RECORD NUMBER OF CARS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 4, 6 January 1939, Page 4

RECORD NUMBER OF CARS

PARKING AT STRATFORD TARANAKI’S BIG COUNTRY MEETING The New Year meeting of the Stratford Racing Club is claimed as the great ’’country" meeting of the province, and the experience of tiie fixture held on Monday and Tuesday furnishes ample proof that the clain is justified. The attendance was estimated at 10,000 on the opening day, and on Tuesday it must hawbeen not far short of 7000. The tocalisator turnover for the two days was £56,726 10s, and as the "gates" showed an increase over last year's figures the club should show a good fourfigure profit over the meeting. The enterprising officials of the club are entitled to be congratulated on the result of their efforts, and no small share of the credit goes to the secretary, Mr. C. R. Tilley, a former Wanganui boy. For the first day of the meeting more than 2000 cars were parked in and near the Stratford course. The weather was brilliantly fine but was not oppressive »at it was on the occasion of the same meeting last year. Surrounded by attractive native bush and with Mt. Egmont in the background Te Kapua Park presented a striking picture as the crowd moved about the grounds. The Stratford Citizens' Band played between races. The parking of the 1552 cars that were brought on to the grounds gave the officials an unusually difficult task. There were over 300 more cars on the grounds than there were last year, when a record number of over 1200 was established. In addition there were about 500 cars parked on side streets and roads leading to the course. Although the number was a new record, nearly 200 more cars could have been parked, it is understood.

In spite of the amount of traffic no accidents occurred on the grounds and in arriving and in leaving motorists were never unduly delayed. Striking evidence of the number of cars on the roads near the town was seen in the morning, when almost unbroken lines of cars stretched from the entrance to the course along Pembroke Road and up and down the main New Ply-mouth-Hawera highway. An incident which to the party of racegoers concerned must have been somewhat embarrassing occurred in Broadway, when after a halt in the traffic one car refused to start again and hundreds of cars in line behind were delayed. Finding the seif-starter of no use the occupants got out and pushed the vehicle, a large and heavy car, out of the way.