SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 222, 7 June 1918, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Women in Protest. A meeting of very great importance (o women is fof be held in tUe Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on Saturday afternoon at half-past two. Us purposo is to .urge that the laws affecting women as enacted by the War Regulations bo amended, so that men and women alike shall stand on an even footing- when coining before the Courts for certain offences. Other .matters such as tho question of women Justices of the Peace, women police, women on tho juries in eases involving the interests of women and children, etc., are also to bo discussed., and in view of recent events all women earning their own living, members of all women's societies, church organisations, heads of girls' schools, and mothers of girls are earnestly urged to attend. Although New Zealand women have the voto they- are very far behind Great Britain and certain other European countries as regards the part they play in public affairs, notably those affecting women's interests. Tho meeting is open to women only. For Navy League Patriotic Funds, A meeting of the Bottle Collecting Committee,, which is raising funds for Navy League purposes, was held in tho league rooms yesterday afternoon. Mrs. I). W. Stewart was in tho chair, and there wero present: Mesdames Lover, Chrke, Keith Kirkcaklie, F. Cooper, Gorton, Larnach, Phillips-Turner, .). Darling, Hai'ding, Luke, C. Fade (hon.secretary), 'Miss Kirkcaldie, and .Miss Cable. Very satisfactory reports wero received concerning the work thnt had been achieved since tho last meeting. Mrs. Clarko (Kilbirnic) and Mrs. CarweltCooko and Mrs. It-owe (of Ivhandallnh) were added to the committee, and it was decided to write to Mrs. 'Elder and Mrs. Karl (of Waikanao) asking their cooperation in the work among residents of the Waikanae district. It was suggested that depots be established for various parts of the city and suburbs, front which the bottles would finally be dispatched to the Sydney Street Schoolroom. The following have offered to collect for certain roads or districts: Mrs. Hall-Thompson for Grant L'oad; Mrs. Lever, Fitzherbert Terrace; Mrs. Phillips-Turner, Tinnkori Itoad; Mrs. von Haast, Salamanca Road and Claremont Terrace; Mrs. Keith Kirkcaldie, part, of Kel burn; Mrs. Luke and Miss Cable, Wellington Most; Mrs. Clarke, Kilbirme, Seatoun, Maranui, and Miro.iuar;.jMt'j. Carwell-Cooke and Mrs. Howe, Wadestown, Mrs. .1). W. Stewart, TII9 To.Tace. Mrs. F. 6. Cooper was, elected honorary treasurer. Already a great number of bottles have been received, sonio coming from as far way as North. Arrangements for the disposal of the bottles were also discussed, and it is expected that the effort should , result in raising a substantial amount for the Navy League Patriotic Fund. , Miss Zoiia,Vallance (Masterton) is the guest of Mrs. Armstrong, Akitio. Miss Chalmers has returned to Wellington from a visit to Fernyhurst (Mastorlon). •• .Airs. Norman Bcethnm (Masterton) is visiting Wellington.' Miss Wardell (Masterton) and the Misses M'.Kae (2) are visiting Sydney. Mr. and Mrs. A.'Bennett (Queens.'laud; are visiting Napier.

: .Miss Porry (Kelburii) is visiting Mis. lir Maunsell ■ (Masterton).

Miss Ada Taylor .has been appointed matron of the Auckland Hospital. There were tlire'o applications, the appointment being made ut a meeting of the Hospital Board on Tuesday evening in Auckland.

Hiss Jessie Mackay, tho well-known Christclmrch writer, is visiting Wellington, anil is staying with Mrs. Anderson at Kelburn.

Her Excellency the Countess of Liverpool paid a visit to the .Red Cross Guild at Jlotoruii last Thursday evening. On Wednesday evening Their Excellencies attended a concert in King George V Hospital, tendered by tho inmates and oilier friends to Colonel S. Newall, C.8., on''his relinquishing the post of commandant. Tlieir Excellencies were also present at an entertainment in tho lving : 5 Theatre given to soldiers and resident:) to increase tho funds of tho liotorua branch of the. Med Cross. Society. .During the interval the GovernorGeneral, on behalf of the returned soldiers in both hospitals,' presented Lieu-tenant-Colonel Herbert, N.Z.M.C., with an illuminated address and a case of pipes, as a mark of appreciation of his efforts to ameliorate their sufferings and his many kindly actions. LieutenantColcnel Herbert thanked the soldiers for their kindly thoughtfulnes3.

