The morning broke beautifully fine and enticing, a light breeze tempering the warm rays of the sun, and no one who had determined on an outing could have had the slightest cause for hesitation.
Towards midday, however, what had been a moderate breeze in the morning increased to a violent gale from the south-west, and with the discomforts attendant thereon - such as flying dust from unswept and unwatered pavements - the day was robbed of a good deal of its pleasure.
The wind continued to blow vigorously until late in the afternoon, but fortunately, excepting for a few drops, no rain fell.
Seldom has there been such an exodus of people to the country as was the case yesterday, but it may be fairly calculated that about 12,000 people left Dunedin by train, boat, or tramcar to the various centres of attraction.
St Clair, as usual, proved a centre of gravitation for many hundreds of women and children, but in the afternoon the flying sand made matters a little uncomfortable.
However, taking all things into consideration, yesterday's holiday may be said to have been one of the most popular of the kind on record.
As a fitting termination to the day the various places of amusement were very largely patronised.
The Railway Department had to cope with one of the biggest Labour Day crowds yet handled. To almost every point, north and south, the bookings were unusually heavy.
On the south line they totalled 1168, the north line 3990.
The bookings to Port Chalmers and intermediate stations totalled 857, and to Portobello 146.
The passengers carried to the Wingatui Racecourse amounted to the unusually high total of 2394 and for the Labour Day gathering at Outram it is estimated that a shade over 1500 made the journey out by train.
• Sir, Is there any way in which we farmers can put a stop to Sunday shooting? It is becoming unbearable.
Last Sunday they started at 5.30am and kept it up till 6.30pm; and the great trouble is, they don't care where they shoot - sometimes it is right into the kitchen door; in fact, one is not safe going about his own farm unless he is dressed in armour.
What with shooting and setting fires, the farmer who lives within a short distance of Dunedin has anything but a good time of it. I am, etc, Farmer. - ODT, 14.10.1909.
