WOMAN'S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 116, 2 February 1918, Page 4

WOMAN'S WORLD.

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAR AND NEAR

(Br iMGQEJJ,)

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

The Terrace's Red Cross Shop organ* isation. Workers in connection with the Terrace's Day at the Wellington lied Cioss Shop met in tho gymnasium of tiie Sydney Street Soldiers' Club yesterday afternoon for the purpose of discussing in what ways their operations at the shop should lie conducted during the present year. Mrs. Adams presidO'.t

Among other matters it was decided that after February 22 (the date fixed for thoir day at. tho shop) the Terrace's organisation should divide into three (although still belonging \o the one organisation). This was done in' accordance with <i proposal brought forward at a general meeting of the Shop Committee and workers held towards tho eiid of last year, the idea being that witli this division of all the largo organisations that held days at the shop the strain and competition would bo lessoned, and the allocation uf days could more easily bo made.

Thcso threo bodies will in future be known as: The Terrace, with Mrs. Adams as organiser, which will consist of the Terrace only; the Hill district, which, will include all the streets and terraces running off from tho Woilington Terrace north of tho Kelburn tramway (in which is included Bowen Street, Aurora Terrace, Woodward Street, etc.; and tho Boulcott district (south of the Kelburn tramline), which ' will include Mount Street, Botanical Road, Boulcott Street, tho Terrace, Upper Dixon Street, Ghuzneo Street, Tiverton Terrace, etc. Tho organisers for tho two latter districts are still to be secured. The Hill district workers will take a day in June, and the Terrace day will be held some time in August. When the Boulcott district wilf take a day at the shop has yet to be decided. Various arrangements in connection with the forthcoming day at the Red Cross Sliop on February 22 were made, and it was stated that the trousseau, •by permission of the Bristol Piano Company., will be on view in one of their windows on cne or two days of next week. Y.W.C.A. Notes, . The Y.W.C.A. hostels near the gates of the great military hospitals in England are a bpon to many relatives (states a correspondent). A boy may como homo maimed and ill and his mother, sister, or friend aro sent for to conic to tho hospital where ho lies. Tho matron of tho Young _ Women's Christian Association hostel is there to receive this friend: it may be that she has arrived too late and her boy has 'succumbed to his wounds. She is without friends in Loudon to soothe or comfort. her. The future will tell a tale of sorrow relieved and burdens shared. Underlying all tho activities of the Y.W.C.A. for tho girl of Great ljritain in this hour of -stress and trial is the desire to help her to use her great opportunity. A new life.is before tho girl of to-day and tho Y.W.C.A, lias-a now place in her thoughts; it is interpreting Christ in terms of daily life, and setting a standard of service. The members of the Y.W.C.A. who attended the devotional meeting on ■Thursday'evening took the opportunity of welcoming Miss Lawson back her trip to.Roto.rua.' 'She will be further welcomed by another group of members at the social to-night.

Some of tho Y.AY.C.A. members resident in the hostels undertook to provide the programme for the social that was held at the Young Women's Christian Association club rooms_ recently. A happy evening was spent in games, recitations, and music. Miss Revens was tho pianist, and amongst tho performers wore Miss Pickthall, Miss M'Ara. Miss Warburton, Miss Taylor, •and Miss Jones. Light refreshments were served by the supper committee. A bright programme has been arranged for to-night, when soldiers will again be welcome to tako part in tho games with tho girls. At the short, bright meoting at the Y.W.C.A., Herbert Street, to-morrow afternoon at 4.15 there will be a special speaker. A largo attendance is expected.

On Wednesday Her Excellency the Countess of Liverpool, accompanied by Miss Newdigate, niece of the Governor of Tasmania, and Mrs. M'Carthy, also of Tasmania, visited the lied Cross Depot in Christchurch, -.vhich is now in the full swing of its activities after the 'holidays'.All, tho various depart iitcnts were visited, the I'asmanian visitors being deeply interested in the New Zealand method of/, organisation with which they seemed vfiry pleased. Miss Newdigate is on her way. to England, where, according to an exchange, sho is to be married to a British officer.

The Misses Leatham, of New ■ Plymouth, aro visiting Christchurch.