The executive of the lied Cross and tho Order of St. John aTe . completing arrangements for tho celebration of Alexandra Day (Friday, June 21), states the Auckland "Star." This day was instituted in 1911, and has been a "festival of roses" at Homo, all proceeds being devoted to charitable objecu. This year the celebration is Empire-wide, and nil funds are being devoted to lied Cross purposes. Here in Auckland the funds will be devoted primarily to tho annexe workshop in which disabled soldiers are to be taught handicrafts and employment which will relievo the tedium and at the same time give them physical and mental exercise. Tho balance' ol tho funds, in a proportion to be allocated, will be for general Red Cross purposes. The roses which aro to ho sold nre artificial, and are the work of British girl cripples who have been taught the work for which they receive adequate payment.

Miss A. L. Evans, of Auckland, lias been admitted as an associate member of the Incorporated Institute of Accountants of New Zealand. Miss Evans belongs to tho Thames district, and for a short time was engaged in journalistic work on the Thames "Star."

Afr. von Haasfc was the wi niter of the iced cake which was raffled for the iiciM'iit of o>6 Nnvy League Patriotic lMum.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Martin (Martinborough) are visiting Sydney.

A. series of I'hinket lectures is to be given to members of the Wives' Club of the W.tV.II. Nurse Mitchell gave tho first of the series last Friday, and tho lecture met with great appreciation from tliosu present. Afterwards Mrs. Bryce and Mrs. Mooro entertained members nt afternoon lea and a musical programme, to which the contributors were Mesdiimes Minims. Cooper, lSilice, and Miss Price, was greatly enjoyed.

Gift of a Home for Nurses. Mr. Edwnrd Solomon, whoso patriotic contributions since tho war commenced ha,vo been on a very lavish. scale, is making another donation of a most eubetantiiil, character (slides thp Melbourne I "Argus' , ). Jie and Mrs. Solomon have jointly purchased (lie Sorrento Hotel, at Soiircnlo, together with tho' furniture, plate, iuid plant, and it is to ho presontt<l to tho State Government'as a home lor rctm-nod Australian nuriies. It Ls the desire of Jlr. and Jhs. Solomon that the place shall bo known as tho "Nurse Cavell Home.?." The Sorrento Hotel, its is well known, is a building of commanding appearance, situated on a high position overlooking the bay. The fact that it is immediately opposite tho police station is considered important by Mr. Solomon, in view of tho purpose to which it is to bo devoted. Tho hotel license is to be forfeited. There are 40 rooms in the main building and 70 in all. The building will accommodate ISO persons. The plnco i.i Keweml, flnd an aoetyJeiio gat< pla.nt is installed. _ Tho table and house linen is included ii> the purchase, and that, it i» needless to point out, is, in these days of high prices, an important item. A billiard table and piano are Wflongst tho offwb. Mr. and Mrs. Solomon intend to take delivery of tho premises on January 1 next, but if the Government' wish to use tho hotel at n.u earlier date- possession, will- be taken sooner.

Mr. Solomon is a member of the special committee of the Red Cross appeal, and collected a substantial amount from racing and other people last week, while, in addition to making r. contribution of ,:E2OO to the Med Cross Fund, he purchased the Australian eoat-of-arms panel painted by Mr. Elliot Johnson for ,£251, and expoiided .£27!! in other directions during tho day. Mrs. Solomon paid -6100 for a lied Cross button.

NATIONAL HOUSEKEEPING

WHAT WOMEN DO IN ENGLAND.

