THE NEW YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1937, Page 10

THE NEW YEAR

A NOISY WELCOME

WELLINGTON'S PART

PUBLIC CELEBRATION

With a gesture remarkable for its gaiety and enthusiasm, Wellington gave the New Year a wonderful welcome. In keeping with the customary practice, Post Office Square was the focus of the public celebration of theoccasion. Hero, as the chiming of midnight, by the Post Office clock tolled the passing of 1938, thousands of people packed in the square greeted 1937 with joyous uproar. Seldom has there been such a New Year demonstration. The spirit of merriment and unfettered jollity was infectious, and the manner of its expression was a fitting climax to an unforgettable festive season. For some time before midnight the crowds that surged through the main streets started to flow into the square, and by ten minutes to midnight the space was packed with a mass of expectant humanity. As the minute hand moved slowly to the close of the year there was a certain tension among the throng that even the spluttering of crackers and weird combination of vocal and mechanical noises could not entirely dissipate. Then for a moment, [just before the first chime sounded, the wave of discord subsided a little. Immediately the first note was struck the crowd gave voice spontaneously to [a tumultuous welcome, individual sounds blending in one great confusion. The clamour spread. Anything that could make any sort of noise was brought into commission. Steam whistles along the waterfront and in the railway yards, tram gongs, motorcar hooters, and many unidentifiable noises joined in the mad symphony. Having successfully seen the New Year in, the crowd drifted gradually away to its own devices, many people boarding trams to go home. Others piled into motor-cars, and various groups of celebrants rollicked through the city streets again. In the early part of the evening, crowds paraded the brilliantly-lighted streets. The spirit of the occasion inoculated everyone, and for the ■ most part joviality and good-fellowship had generous play. Here and there were more exuberantly-inclined parties who were out for a good time, and were going to see that they got it, but On tn« whole the crowds were orderly and well-behaved, and the boldness of somt of the more boisterous of the young bloods was generally smiled on with broad tolerance. It seemed as if people were too busy being happy to be concerned about anything else.