Among tho seventeen Australian Army nurses who were recipients of tlie Royal Red Cross in the last list published war. Miss Minnie Farquarson Proctor, of Melbourne. Miss Prootor is a Now Zealander by birth, but received her training in tho Melbourne Hospital.

The Commandant at Trentliam Camp acknowledges with thanks receipt of the following gifts, which liavo been duly distributed in the camp hospitals ; —From Mr. T. E. Rodda, Arataki Horticultural Station, two cases of apples; from tho Oknkca Guild, pyjamas and. Gamgoe jackets; from tho Y.M.C.A., Trentliam, games; from the Salvation Army, fruit, cake, sweets.

A very cnjoyablo evening was spent at tin; rcsidcnco of Sirs. Robinson, Brougham Street, on Thursday, the occasion being the twentieth birthday and eve of enlistment of her eldest son Maurice.

Hostesses at tho Sydney Street Soldiers' Club for tho coming week are as follow:—Sunday, Mrs. Joseph Joseph and Mrs. J. V. Salmond: Monday, Mrs. 11. Halo and Mrs. W. doling; Tuesday, Mrs. K fladfiekl and Mrs. A. M. Myers; Wednesday, Miss Coatos and Mrs. Sliirtclift'e; Tlmrsday, Mrs. Mitford, Mrs.. Johnson, and Mrs. Hovin; Friday, Spinster Club; Saturday, Khandallali ladies.

How America Views the War. In the course of a letter to a Wellington friend, a lady who is at prosent visiting America says of New York: "TJio 'drive' for tho second Liberty Loan was immense, even the infants babbling 'Buy a bond.' _ Eagles in tho electric light flapped their wings in Broadway over tho same exhortation, and in the busy hours, speakers, threo at a timo, worked themselves into a frenzy without appearing any the worse. Theso trio speeches are very fascinating, and must take some rehearsing. One yells out a few sentences, the next continues, and so on, and all tho timo the people are flocking into tho Libei ty Bank planking down dollars. It is a pity that dollars and hot air alone cannot win tho war. A British tank was here in the interests of the Liberty Loan, tho papers said. I saw 'her' (she is a lady tank, not boing tho most heavily armoured type) rolling smoothly and sedately up Filth Avenue, while aeroplanes, including a big Caproni, showered the streets | with 'Buy a bond' tracts. The tank j lias also been a great draw at patriotic bazaars, where, according to the advertisements, she 'performed all the time, bestriding trenelios and demolishing a house set up for the purpose.' She is now making a triumphal tour of the camps, receiving as much applause as a theatrical star. A submarine captured by tho British was on view in Central Park, and is now touring Canada.- I believe tho 'drive' this week is to get ten million new members for the Red Cross. Tho subscription for a year is n dollar. "We are suffering a coal and sugar famine. At the hotels and restaurants you are given two lumps or a spoonful of granulated sugar in a small envelope. Wo have two wheatless and two meatloss days in tho week,-but as yet I have not come across on 'eatless or a 'tipless' day. The latter will be the verv last to arrive. with 'Food will win the war,' 'Save food tor our Allies,' "stare one in-the face everywhere. The restaurants fall in heartily with the food conservation plan. It suits them vory well to out down tho portions and raise the prices. - No soldier in uniform is allowed to bo served winh intoxicating liquor. Even at tho best hotels no one sitting at a table with officers may have wine or anything of the sort, in case the glasses might get mixed. Tiie United States will bo 'dry' in a few years, so 'tis said. One does not hear'the dismal forebodings about loss of revenue that New .Zealand politicians always shriek about when National Prohibition is mentionccl. "I had the luck to see a fight in Oon-

