SPIRIT OF CARNIVAL

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 78, 27 December 1926, Page 6

SPIRIT OF CARNIVAL

CHRISTMAS EVE IN PALMERSTON GAIETY IN SPITE OF RAIN Palmerston North, December 21. The popularity’ of Palmerston North as a shopping centre for a wide and populous district has been amply de-' monstrated during the last few days, and to-day Christmas shoppers thronged the streets, patronising the various establishments.

Large numbers journeyed in from smaller towns in the district, and the parking areas throughout the town have been filled to their capacity with motor vehicles. Steady rain fell during the day, but nevertheless the occasion has been made one for universal shopping, with the result that the business houses have experienced a very satisfactory turn-over The passenger traffic on the railways has reached large proportions, and the station presented a busy scene with the big crowds travelling to all parts of the'island. Trains were arriving or departing every few minutes, and passengers who had failed to take the precaution of booking their seats, experienced some difficulty in securing accommodation

The Post Office has been working at high pressure, and both ingoing .and outgoing mails are so large that it is more than likely the business handled will be in excess of that at last year's Christmas season.

In the evening the volume of people increased perceptibly .and it seemed that all Palmerston as well as many visitors were out of doors for the occasion Certainly the populace as a whole caught the gay and care-free spirit which so typifies Christmas Eve, and the chatter of the bustling crowds, tile blatant and plaintive howl of squeakers and hooters (as favoured by the old as by the voting), and the din of traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, welded together in one joyous note which expressed a kindliness of sentiment. The decorated shop windows and the essential greenery around post and pillar created an irresistible atmosphere, while scores of electric bulbs strung across the streets in the Square accentuated the carnival spirit. Business houses were kept busy until a late hour, and even when the majority of establishments had closed their doors there were still tireless crowds thronging the streets. However, as night deepened more sought their homes, until by midnight the streets were practically deserted, t