ON PLEASURE BENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17662, 24 December 1920, Page 8

ON PLEASURE BENT.

HOLIDAY RUSri BEGINS. GBKAT riIESS OF TRAFFIC. THE ANNUAL " GKNEPAL POST." There was a lavp;e influx <>f visitors into, t.'ie citv yesterday. The special train s<»i • Mce arranged by the Railway Department was taxed to the utmost. Owing to the heaw passenger traffic the -y al J* •I nmk express from Wellington which usual I v reaches Auckland at 2.55 p.m. did nut roach its destination until 4.56 It, was a. very heavy train, comprising ( no fewer than 17 carnages and those were crowded. .. Now' that there is no likelihood at the Weirinpton Lyttelton ferry service being interrupted, the inward passenger traffic from the. South will probably be consider- I jibly greater tliaxx was anticipated a few < Tlio outward trains during the day were •ilsc> largely patronised, the two evening expresses being crowded. (rood booking by the traveling public was reported yesterday by the Government Tourist Department's Inquiry Bureau. < 1 he tourist traffic is probably heavier than <ivetx the same period last year. Tourist resortb such a* Rotorua, To Aroha, and the Waitorr.o Caves, are already crowded : with visitors, while Auckland ltse.f is abnormally crowded. The bureau s business has been so augmented lately that work has been continued there from an eirly hour until 11 P-nx. every evening for Heaw booking was also reported by < Messrs."Tliomas Cook and Sons' tourist ivgencv, which has been catering for an especially large number of people visiting Ihe South Island cities. The tourist type < f people was not so much in evidence as annual "trippers." . The shipping trouble in Australia, it rv a ., stated, would probably have a considerable effect on the tourist figures this Christmas. Numerous parties were held up in Australia, for -whom extensive booking arrangements had been made, and the recent development had necessitated the alteration or cancelling of these arrangements. It was also stated that a large number of Aucklanders were making Sydney and Melbourne their holiday ob- ' jective this season. HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. S'-ORT FOR EVERY TASTE. Holiday-makers this Christmas time will have many outdoor attractions and other amusements to choose from, and, if the weather keeps fine, thousands of people will have enjoyable outings at the numerous sporting and athletic events, excursions, and picnics, which have been arranged for to-morrow and for next The Davis Cup tennis tournament, -which has .excited attention for months past, will be opened in the Domain on Tuesday. • and will be continued on Thursday and Friday. The" Auckland Placing Club's summer meeting will lw held at the Ellerslie racecourse on Monday and Wednesday, and on January 1 and 3. The Auckland Trotting Club's meeting will take place at Alexandra Park, Epsom, on Tuesday, and on Thursday arid Friday. The Plunket Shield cricket match, Hawlie's Bay r. Auckland, will be played at Eden Park on Christmas Day and on Tuesday and Wednesday. The "Auckland Bowling Centre's annual tournament -will commence on Boxing Day on tho various greens, and will be continned during the week. S'ffimmins carnivals will be lield on the afternoon, oi Christmas Day by the Mount >Hden Swimming Club at the Mount Eden baths, and bv the Ponsonby Swimming Club at the 6helly Beach baths, A boxing carnival, under the auspices of the Northern Boxing Association, will be held in the Town Hall on Tuesday and Thursday .ewoings, _ Numerous ferry and steamship excursions and picnics have been advertised for the various beaches and holiday grounds round the harbour and gulf. The Onehuriga Zoo, and Mr. Clement L Wragge'g gardens, at Birkenhead, will be open for visitors during the' holidays. Evening entertainments offer a wide selection, and should be heavily patronised by tho large numbers of people in town. _'" • i HOSPITALS AND HOMES. CHEER FOR SICK AND AGED. In the various homes and hospitals Christmas will be observed in tho usual manner, good cheer, gifts, and entertainment being provided for the inmates. A special Christmas dinner will be served at the General Hospital, Auckland Mental Hospital, Costley Home, and Alexandra Home, while at the General Hospital there will be a distribution of gifts and -sweets, and tobacco to men alile to smoke. Evei'v effort will be made to enable the little patients Qf the children's hospital to spend a happy day. Each child will be presented with a little gift, and those able to be up will be allowed to spend the day at home. To-morrow afternoon the customary visit of inspection will be paid to the General Hospital, Costley Home, and Alexandra Home by the chairman and members of the Hospital Board. Sick and wounded soldiers will be, well provided for by the Red Cross Society, and tho War Relief Association at the "Evelyn Filth Home and at the tubercular ° shelters' in the Domain. A generous Christmas dinner will be supplied to the men by the Red Cross, while each man will receive a gift from the War Relief Association. This body will also provide gifts, tobacco, and sweets for returned men at the Kamo and Rotorua Hospitals, and at tho Mental Hospital. Thanks to the efforts of Auckland's social workers many aged people and needy children will enjoy a pleasant Christmas. Sister Esther, Sister Hannah, and other well-known workers and their kindly helpers will send Christmas fare, gifts, and greetings to many homes. The contributions bv the public have enabled these workers to- present gifts for children's stockings on even a larger scale than usual. The little inmates of the various orphanages will enjoy the usual Christmas dinner, and a large number of toys will be distributed. Seamen in port will be remembered as usual by the Mission to Seamen and the officials of the Sailors' Home. Enter--1 unment and gifts will be provided by t'iie mission in the evening. CLOSING OF PUBLIC OFFICES. HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS. The Government offices, with the exception of the customs, will be closed on Christmas Day and Monday and Tuesday next, and also on January 1 and 3. The Customs Department will be open on Tuesday next, but will be closed on the four other days mentioned. The banks and insurance offices will be closed on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, and on the same three days in the tirst week in January. The letral offices v.-MI be closed fem to-day until January 10. The lending department, of the Auckland Library, and the branch libraries, will close to-morrow, on Monday and Tuesday, and on January 1, 3, and 4. The reference department of the Auckland library will be closed to-morrow and on Monday, and on January 1 and 3. CHURCH SERVICES TO-MORROW. Special services will be held in many churches in the city and suburbs tomorrow, Christmas Day. Dr. A. W. jAyerill, Anglican Bishop of Auckland, P'.ill preach at the morning. service at St, Mary's Cathedral, Parnell. Dr. H. W. Ipleary, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auck--sand, will preach at the evening s?ervi« tt St. Patrick's Cathedral* V -