THE NEW YEAR SEEING IN THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 1, 2 January 1915, Page 9

THE NEW YEAR SEEING IN THE DAY

HOW THE HOLIDAY WAS SPENT. The ushering in of the New Year in Wellington City was rather quieter than usual. True, the night being very fine, there were large crowds of mostly young people in the streets. They were noisy, but generally in good humour The more serious folk attended watchnight services in the various churches and saw out in worship the last of the fateful year 1914. In a sense it was a khaki celebration, for large numbers of men from the Trentham Camp were in town on leave. Just before midnight a largo crowd assembled outside the General Post Office, waiting for the chiming of the last hour of the old year. When midnight had struck, and 1915 had begun, theie was a general singing of "Auld Lang Syne." Rockets were fired from ships in port and their sirens were set a-tooting to usher in the new year A marked innovation, and one that no doubt Thorndon residents would appreciate, was the comparative silence of locomotive whistles in both the Wellington yards. From the police it is learned that on the whole the behaviour of the crowd was good humoured, and the arrests of the most refractory of the street revellers wet's fewer than on previous old year nights. Squeakers, mouthorgans, paper trumpets, bugles, and bella were used as noise-makers and there was much singing of "Xippera-ry" and some playing of the "Marseillaise." New dear's Day began with a clouded moonlit sky and still air, bub in the early hours the wind shifted round to the south-east and rain began, lasting most of the day, although generally in tha form of a tine drizzle, just sufficient to dampen the grass and the spirits of hoh"» day makers. Tram, train* and steamer traffic receipts were in consequence nob so large as were expected. The rain seems to have been quite local, ho\v« ever, for fine weather, was experienced well out of Wellington. The popular excursion to Picton was run by the Union Company's turbine steamer Wahine, with about 800 people on board. It was decided to make the trip, notwithstanding unpromising weather, in order not to disappoint those who had gone down to take their passage. There was a bit of a sea in tho Straits, which was rather trying to poor sailors, but once ih the still waters of the Sounds their troubles were forgotten. Tho sea was calmer on the return journey. At Picton the weather was pleasant enough, and visitors had a pleasa-nt hour oi- so ashore, visiting the sea baths and the mahy pretty little nooks in which Picton abounds. The boat races also attracted mahy spectators. _ Notwithstanding the fine rain, enthusiastic bowlers met at all city and sub« urbah greens and indulged in keen and friendly contests. The Otago-Wellitigton cricket match in - the Basin Reserve attracted a fair number of keen students and old players of the game. The Tauherenikau races lured many Wellington citizens over tho Rimutaka Ranges,, not only to witness the races themselves, but to put a little bft on the 3ead certainty of their choice, There were tennis at Day's Bay and line shooting at Trentham in spite of the weather. The various places of amusement in the city, especially this picture theatres, opened their welcome door» to those who had not been able^ to enjoy a- clay in the open, and the takings at the doors were quite up to the holiday average.