal Pictures Syndicate at His Majesty's, ; At tho Town Hall,'tho Mayor will open the "Dominion ■ Carnival," ' a Catholic bazaar 'ivhich;, will 'be; :.'cbntinue'd; until May 2. "A. spectacular-ballet by, 150 perfprniei's is among the-'attractions' .of the: first' night;

EASTER MONDAY,

. On Monday the' Miramar pony races, the Taulierenikau meeting, the Inter-Collego Football Tournament,, tho tennis championships, and tho" Hutt Valley coursing meet-, ing will be continued and concluded.

Thero will be'special ferry steamer excursions to Day'srßa'y from 9 a.m., and tho water chute and side-shows will be in full spying. ;' ■ At .the Bellevue Gardens, • Lower Hutt, Jiipp's Band will be in attendance all day. Tne ."Dominion Carnival!' will bo con-, tinued at the Town . Hall. t 1 .

A; ;children's,, matinee, performance of "Cinderella"is announced for 2 p.m. The pantomime will be repeated in the evening, when Fuller's /Vaudeville Company and .tho Royal Pictures will also compete for holiday patronage... ■

1 HOLIDAY TRAFFIC.

The amount of'traffic''on tho : Maaawatu Company's lino yesterday was considerably in excess of that recorded on Good Friday last year. The through trains to ■ New Plymouth and Wanganui wore exceptionally heavy, especially/ the', former, which carried about 500 passengers, .whilst in -connection with the latter train'4oo tickets: wero. issued. Close upon 150 junior meiribers of: the Y.M.C.A. journeyed .to Otaki, where a camp is being held. The visitors to,' Johnson numbered about 500,' which wai ] hardly as' many as it was expected l would -proceed there. • Tho night train ,to AVanganui on Thursday 'evening" was extensively patronised, .arid the'train which arrived from Wanganui at 8.45 p.m. carried about 200: passengers/ ; . On-tho Government line also larger numbers travelled than was tho experience on the previous Good Friday. About 300 passengers .booked, by the. extra mail for Napier in, the morning, : whilst 500/ tickets wore issued in connfetion with the-'ordinary mail.'. The bookings to: tho suburban 'stations and to Masterton, were above the .average.

From enquiries made ,on Thursday, it appears that,the Easter traffic will not bvi beyond the average for this time of year. Both Cook's Tours and: the ■ Tourist Department, however, report that a large numbar of local people have booked for the Wanganui River trip, which seems to be a very favourite excursion from Wellington. The Union S.S. Company have been kept very busy, but their traffic is: not exceptional.