WELLINGTON'S ATTRACTIONS

Evening Star, Issue 15074, 4 January 1913, Page 2

WELLINGTON'S ATTRACTIONS

SOME FRANK ADMISSIONS. [SrECIAL TO THE STAE.] WELLINGTON, January 4. Though the weather at Christmas was never better in Wellington there was no crowding of the city with visitors, such as once occurred, and as appears to be the satisfactory experience of other big centres, notably Auckland, with its race meetings as one of the draws during the festive time. The drop in Wellington's tramway receipts is a plain indication of the lessened throng. With the exception of Christmas Eve, the trams have nevf-r been uncomfortably crowded, and the loading was so poor on New Year's Day that cars running "dead" had to be taken off, and the revenue fell to about £32s—about the. same as that of Christmas Day—as compared with about £6OO last year, and the week's receipts are. likely to suffer in proportion. Wellington's record day was last Christmas Eve. with £872;" but Christchurch inns up during Show and Cnp Week to £1,500 a day. This, to the minds of the traffic authorities gives the clue to the cause of the poor display made by Wellington. They spoke rather frankly about it to a 'Post' representative, the criticism of their own city being to the effect that it offers too few permanent attractions now to draw the visitors for a holiday sojourn in the city, and yet can show no definite holiday event with which to draw the public. Auckhnd has its superior permanent attraction":, its harbor and harbor rrsoits, its parks and special institutions, like the Library and tho Art Gallery. Tn addition, it has its racing attractions at Christmas, consequently it draws the people in thousands, and both privately and publicly flip Queen City benefits very materially; in deed. Wellington this Christmas had nothji-g to the people to the city or to keep Ihem in it. There was no race meeting, no sports gathering, no public event of any kind except- the cricket on basin reserve, to constitute a "draw." Had it not been for the exceptionally line weather the receipts would not have ii:id-> much of a show at nil It is regArdod as an undoubted fact that, Wellington no longer attracts the holiday-maker at Christmas time. •