READY FOR CHRISTMAS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17041, 24 December 1918, Page 8

READY FOR CHRISTMAS

BUSY TIME IN THE CITY.

TRADE AND TRAVEL BRISK

Christmas crowds and Christmas trade liavo been increasing day by day during the last week, and Auckland has once moro regained its pre-war spirit of festivity and light-heartcdness. Even during the war years, there was never any lack of prosperity to mar the Christmas season, and records have been established even while war devastated the Northern Hemisphere, but tho shadow of war was dark en: the world and on the hearts of the people With the end of the war, and the menace of sickness which so lately attacked the country, Auckland people art- showing their relief and rejoicing by the zest with which they aro entering into tho spirit of the season. The streets are crowded from morning till night with visitors and town-folk, trade is booming, and every shop is filled and over-filled with busy purchasers. A few' weeks ago Christmas prospects looked far from bright, but business has improved tremendously lately, and while it is not anticipated that a record season will be established, it will certainly prove a prosperous one. One business man remarked vesterday that, following the epidemic, the outlook for a good Christmas looked a very noor one, but whereas trade was practically at a standstill a few weeks ago, his firm now had more busincs. than it could handle. Travel over the week-end was brisk, and many visitors arrived by steamer and tiain from nil parts of the province, and from the South. Already large numbers of holiday-makers have made their way to the seaside; the shores of Kohimarama art becoming Didturesque with white tents, and citv folk are taking up their summer abode at all the popular resorts on the shores of tho harbour.

IN HOME AND HOSPITAL.

CHEER FOR SICK AND AGED.

Christmas will be observed in the usual manner at tlw various homes and hospitals, where pood cheer and entertainment will be provided for the inmates. The patients at the general hospital will have a special Christmas, dinner, followed by a distribution of fruit and (tobacco. The small inmates of the Children's Hospital will also bo remembered. Donations of toys have been made by many friends, and Father Christmas will make the hospital one of his stopping-place*. The soldiers in the annexe will bo treated to a Christmas feast with poultry supplied by the Ministering Committee. An entertainment will also be given during the afternoon. On Christmas Day all those able to do so may visit their rolstivca or friends, but there are. nearly 100 men confined to bed, and, but for the kind thought of friends, the day would hold foi these but little of festivity or rejoicing. In the afternoon the chairman of the Hospital Board will pay the customary annual visit to the various institutions, including the Costley Home, Epsom Home, ano Alexandra Homo at Kllt-rslie. At the latter places a Christmas dinner will bo provided, but there will be no form of entertainment. The usual Christmas concert given at the Costley Homo by Mrs. Pritt has been postponed until early in January, as a result of the epidemic. The prevalence of sickness has affected Christmas celebration to some extent in one or two institutions also. At St. Mary's Homes a Father Christmas party for the children will be held on Wednesday afternoon. The children at the various orphanoges will bo remembered, and special Christmas fare provided. The Sailors' Home and Mission to Seamon will ensure that the seamen in port on Christmas Day are not forgotten; the mission is inviting the men to a short sen-ice at All Saints', Birkenhead, Ho be followed by supper, presentation of gifta, and a concert.

TRAFFIC ON THE RAILWAYS.

FALLINQ-OFF ON LAST YEAR.

The holiday traffic on the railway*, though not as hetiw as that of last year, compares very favourably with it. As has I almost invariably been the case in former 1 years, the inward traffic greatly exceeds the outward. The further falling-oil' of the latter this year in attributed to tho epidemic, to the nonexistence- ofthe military training camps and, in the case of Waikato and Thames traffic, to the fact that there are practically no holiday attractions taking place in those districts. Neither are there any school children returning home to augment the outward traffic. On Sunday night the outward traffic was very slack, but yesterday—a day generally considered the "rush ' day—the I traffic on the Main Trunk trains showed lan improvement, though it. did not equal that of the same day last year. It is estimated that since December 19, the day on which the extra Main Trunk express was put on, the two trains have brought 1850 people to Auckland. The Rotorua express left yesterday with 250 people aboard, and the Thames express with 280. an increase of 80 on Saturday's figures. Great numbers of people are travelling on [ the suburban lines.

HOLIDAY ATTRACTIONS. RACE*, GAMES AND EXCURSIONS. Every taste i.i catered for in the attractions arranged for Cliristmaa Day and Boxing Day. Special services will bo held in most of the churches to-morrow. A cricket match between Auckland representatives and a Lower Waikato team, arranged by the Suburban Cricket Association, will he played in the Domain. Harbour excursions will be held, and the services of tho ferry companies have been augmented. In the evening an organ recital of appropriate music will bo given in the Town Hall, and npeeiul programmes presented at the picture theatres and Opera House, On Boxing Day the chief attraction will be the opening of the Auckland Racing Club's Summer Carnival at ElW.ie racecourse. The Auckland Bowling Centre's tournament is to be commenced on local greens. As this is the favourite day for harbour excursions the Northern Steamship Company has arranged special trips to Waihoko, Kawau, Waiwera, Awaroa, and other popular resorts. There will also be an excursion to Riverhead, and the ferry companies will run holiday services. Tho Zoo at Onehunga will no doubt attract many visitors.