MASQUE PLAIN AND FANCY DRESS BALL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 309, 18 September 1918, Page 2

MASQUE PLAIN AND FANCY DRESS BALL

FOR THE ITALIAN RED CROSS. ■ Thoroughly successful .in every way was the plain, and fancy dress masque bull which had boon organised for the benefit of the Italian Red Cross,>. and was held in the Town Hall lasu evening. In spite di the downpour of rain there was a large attendance, of dancers, most of them being in fancy dress, and the ball, which had been charmingly, decorated for the occasion by Mr. Cooke and Mr. Faucourt (of the D.I.C), presented a very gay scene, and one that was full of variety. Tito Italian colours naturally predominated, and from .a large Italian Hag spread horizontally, below the central electrolier were carried coloured streamers to the sides of the gallery, which had been festooned with scarlet drapery, while at wido intervals were placed upright squares covered with tho red, white, and green, to which other streamers were attached. All round the sides of tho big chamber wore 'fastened multitudes of small flags, and in front of the stage and completely hiding the organ loft from sight was another large Italian flag, • flanked with lattice-work festooned with foliage and scarlet drapery. Mr. Moschini's orchestra, stationed 'upon the stage, provided excellent music for dancing. The space underneath the further end of the hall had boon enclosed'with a'trelliswork and turned into a supper room, the tables having been arranged 1 with .1 spring flowers. In ehargo of the supper arrangements -were Miss Lowe, assisted by Miss M'Guiness, while in the kitchen were Mrs. Gregg, Mrs. Reid, Miss Clarice, Miss Bock, and Miss Blackburne. Mr. H. Coleman and Mr. W. H. Granger also assisted in various ways. Many of the fancy dresses were' well carried out, and upon some a great amount of ingenuity had been expended. One of the dancers, who represented autumn, had her dress covered with tinted-leaves, and it was. impossible to toll that they had been made of brown paper only, so well had their native, substance beer.; disguised and so effectively had.tho dress been carried out. A representation of Sir Ernest Sliackleton was another outstanding costume, and another of a Maori girl was unusually well done. An Indian in full war paint, feathered head-dress and.all, was another striking figure, and among tho others were butterflies, \ a charmingly-carried-out representation of the Allies, clowns, lady jockeys, a Roman gladiator, powder and patches, pages, court ladies and courtiers, "Night,' 1 khaki girls, sailors, natives of practically every country under the sun, Irish colleons, "Good Luck," gipsies, Early •' Victorian Indies, harem ladies, _ huntsmen, , Lord Nelson, a Mexican cowboy, Maoris, pierrots (one pair_ being especially well carvied out in' brown and green), Uncle Sam, etc. Curiously enough the Italian dress was not very much in evidence. 'The following were judged the winners of the prizes which had been donated:—The best carried out (for the ladies), Miss Olive Gordon (Maori girl); prottiost fancy dress, Mrs. A'. Bttrnard (autumn leaves). For tho gentlemen: The best carried out dress, Mr. V.! Simpson (an Indian chief); the most original, -Mr. A. Symons ("Sir Ernest Shackle-ton''). During the earlier part of the evening masks wero worn, but as soon as possiblo these were discarded.

Among thoso who were present were tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke, C.M'.G.) and Mrs. Luke; Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp, ■chairman of the Italian Red Cross Society, and Mrs. Tripp; and Mr; H. Coleman, secretary of the Italian Red Cross Society in •'Wellington. Mrs. Lukoand Mrs. Tripp.wore tho chaperones for the occasion. Tho committee responsible for the dance comprised tho following:—Mrs. E. Taylor, Misses E. Forsythe, D. Lowe, E. Pctherick, F. Ferguson, L. Copeland, B. M'Guincss, Messrs. S. Almao, T. Hills, K. Pitt, W. H. Isherwood, N. H. Selig, C. J. Pfaff, H. Calvert, and S. P. Edwards. Tho joint secretaries were Messrs. H. Calvert aiid C. J. Pfaff. Acting as 3f.Cs were, Mossrs. Calvert, KiU, Almao, Selig, Hills, and Lambert. Tho kindness of Mr. Simni, manager of tho D.1.C.. in giving not only the decorations, but the services of Messrs. Cooke and Fancourt, was greatly appreciated by the'i committee. All the arrangements in connection with tho ball were thoroughly well organised, and as a result of tho evening it is anticipated that a satisfactory sum will bo handed over for the benefit of the Italian Bed Cross.

Tho many friends of Miss L. B. .Riggall (V.A.D.), Australian lied Cross representative at Rouen (France), will regret to hoar that she died suddenly in No. 8 General Hospital on August 31, from cerebral hemorrhage, after neaerly three years' devoted service, states tho "Australasian." In r recent report Lieut.-Colonel Heyward wrote:— "I would like to mention the splendid services rendered- by' Miss L. 15. Riggall in Egypt. and in Franco Her work at Rouon is beyond praise, and her visiting of Australians in Imperial hospitals in that section has been wholehearted aud most thorough." She was a daughter of the late Mr. Edward Riggall, Byron Lodge, Tinanlbra, and niece of Mr. YV. Riggall, Melbourne.

New Zealand is not the only country in which teachers' salaries arc occupying attention. The National Education Association of America (states the "Now York L'ublic") lias started a na-tiou-wide drive for salary increases to prevent oflicient teachers from leaving school, where their places are taken by inexperienced substitutes. Tho old salaries do not meet the present cost of living.

Infant mortality, which was now over 60 per cent., should no.t be tolerated, said ..Mr.. Jones,' M.L.C., in an address at tho Socialist Hall, states the "Australasian."- In New York and in California the milk supply was now 100 per cent pure as a result of effective sterilisation. Mr. Jones advocated the nationalisation of medicine and the 'immediate establishment of a health publicity bureau on lines similar to that founded in New York, so that the pcopto by leaflets and ' other means might be educated in regard to the care of their health.