THE NEW YEAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15496, 1 January 1914, Page 9

THE NEW YEAR.

QUEEN STREET'S WELCOME.

A HAPPY CROWD

NOISES AND RAGTIME.

"Lk roi est mort: rive 'e roil" Time, like kingly thrones, admits of no blanks, and so when the Town Hall clock had begun to strike the midnight, hour as a dirge, to the old year, the bells of fit. Matthew's Church broke in with a merry peal as a welcome to the new year. Then the whistle of a merry-go-round up Welksley Street added a shrill note, motor horns spoke, small boys blew trumpets and squeaks, and amid the confusion of noise 1913 slipped into the Past, and Time turned over a new page.

The :,oisos continued for some time. Some small groups of people joined hands and sang " Auld Lang Syne." others favoured ragtime, and some hilarious youths attempted the tango. Then the men who nightly sweep Queen Street got to work. They have, been too often there at midnight to have any sentiment about the hour, and the cloud of dust they raised scattered the crowd at the Welles-ley Street comer. Still, groups of young men. paraded the street singing, but they gradually tired, and the first hours of darkness of the new year claimed their heritage of silence.

The Queen Street welcome to the new year was hearty, if a little tired. There was no suspicion of regret for the passing year, only holiday abandon. It was a new year celebration, not an old year lamentation. Other days might be born meanly and unnoticed as the midnight hour chimed, but this first day of another year must be watched and waited for and ushered in with due ceremony and noise.

Early in the evening crowds began to pour into Queen —some to shop, but most to enjoy the lights and the faces. So dense was the crowd that quick walking was impossible, and trams and vehicular traffic had to creep through it with much clanging of bells, tooting of horns, and shouting of drivers. It was a boisterously good-natured crowd. Old and young were there—families and sweethearts, and lads and lasses who had not sweethearts but wanted them. As the evening wore on the older people went home, and the younger people, refreshed with ice-cream and strawberries, applied themselves to making the air heavy with noujes. A good many shops in Queen Street and Karangahape Road were open, and fairly good business was done. New Year's Eve is not a specially good business night, but a considerable number of people seemed to have belated notions of giving seasonable reminders, and fancy goods shops and postcard shops especially did good business. Karangahape Road emptied quickly after the shops closed. Queen Street and the Exhibition apparently being the spots favoured for seeing the old year out. The fine weather tempted many to walk across Grafton Bridge and git on the bank opposite the Exhibition waiting for the. rockets to go up inside, which should be the signal of midnight. Watch night services were i held in a number of churches, and were I fairly Tell attended.

An animated scene was witnessed at the Exhibition as the new year dawned.Some 2000, people, attracted by the novelty of the occasion, stayed on in order to sea the last of 1913. As the distant chimes of the city clocks were heard striking the hour of midnight, rockets and bombs were let off from Wonderland, where the majority of the people had congregated. Various sections of the crowd joined hands after the time-honoured custom, and sang "Auld Lang Syne," and, when the fireworks were concluded, dispersed to their homes.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC. BIG CROWDS OF VISITORS. The influx of visitors to Auckland continues. Yesterday all the express trains from the South were well filled, and the arrivals easily outnumbered the departures. The three express trains which left for the South last night were poorly patronised, and few sleeping berths were booked. These facts suggest a continuance for some time c" the crowded condition of the city, and augur well for the widespread interest in the Exhibition, and for the success of the many entertainments and sports arranged for the season. SHOPKEEPERS BUST. EXCELLENT BUSINESS REPORTED. Another harvest was enjoyed by the tradesmen yesterday. Until late in the evening dsnse crowds promenaded the streets, and the general ' experience of shopkeepers was that the day's takings exceeded those of last New Year's Eve. Particularly was this so in connection with the drapery business. The continuance of fine weather was doubtless a contributing factor, dress requirements being created to a certain extent by the fine weather But the fact is significant in that it affords further proof that the money in circulation is widely distributed, and that the industrial upheaval caused a temporary set-back only.

EXCURSIONS BY WATER.

VISITORS FROM COASTAL PORTS.

Visitors continue to flock into the city by steamer, and others preferring the delights of the seaside are going away for the holidays. The Ngapulii arrived yesterday morning from Tauranga with a large number of passengers, and the Aupouri brought many visitors from the north. In 'the afternoon the Ngatiawa arrived with passengers f rom Opotild and Ohiwa. and the Manaia sailed in the evening with a very large number of visitors for the Whingarei Regatta, which is being held to-dav.

The Northern Steamship Company will run special excursions to-day and totnorrow to gulf pleasure resorts. The Wakatere leaves for Cmves' Bay. Waiheke. this morning, and the Aupouri for the same I lace tomorrow. The Aupouri will leave for Awarna Bay. Waiheke, to-day, and tlve Daphne to-morrow. To-day and tomorrow the Ngatiawa will leave for the Waiwera Hot Springs, and the Ngapuhi for Kawau Island.

Special excursions will be run to-day and to-morrow by the Devonport Ferry Company to Raiijiitoto. Motutapu, Takapuna. Pine Island, Orakei, Kohimararna. and St Helii-s Hay The service to Devonpi.it and other seaside resorts on the north side of the harbour will be accelerated.

Bayswiit.r and T.ikai.una no doubt will he visited by many hohdav makers, arid the Pupnke and the steam trains will run a last service to these places. The PKoitoi leaves for Birkdale, Hobsonville (ireenbithe. and Riverhead today, to-morrow. Saturday, arid Sunday, at 10' a.m.. and the Onew'a for the fishing grounds on the same days at. 9.30 a.m. A special excursion to Tamaki will be run bv the Kninatiki today.

The Devonport Methodist Sunday-school picnic takes place to-morrow. The boat ■eaves for Motiitnr.ii mm Stanley Bay at 9.15 a.m . calling at the Victoria Wharf, Devonport, ISmios later.