gress. A member was droning away when all at once I saw a man tako another by the throat; the two fell over tho chairs, and all was waving arms and legs. There was a good ileal of shouting, and when I heard something about 'shooting irons' I began to look about for shelter, . Tho combatants were pulled up, the aggressor cleared out, and the attacked man. seemed to hold a little levee of his friends, Ho had more than hinted that tho othei man was a participant in BernsdorfE's 'slush fund,' hence tho trouble. However, a committee investigated tno 'slush' charges, and reported them as being unfounded. "I lmve become an adept at surgical dressings.. Olio is never far from a l?ed Cross workroom. They are all over the city." Nearly all'the big'stores have tlienh Wool is very dear, and it is mixed with cotton."' • Women Workers. Some iemaxkablo statistics as to the increased employment of women sinco the war aro given in the "Board of Trade Labour Gazette." Tho chief increases of new women workers are:— Industries, 518,000; Government establishments, 202,000; transput- and trains, 88,000; finance and hanking, 54,000; commerce. 324,000. Tho total number of women who have, been employed since the war i-i given as 1,421,000. It is estimated that about 670,000 aro employed on munitions and 632,000 eugaged on other Government work, such as tho manufacture of clothing and food for the troops.

This afternoon a children's bazaar and entertainment organised by Jean Hiley and lan M'Ewan is to bo held in Mrs. Hiley's gardens, 53 Hobson Street, in aid of St. Dunstan's Home for the Blind. Thero will be supplies of homo produce, jams, pickles, vegetables, butter, and provisions generally, and in addition surprise packets will bo sold. The chief feature of the afternoon, however, will be found in tho theatrical entertainment which has been organised, and in which children will be the performers. Thero will, of course, be afternoon tea, as wcll as ico creams, and several side-shows have been organised. Should the afternoon provo wot the whole affair will be held in Scots' College. It is hoped that there will bo a largo attendance of the public, so that the will benefit to a substantial degree.' The entrance fee is ono shilling for adults and sixpence for children. . Mrs. Firth, lion., treasurer of the Wellington Women's lied Cross Shop Committee, acknowledges tho following contributions: —Pupils Porirua School, 195.; Ladies' Guild, Wnitotara, £5; Miss Baber's School, £18 3s. fid, ; Ohariu Red Cross Guild, £3 2s. 6d.; Mrs. Moorhousc, £1; Mrs. Carson, 6s. : "C.L.R.," £2; Mrs. J. Myers, £1.

AEROPLANEBUILDERS WHAT WOMEN ARE DOING FOE , BRITAIN. Women have como forward in every branch of war work, and are to io found especially in those occupations that are essential to winning the, war, the manufacture of munitions and of aeroplanes (states Emily Foster in "Tho Queen"). Tho increased output of aeroplanes in tho last twelve months lias meant that wo now have a large number of women working on Lbem. ' The popular idea is that women are engaged on the wings only, but it is quite an erroneous one; they are engaged on practically every part—metal work, wood work, linen, doping, welding, tracing. An aeroplano is composed of about 800 parls. About '!00 of theso are metal, tho rest mostly wood. And in each department are to be found women in pur large aircraft factories.

The engines are made in a factory devoted to them, and cost almost half the entire price of the finished machine. Women are engaged in manufacturing the various parts, and in this rather »iew branch of work have been found very satisfactory. At an aircraft works girls now do most of the tracing and printing of the plans. The carpenters' "shops" are considered the women's special sphere. The heavy part of the work is .done by men. The work ia clean and plea sant, and very interesting. The ribs sre so beautifully made for the wings, that-the handling of these seemingly delicate parts appears essentially a woman's work. Of course tho finished wing is extremely strong; every rib is made of three-ply wood, and the grain of one piece is the reverse of that of the two others. To see tho ribs in the making one can only liken an aeroplane to a big bird, whose wings are composed cf numerous feathers.

