SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3056, 17 April 1917, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

The Efficient Woman. "You would be surprised at the occupations that' are now followed, by women here," says a letter received by a Wellington resident from England recently. ' 'They are .to be found as railway guards, collectors, bus and tram conductors, gas inspectors, policewomen, postwomen, milk deliverers, and, in fact, there seems to be no end to the efficiency of tho women. It, won't last much after the war, for thousands of colonials have married and our 'Tommies' havo taken to themselves wives who never dreamed of getting tho Hymeneal knot tied. I calculate that it will require at least a million more houses for people to live in here after the war, and that to reinstate the stocks in the warehouses and shops will take years. Nearly all the hardware is exhausted, and if one wants any tools they are almost impossible to obtain." ' Countess of Liverpool Fund. During the past fortnight the following donors havo contributed, gifts to tho Mayoress's Countess of Liverpool Fund at the Town Hall:—Wairoa Branch Lady Liverpool Fund, Normal High School Girls, Mrs. Gow, Girls' Friendjy. Lodge, Mrs. A. Myers,. Mrs. Crespih, Mrs. Julia Tully (Tokomaru), Ohau Branch'lied Cross Workers (per Mrs. Barltrop), To Aro School - (per Miss Bright), Miss Johnston, Mrs. Rowley, Waitotara Ladies, Mrs. Bell, Mr. H. Collins, Mrs. Leech, Mr. Palmer, Miss Benbow, "Sydney Lady," Mr. J. Brown (Levin), Mrs. Morison. From Normanby—"No Name," Mrs. Morton, Miss Piric, Mrs. Taylor, Miss Wilcocks, Mrs. Le Grovo, Ormondvillo Ladies' Patriotic Committee, Mrs. Levy, Mrs. Galvin, Miss M'Gowan.

Visiting Wellington at tho present time are Mrs. and Miss Claffy (Melbourne), Mr. and Mrs. Dyer (Sydney), Mr. and Mrs. Wells (Adelaide), Mrs. Starr and family (Melbourne), all of ■whom are staying at tho Empire Hotel.

The engagement is announced of Miss Eose Passmore, of Lowor Gunner L. Beard, of tho ?ITentyfourth N.Z.F.A. .

Miss Butts returned to Wellington on Saturday from a visit to Feilding, where she was. tho guost of. Mrs. H. Stowarton a motoring tour to Wanganui and surrounding -districts.

Miss D. Ewart returned to Wellington on Saturday from a visit to Wangamii.' '. . . . .

Mrs; W. T. Carey (Hawera) and her little daughter are spending a few days in Wellington.

Mrs. Bamicoat is visiting • her daughter, Mrs. Wall, in Wanganui.

:Mrs. M'Girr and Mrs. Bradley, of Seatoun, will hare charfte of tho Bed Cross Shop, Woodward Street, to-mor-row, and will have a good supply- of cakes, sweets, and flowers.

Lady Stout and Lady Dennislon were passengers by .the Maori from tho south on Sunday. ...

Tho packing of tho gift parcels for the men'at tho front ■commences on Thursday morning ot this week, instead of on Wednesday, as had previously beon arranged. This has been done to suit tho girl members of the Citizens' Service League, some of whom, being in offices; can only holp at night, and Wednesday night had been set aside for the entertainment of soldiers at a dance in tho Town Hall.

The following have contributed hospital equipment to tho Red Cross (Mercer Street) during the past fortnight:—Ladies' Guild, Rangataua; Miss Lowe, Rakanui Red Cross Guild, Orrrioridville Red Cross; Guild, Carterton Red Cross Sub-Centre, Patriotic Society, Palmorston North, Carnarvon Red Cross Guild, Upper Hutt Ladies' Guild, Pupils of Judgford School, Hastings Red Cross Workers, New Plymouth, "Waikanae Girls' Club, Lady Liverpool and Red Cross Society, Wai-, roa (H. 8.), Wairarapa Centre British Red Cross, Rakanui Red Cross, Wellington Nursing Division, St. John. Ambulance Brigade Overseas, "A Friend/ , National Reserve, N,ewtown Branch, Miss G. Nathau, Ladies' Patriotic League, Waverley Red Cross Guild, Waitotara Red Cross Workers, Marlon, Red Cross, Napier, Taihape Sub-Centre, Red Cross Workers, Havelock North, Tauniarunui Patriotic Workers, Gisborne Women's Patriotic Committee.

Tliis afternoon at three o'clock _ a meeting is to Le held in connection with tile Navy League to arrange for making Tip garments and sending them to the four principal naval ports in England for distribution among those dependents of sailors who are in distress through the war. The meeting will bo held in tho Navals , Building (between the Star Boating Shed and tho Fish Market); Jervois Quay. By the Jutland Battle' it has been computed that 30,000 depondtents of sailors; of whom 5000. arft widows, have been left without their breadwinners. .The. pension given the widow of a sailor is ss. per weok, and Is. 6d. per child, and from sucW figures it may easily bo seen that'the struggle for daily sustenance and the ordinary neotfs of life must be » very grim one.

Policewomen in London. To the "Daily Mail" of February C Margaret .Bell contributes an.article on the good that is being done in London by tho now body of policewomen. The writer says:—"Perhaps no organisation of women not directly connected with the war has done more good work since its beginning than the Women's Police Service. Tho spirits of old-fashioned-ness, if such there be, must have opened wide- their eyes when they first saw the little body of blue-uniformed women plunging into problems which not so very long ago were avoided as unbecoming and quite beyond the limitations of conventional discussion. The actual training for the work takes only a, fortnight. It is practical training,and consists of the visiting-of police courts; during the day and of different 'beats' with experienced policewomen in the evening. Every night at 8 o'clock a squad starts out from tho headquarters in Little George Street, and proceeds to the point from which the women are to begin their work. Here they separate, going in twos, to different localities, where they will be most needed._ Some go to Victoria Station, which js ~& very important centre. "Then , work there is varied. t It may. "be. that there are strangers arriving in town whodo not know their way about. .The policewomen como to their aid, and either put them in charge of :an omnibus' conductor or, - if tho stranger appear too timid of tho 'darkened streets and doubtful of finding her way after she leaves the omnibus, send a recruit - with; her,- who, later, returns to her original, 'beat.' Women with two or three hours' wait before their train leaves are looked after,' their platform found for them, and made comfortable-until the, time ' arrives for their departure. Charing Cross Station is no: less important, and at Etiston Station lnany mothers, wivos, and sisters arriving ■ in town from the north to . see wounded relations back from the front ai-q nightly given a helping hand and a cheering word by the'Kiie-iiniformod women who go about among the .crowds'." After dealing with other branches of the work, the writer concludes:—"lt is a splendid effort that these women are making, and as recruits come in and th'oir numbers increase ought to mean a great deal to the public welfare."

The idea of sending small tins filled with cako or; shortbread to. the men at' -flie front appears to he an. excellent one. Yesterday from an early hour in: the morning, Mrs. Townsend and her helpers were very busy cutting large blocks of pound cako (which looked extremely good).-:■". into, small squares, corresponding in size to the half-pound i tins into : which they were packed, and these tins are included among the gifts which , compose the monthly parcels, which, are sent to soldiers abroad. Filling tins with sweets was another task -upon which the workers wore cmplo3 - od, and in other ways everything was. being prepared for the actual packing of the parcels on Thursday, nest. .' . : .