SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3049, 10 April 1917, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Organisers of Women's National Ser-

Mrs. Harold J. .Tennant and Miss Violet Markham have taken up their appointments in control of the national service for women, states ,an English writer. While Mr. Nevillo. Chamber-' lain directs the man-power of tho nation, these two able women will map out the best' way oi using the womanpower of the country from their headquarters in the St. Ermines Hotel. 4? wife of the Parliamentary Under-Sec-retary to the War Office, and before that as H.M. superintending inspector of faotories—a pioneer worker in this direction —Mrs. Tennant is said to have wide-reaching qualifications,. as well as the confidence' of that huge mass of patriotic womanhood which has been aching for some form of State mobilisation of . our women's forces. Miss Violet Markhani, who in private life is the wife of Major James Carruthers, M.V.0., D.5.0., prefers to take up her public appointment under the name by which slio'is so 'well known as a brilliant and capable organiser, with, too, the gift of eloquent_ speech from' the platform when occasion demands it.. She is the sister of the late Sir Arthur Markham, and, like Mrs. Tennant, is likely to inspire trust and maintain allegiance fom the women of the nation. ,

In Tltokowaru'9 Days. Mrs. It Charters, who died a few days ago at New Plymouth, was the daughter ofv Mr. W. Howitt, a very old settler in tho Taranaki district, who came through, with his wife and young family, all the perils and hardships which fell to the lot of "those who were farming on the outskirts of civilisation in Taranaki Huring Titokowaru'.s last war in tim states a northern exchange. The deceased lady was the first white child born at Okato, which was tho nearest place the settlers: got to the rebels' land, the steep., rocky banks of tho well-known Stony River separating the pakeha's land from tha i Maoris' preserves.. Mr. Howitt's land was in a direct lino only , a very few milos from the famous Maori stronghold of Parihaka, notable in later years as the "home of the prophets Te Whiti and Tohu, and where the murderer Hiroki, the nativo who shot M'Lean, near Waverley, hid for so long, but who later suffered the extreme penalty of the law at New Plymouth. The settlers' often had to leave their, farms and flee to the blockhouse for protection, and the young child had more than one escape from doath as the parr ents stumbled along in , tho darkness ■to .tlig place of safety: It is a coincidence that she died on the fifty-scnond anniversary of her mother's arrival in Auckland Harbour in tho good ship Pegasus, Capt. Cornwall being ill command, from Scotland. 'Mrs.. Chiirteris 'has two .brothers in Auckland,. W, K. Howjtt, of Dovonport, and G.'Maokay' Howitt,, of Epsom, The funeral toot place at Patea. '

Mrs. Margaret Jack,son, of 'Franklin Road,' Ponsonby, celebrated her 101 st birthday last Tuesday. Mrs. Jaokson, wlio is still, according to the Auokland "Star," in comparatively good health, is a native of Ireland, and came to New/ Zealand in 1872 with her ; second husband, Corporal John Jackson, a Mutiny veteran, who 'has boon dead for some years, Apart from deafness, tho old lady shows few signs, «f hor great ago.

, Mr. and . Mrs.; J. Willis (Christchurch) are visiting. Auckland.

■ Mrs. Milne is spending somo .days in Palmerston North;

Mr. and Mrs. O. Perry (Mastertonj have been spending tho- Easter holidays at Palmorston North. :

Mr. and Mrs. E. Biddiford are visiting: Wellington. ~ •

■' Mr. and Mr?, H. O, L. 'Robinson (Mastertgn) are visiting. Hawke's liay.

; Mr. and Mrs. Edgjr Holmwood (Mastertqp) and Miss Moore have been spending the Easter time at New Plymouth and Egniont.

Lieutenant and Mrs. Eaton Tnrner hairo'returned to Trentham from a yisit to Dunedin. v.. .

'Mrs, John Luoena (Neuagh, Toko) is visiting relatives ill the Wairarapa.'

Miss R. Willcox, who has beon spending a few days in the" Wairarapa, returned to Wellington yesterday..

■ Mra. ,H. Steele has been _ spending the, Easter . holidays ;in Christcharch, whore she was joined by her sister, Mrs; .Handyside, of Invercargill, "

..Mrs- Broad.returned to yoeterfjay frpin a visjt to Mastertqfl,

.■ VThe oommittce of the' Wellington SRed Cross shQp ■ liavo forwarded' another i3OO for .our Sick <ind Woiindefl Soldiers' Fund in England. The amount of £1100 has beon sent from : the. takings of . the shop since it was opened four months ago. Tho' Misses Cooper and Moss' conti'ihu.ted about £48 f\om their .flower stall ..last month. These ladies desiro to express their thanks and great':appreciation, tn tlie many friends who so regularly and generously send in ■ flowers. The Misses' Voitch sent in-1201h.'of sweets,, which brought in £12 for the. month. Noxt Friday ths ladies of the Jlercer Street Red Cross Depot will have charge of the shop. :. Great preparations ,'ar.e being made for a very successful day,:'-

A Royal Title Revived. In a letter expressing his appreciation of the war worl> of various kinds performed in Scotland, the Prince of Wales referred to himself as Prince of Scotland, and thus indicated the revival of an ancient title. In all his dealings with Scotland His Royal Highness has previously been described as Duko of Rotliesay, hut it is believed that the designation Prince of .Scotland is older than the dukedom and the other Scottish styles'of the prince— Earl of Carriole, Baron do Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Great Steward of Seneschal of ..Scotland. The HeirApparent to tlie Scottish Throne, who has borne these titles for centuries, was always designated Prince of Scotland, and they passed with James I to the Royal House of Great Britain. However, the eldest son of the Sovereign in recent times has not been accorded the style of Prinoe of Scotland. Tim Act of the. Scottish Parliament under which it was ordained that the heir should have these' 1 honours is believed to have disappeared from the .records, but the agree that all of the designations that of Prince' of Scotland is the senior. The revival of its use is expected to give. considerable pleasure north of the Tweed.

Chance for a Clean Sheet.. ' Mrs. Lloyd George contributes to "Answers" an article entitled "Our Most Deadly Enemy," in which she makes an earnest plea for a united national effort to discourage excessive drinking, with its consequent waste of time, energy, and'money. "I cannot conceive of anything which would, more ensure the glory and_ triumph of our nation in commerce, in art, in literature,; in a-high standard-of life than tho conquest of England's greatest arid most terrible enemy—drink. We shall have a unique opportunity—the chance of a lifetime—when this war .is over and our land.has to begin a new life."

A good deal of uneasiness has, been allayed by news of the safe. receipt of the Christmas parcels sent by Alio Countess of Liverpool Fund Committee at .the Town Hall to the men in the trenohes. So long a time had elapsed since the sending of these gifts without receiving word of their safe arrival that fears wore being entertained .'of' their-having gone .astray. . Fortunately, however, such, is not the case,' and judging from the sentiments expressed .in several letters received at the Town Hall, they appear to have mot with groat appreciation on tho part of tho men. The men in Egypt, in England,.and in: Mesopotamia had : received theirs a little, while ago. ;

. "One could not imagine the joy which comes over the, Jlaovi boys when Christmas gifts aro distributed to them," writes Sergeant, Tamepo,'of the Pioneer Battalion, to the s Ladies' Patriotio League. New Plymouth. . .

. Mrs. Day and Mrs." Hall, .of Seatouij, will ,bo in charge of the ' Red Cross shop in Woodward Street on "Wednesday. They expect to have a good supply of ca'kos, sweets, eto.