At the Whitehead aircraft factory the sawdust is used for the production of a gas to work the machinery, so that nothing is wasted, even a "waste product" is utilised. The manufacture of the wings is considered one of the most important departments in the worksj each pieco has to fit so exactly into its place that the greatest care is required, and it is here that women are found so suitable for the work, for women by nature aro .exact, and give their mind to attending to small details. Of course some have a natural gift for carpentry, which all do not possess, and the one who will succeed in this blanch of aircraft is tho girl who has a methodical turn of mind and useful hands. When the wood is prepared then tho wings must be built up of various parts, all of which have been previously most carefully examined. One coi-'ld not help noticing that although the output of wings manufactured at Whitehead s aircraft works is exceptionally large, there was no rush, or Hurry, and the workers seemed very happy over their The oxy-acetylene welding is another branch of'work quito looked upon as women's special sphere, although men are also engaged at it. The women learn welding before they aro engaged at the factory. Most of thein train at a school in connection with the "Women's Service," and are educated women. Tliev find the woik very interesting, and it is quite the most lucrative branch of aeroplane building. Seats arc provided, but the welders find it is more convenient to stand. Girls who have gained experience at the work are now able to undertake some of the most difficult jobs. They are extremely proud of their work, and very keen on it. It is difficult hi building an aeroplane to sag which is the. most important part, itri.-i..till so important, but one is quite .safe in. .saying'none more so than the welding, so it is satisfactory to know that women are found suitable to undertake it. The workers wear goggles, and the sight of them at their work with tho sparks flying around has a very weird _ effect. The gas is stored in cylinders in tho "shops"; eaoli girl is onl,v responsible for her own burner and its management. In the various departments wherever we went there were to be found men.' They were engaged in practically every branch of metal work. Some were turning, soma were drilling, some were bending, there seemed, little that •they were not doing, but none "set up" tlie machines. Doubtless before long women will do so. It is skilled work requiring great experience, and tliis our women have not yet had tho opportunity to acquire. Fortunately fAr the workers, the shops are large, airy, and very well ventilated. Of course there is the usual noise that one must havo with machinery; perhaps ilie time may conue when sifcneers will ho applied, as thev are for motorcars and aeroplanes, but at present the worker must look upon noise as a necessary evil; besides the machinery itself, metal work usually means noiso. The women employed on wood work, metal work, and oxy-acetylene welding keep ordinary factory hours, with regulation pay for overtime, and just now a good deal of overtime is necessary.

The girls engaged in tracing have shorter hours—office hours. _ Each separate part that helps to build up a machine, iio matter, how minute the part may be, or whether it be made of wood or metal, has to he inspected, and if found satisfactory, it is stamped with the letters A. I. D. No part without this stamp may be used. In each department we see little inspection office through which each item must pass to receive its verdict. Of course/the rejections are few, for the foremen, if a piece is not thought satisfactory, will reject it themselves. When a "piece" is stamped it is ready for assembling.. When we think of the huge output of machines from tho Whitehead aircraft works and the number of pieces, we can see tho Aviation Inspection Department have a busy time.

The assembling is done at separate works with a flying ground attached tit, so that when a machine is built it can be taken,out and is ready to fly away. The wings are built where the pieces are prepared, but they are covered at tho other works. The covering is yet again another special branch of women's work. The covering is a linen (unbleached) of a very good quality. This is saturated with dope, which causes the linen to adhere to the wood.

Doping is the only unpleasant part in building an aeroplane, because of the strong odour, but the doping shed here is largo, and there is a special system of ventilation, by means of which the atmosphere is kept pure. The workers do not seem to find the work dirty (judging by their appearance)—ono would imagine it would be to see the big,pails of dopo in solution, but women are, as a rule, clean workers. Those engaged in doping set a higher rate of payment than tho other workers. Covering the wings means several different lands of work. First the linen has to be sewn together. This is done by hand, and is quite light work, just ordinary sewing. Certain parts of the wood work are covert!'! with strips of linen. Then tho entire wing is covered.

In other shorts the general assenting is gniiiii on. The win»s are joined to the iinrly, niul at last the engine is put in. There stands the finished machine ready to llv, and, if found satisfactory, to go on "activo service." The most important moment in the life oj an fferoplnnn is when it is taken out of the shed to the flying ground and stands iread.v to make) its maiden flight. The pilot takes h's seat, and is now going to trns-4 his lifo to ati unknown, untried ciifi*;ie. The machine runs along the ground; and then slowly \

mounts into the air, and flies away. After a dhoft flight it returns to earth to receive the proud congratulations of its builders, another recruit to tho vast army of machines engaged in warfare. If t-iie trial flight did not give perfect satisfaction, the machine would not be used until it satislied the pilot. The building of an aeroplane, from start to finish, is most interestirg to follow, and when wo realise how delicate is its frame and yet how strong by tho marvellous care and organisation taken in its construction, wo wonder how it is possible for such numbers to be bnilt. It is only possible by the women coming forward to take their share in the important work. Wo arc told victory will come through the war in thi? air; then certainly women will be very largely instrumental in" obtaining it.