INFLUX OF PEOPLE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 3105, 24 December 1921, Page 4

INFLUX OF PEOPLE.

L.WU'iK CROWDS 13Y TRAIN. The "running to and fro" of the Christmas holiday-makers has begun in earnest. To-day's trains were twice their ordinarv length, and _in nearly every instance ear•ici! a rapacity freight of passengers. The Mioi-iiiiii: train from Foxton was packed with an almost unbelievable number of visitors to town. Indeed, it. appeared as if the entire population on the Foxton line had migrated to town for the festive season. Generally speaking, said a prominent railway official to a "Standard" representative to-day. the holiday passenger traffic has been well maintained this year, equal to fully four-fifths of the number of last year's excursionists. The incidence of the Davis ''up tournament at Auckland sent thousands to the Queen City at this time last year, .mil naturally there is a fallin« off in the number travelling by the north-bound .Main I'runk_ trains. On the Wellington, Napier mil Wangantti trains the totals are about the same. A notably large number of Maoris have passed through Palmerstou Norlh during the past day or two to join 'he camp being established by Rarr.na near fiu-akina, and it is estimated that between 5000 and 7000 native followers of the healer will attend his camp over Christinas.