SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 64, 10 December 1918, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Women in Parliament, That much interest «'ns tulum in. the proposal that women should slam! foi'Piirliamcnt 'has bopn I'vidouciMl. by the feeling which was .'ii'ou.swl in connection with the attitiitli! of the Legislative Council and of members of Parliament, who rtjetted tho proposal. A special meeting was held in Auckland on Saturday of tho Women's National Council, and it was decided to send the following ' telegram to all the members who supported the Bill:—"That this special ii.eeting of tho National Council of re] resenting nil the. organised bodies' of women in Auckland, desires to express its i pprociation of your action in supporting the nmeiidnient to tho Legislature Act enabling women to stand for Parliament, and trusts you. will use your influcice with the Upper House to secure,-the r.assagc of the Bill."

Tlio following telegram was also sent to all members of the Ppper House:— "The Auckland branch if tlie National Council of Women looks with 11 nfi.dnn.ee to you to support the principle-' that women should have .the right to enter Parliament in New Zenii>2i_<* f,-.i ether progressive coiu' v " r '"77 ..' ""*'•' or the magnificent wotlc done by women of the. Dominion during the' war:' This s;ecial meeting, representing all the organised women's'societies of Auckland, feel that you must recognise their claims to full citizenship, and -.i- «hare- to the rebuilding of the Empire."' "" The followiup- telegram w'as then diafted and forwarded to all the members of Hie Cabinet and Auckland -members nf Parliament who onpnspd the Bill: "This sneeial meeting of the National Council of "Women views your attitude re wo'm«n enterin." Parliament, with strong disapproval, in view, of lei'isl.ition in other piwwsfve countries which is giving recognit.ion to t l '" '-i;irt olayed by' the women of the Empire during the u'orld war, and the •" 4 d of .foir. resistance in th" reconstrii" \\ n problems." Since tlien the members of both T-Vo'usps who annrovd 'lip ane'ii'lmnnt brought /'lnwn bv Mr. M'Oombs have ivn'ained : (-'k>.> attitude, ami it U stated that a Bill will b-v brought down next session dealing with the matter.

Nurcery Schools. The Manchester and Salford' Women Citizens' Association has lately nut forward .some suggestions for the lines on which nursery schools might be established. . The proposals are of a commonsense character. The association points • out that "one of the chief aims of the nursery schoolis to bridge the gap between tho infant welfare centre and the elementary mid to eontinno during the nursery school period trc supervision of tho health of the children begun .at the. infant-welfare centre.:." An open-air type of buikling is -ecommendod as being tho most suitable, and it is therefore proposed that some of the schools should be ndiacoiit to rarks and open spaces. A point is rightly r.ado of iia-'ng the school on a small scale numerically, and of placing it near the homes of the children who attend it. Tho staff of a nursery school must be especially (rained for the work, mid tho status of the'nursery school teacher should bo recognised as equal to flint of the teacher in an elementary school.' '.''he proposals have been drawn ui> by a Mib-committse of the Manchester Women Citizens' Association, which..included several experts on this 'particular, subject, Aotea Convalescont Homo. Miss Kothenborg, lion, librarian to the Sydney Street .Soldiers' Uub, who in addition to her duties in this direction, has periodically collected books and papers to.send away to the troops in Samoa, hlgypt, and for the transports, has received the following.letter from Matron. Karly, of the Aotea Convnlssceut Home in Cairo: "Your gift of books 16 this home is most welcome. We have Look-shelves in all our lounge rooms, ami new books are, always in demand. All are well read' and used before we put them aside as worn out, 'but much enjoyment is derived from them first. 'Many thanks for the gifts. -Magazines and books are always' most welcome. Aotea Home has been kept-full to overflowing for months past, and we have had to extend our walls into the desert with large hospital tents. .Malaria of very severo type contracted in the dreadful Jordon Valley has been the means of filling our hospitals and convalescent homes during tho summer months. Wo uro hoping now, however, that the weather will get coolar and general conditions improve somewhat."

Mrs. Burrell, wife ,of Major Bmrreil. M,&, Hampshire Regiment, and her little girl aa'e returning to England by the llcmuera.

The Board of Governors of the Christchurch Technical College will award eight scholarships in home science, tenable at the Girls' Hostel during 1919. These arc open to girls in North Canterbury who have passed Standard VI, and who wish to take up a course of training in home science.

'A Press Association telegram from Hokitika states that Mrs. Roberts, relict of the late Commissioner of Crown Lands in Westland, died on Sunday, a victim of the epidemic. In the early stages of tho epidemic she was a voluntary worker, doing urgent -clief work at the hospitals. She was ill for about ten days. The deceased lady had been a most active charitable worker, and was much esteemed throughout the community.

It is reported that .M iss Lizelte Pnrkes, the gifted Australian ixlress, is engaged to be njarried to Dr. Andrews, ot Melbourne. Miss Pnrkes was the original and (inly Peter Pan in Now Zealand, and subsequently toured with the PlimmerDenniston and Pliniiner-Hamilton Companies, playing "Lovers!; Lane," ''Nobody's Daughter," "' "A .Message from Mars," "The Passing of Ilia Third Floor Back." in later years she has been with .1. (!. Williamson, Ltd., playing with notable .success with Hie late Mr. Lewis Waller (in Australia). Miss Parkes was in Wellington a-tew weeks ago with the company playing "The ■ Thirteenth Chair.'' Her sister, Miss Elsie Parkes, is. premiere danscii.se at the Sydney Tivoli.