In a paper rea-1 at the recent conference held under tho auspices oi\fhe .Women's Keforin Longuo, Sydney, Mrs. Bennett, ii member of tho council, said:— ' ■ The women of England are sharing with men great responsibilities under the Local' Government Act. To begin with, they share in tie expenditure on. tho London County Council of =014,000,000 per annum. More than half is spent on matters distinctly within a woman's province,, such as the protection of infant life, the employment of chilSren and girls, the licensir,],' of homes for inebriate- women, and superintendence of public lodging-house.-;. Tho care- of tlio feeble-minded anj the duties of "guardians" for the destitute will probably ne added to the list. Ever since Miss Louisa Twining first diw attention to the unspeakable condition of the English workhouse, women have made this work peculiarly their own. Tho guardians are concerned with caro of people in the workhouses, infirmaries, and poo- law schools, and they administer the Infant Life Protection Act. ! L Women sanitary inspectors inspect workshops, laundries, "restaurants, l and the houses of out-workers. They investigate cases of consumption, adviso moth; cis, and take stu-s'for the prevention ot infant mortality. The inspection of boarded-out children, of workhouses and factories is also undertaken by women. Magnificent work has been performed by Mrs. Bosanquot, Mrs. Sydney Webb, and Miss Oetavia Hill us members of tho Poor Law Commission. The Housing and 'town Planning Act is the fruit of .Miss Hill's work. Th! "Garden City" movement owes its inspiration to (lie work she modestly began. She has left tho mark of her reformim; influence on the slums, of London. Tiie (treat nee 1 for classification of., areas is felt by the man or woman .who, having built a pleasant residential home, has no guarantee that a butcher's shop will not be established next door to him. Though very necessary, n butcher's shop is not a pleasant neighbour. He also runs the risk of having the night made hideous by a gramophone or a picture ihov.' '. • '~ ... Still more iiecessnrv is a provision tor the efficient inspection of homes and ithe medical history o: , houses. ■ At present a man takes a house, and unless he- is a skilled architect ho does not know if it ie in a sanitary conditoin. An official guarantee that tfo house is not a poison trap is what is wanted. Then it, would be tho duty of the occupier to keep it clean and wholesome. It has been found again and again that cases of diphtheria have occurred in successive families inhabiting ii -particular hous>. If a medical history of the house were' available the evil could be traced to its source and many lives saved.

In England tho working women have grasped the fact that politics have somethin" to do with tho home. At Nndon, in October, 1917, they formed a village council, elected a working woman as president, and chose a speaker on cottage housing. Indignation was expressed" that not a single working-class woman had been consulted by the 'Him! district council before sending in their final report in connection with the Local Government Board's housing scheme.

Mrs. George Swan, of Wangnnni, is ,a visitor to Wellington.

Supplies of house linen in these days arc getting quite a problem since, so many manufactures at Home no longer make linen goods,.but instead supply the requisites for aeroplanes or aro turned into munition works of various kinds. For this reason the raffle of a chest of linen valued at in. connection with tho Thorndon Day at the Wellington Red Cross Shop should bo extremely' popular. Tickets (price 6d.) may bo obtained on receipt of money and a stamp■fed addressed envelope from Mrs. Joseph, 51 Grant Road, or Mrs. Gillon, 179 Tinakori Road, both of Wellington.

Raffles of household requisites aro always extremely popular, and particularly is that the ease with the Red Cross Art Union, for which twelve very handsome prizes have been given by Messrs. Stewart Dawson and Co. The oak cabinet (first prize), valued at .£65, containing 10 each of every kind of knife, fork and spoon (tho two former wjth handles of African ivory), is one that few women can pass by with indifference, and needless to say there is very little difficulty in disposing of tickets. The diamond and ruby ring, the e.p. picklo stand, tho silver bracelet watch, the cut-glass claret iug, etc., aro also greatly admired, tickets (one shilling each) may be had on receipt of a stamped addressed envelopo and the money, from Mrs. Adams, 96 Tho Terrace, Wellington.

Tn-dny is the Terraces day at the Wellington Red Cross Shop, and it is hoped that a substantial amount will he realised for the benefit of New Zealand eick and wounded soldiers. Delicious homemade cakes and sweets will bo sold, also groceries, flowers, small nlants, and various other,kinds of goods. At three o'clocit tho raffle of fclie fur coat, as well us that of tho doll's bassinet and basket, will be drawn; Naturally a great amount of interest is attached to the day.