SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 76, 24 December 1918, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Farewell to Mrs. E. S. Dick. An interesting ceremony look place at the Wellington Receiving Home on l'ri-. day last when Mrs. U. S. Dick, for eighteen years manager of that institution,.was fnrewelled by the staff and also by lunny of those under her care. Mrs. C. S. Johnston, who has been associated with Mrs. Dick for about twelve years, in a few words wished her a long and happy life of retirement nnd handed her a silver entree dish, suitably inscribed, ns a slight token Of the esteem of the Whole staff. An adjournment was then made to the. dining-room, where aiuimbor of bright young girls, most of whom .•had been under Mrs. Pick s control since infancy, then took the opportunity to present their much-loved guardian with a china tea-set. Many of the girls were much affected at losing one for whom they have a deep affection. Afternoon toa was then partaken of. Mrs. Dick, who was well known in the Wellington district, will be much missed in' the valimblo work which she has' for so many, years ,ably and conscientiously managed. • She,controlled at her retirement riearlyiOO young people, ranging in ages from mere infants to girls of twei'ity<Sne years. The boarding-out system owes much of its success to..the wide sympathy and high ideals of its-manager. Numerous boys and' girls, many of whom are now married or, in tho former case, .have givon their lives for their country, owe their success in life to the wise counsel'and suitnble control. that has always been exercised by Mrs. Dick.

Women's National Reserve Miss Port, the 'secretary of the AYomen'_s National lteserve Girls' Olub, diii night lnu'sliig for three weeks at one of the temporary hospitals, helping with 'the- worlc of iho dub at the same time.

Doxes. of literature were sent by tho club to bho ciunps, also 500 handkerchiefs wcre.inude and sent to cumps for Midlers. /i'Jie members J'uised Ml for the lted Cross Plug Drive tor Our Day. The girls that belong to tne club aro always ready in any emergency to help, although as a rule they are in ohiccs all day. Their effort tor Our Day had to •bo carried out on Saturday aitornoons, llieir only available time. Much praiso is due'to Miss Port for •her untiring and able work as leader The headquarters executive at their last meeting passed her a very hearty vote of thanks. Miss Black, also a member of tho club, went to Auckland at tho time of the epidemic, and nursed for a week, and then returned to Wellington and • nursed at olio of the temporary hospitals for a fortnight. Every member in some way or other gave very' whole-hearted help at the time of tho epidemic.

Miss M'L'ean will take up her position as Plunket. nurse in Palualno. after the holidays.! Mr;. E. Kennedy, Bdulcott Terrace, has gone south for the Christmas holidays. Miss Miller, who has just returned from Dunedin, hag been appointed Plupket nurse -at"Napier,- and will go to. Huwke's Bay .shortlyProfessor and Mrs. Sommerville ore going to Titahi Bay for tho holidays. Mr. and Mrs. G. F. Wilson and Mrs. ■\ W. Young and their families are. spending'the Holidays at'Titahi liny. Mr. sn'd Mrs. Brie fiiddiford have gone 'to Auckland for the .races. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Menzies and their .iamily.have gone, to their cottage at MuvildT, for' the hdli(!»-s.' Mrs. Arthur "Pcorce will' spend the holidays at jleretau'nga. | Dr. Gilray, who is in charge of the 'convalescent soldiers in Napier, and who worked very hard in the epidemic, wus recently given n very handsome illuminated scroll. Mrs. Gilray was given a gold watch, and their little child a rocking-horse. Dr. Gilray has been very ill, but is better now. The engagement is announced of Miss Vera Humphries, third daughter of Mr. 11. Humphries of Napier, to Major tt. H. Johnson, M.C., late of the N.Z.K.I-., younger Son of Captain Johnson, of Wellington. ' •

■V visitor to Europe, recently returned, was much struck by the difference in temperament 'between Parisian women and London women in relation to the war. The Parisian always dramatic; dramatic in joy, and equally spin sorrow, though quite sincere. the Londoner calm antl reserved, tho outward expression of emotion trained to the vanishing point. In Paris a row of shops exhibiting widows' weeds, and hundreds of poor sufferers by the war wearing them. In London so little outward sigh of mourning that only by chance do you find out that the lndy to whom you Have just been talking has been recently bereaved. The Mayoress (Mrs. J. P. Luke) went to Napier on Saturday with Mrs. G. A. Macdonald and her daughters. Miss Kittv Mncdonald's friends will be glad to hear, that she 1 has So far recovered from a very serious attack of influenza as to be able to travel. Mrs. Luke returned to Wellington last night. Miss Mina Caldow, tho Wellington contralto, left for Auckland by yesterday s express.' She will be the soloist at an organ recital to be given by Mr. .Maughan Barnett in the Auckland Town Hall tomorrow night. Mrs. D. BaSham, of Waipukurau, Hairko's Bay, will sing the contralto solos in the production of "Tho Messiah" by the Wellington Choral Union on Christmas Night. She is staying with her sister, Mrs. E. E. Muir, 171 Karori Road, Kelburn.

Sifts for Wounded. Soldiers, The Matron of the Wellington Hoslital acknowledges the following gifts received for wounded soldiers in the ' Military Ward:—Eggs: Countess of Livirpool "(bi-weekly Ktipiily), Hutt Patri)hc Guild (weekly supply), Mrs. M'Meniiiuin (If dozen). Salvation' Army, biweekly supply of cake, fruit, sweets, etc., dried' fa-nit and preserved fruits for Christmas, umbrellas; .Soldiers' Comforts aii.ild, weekly supply of smokes, chocolates, fcnlKs soap, shaving soap, • two Christinas cakes Clirislmis parcels; i'.M.C.A., weekly supply smokes, matches, Mr. Cornish's Santa Clans Club, annual mlertainnient and supper, Christmas :ako; Mrs. Willis, large quantities of gooseberries and poultry for Christmas Day; N.Z. News Company, magazines; . t'rivale G. Barrett, cucumbers, tomatoes, fruit salad; • the Mayoress, Christmas •nice; Ladies' Guild, Natives' Association, buns and cakes; staff of Land and In. come Tax Department, .£2 Is.. 2d. for poultry for ■Christmas; Mr. ami Mrs. Luke, .C 2 2s. for Ghrlntmus luxuries; Mrs. Baleombe Brown, XX. General Hospital—Cakes, flowers, a.nd eggs; Mrs. t\ G. Tonks; dried fruits, Mrs. 11. L. Nathan, Hobson Street; tin discuits, Ladv Stout; old linen, Art Gallery;,flow;rs,"Red Cross; Society, Mrs..;. Hills (weekly), Mi*,- Price; oranges and lemons. Defence Department; . bovril, Mrs. Luke; oranges, old linen, children's garments, Mrs. J. P. Luke; shortbread, Mrs. Clark; magazines, N.Z. News Agency; bonbons and preserved, fruit for nurses, Miss /,. Nathan. Children's' Ward:-Books, Mrs. V. Kiddiford; toys,. Mis Mvcrs, Mr. Cook, Mr. Wale-rworth. Dr.' Walerworth, W.E.B. Fever Ward (during epidemic):—Mrs. Tripe and V ellington North Centre, 100 eggs, beef .tea, jellies, fruit drinks, dowel's, and coke; Mrs. Crosby and' Ttamsey,. flowers; Mr. Bailey, flowers and lettuce; Bev. Fathers Devoy and Campbell, wine. Clifton Terrace:—Terrace School, XI .Is.; N r Z flag Mr. Meuli; flowers and magazines, Miss Brodrick and Mrs. Tringliam. Child Welfare in Australia. At the second public session ..of the Inter-State Child Welfare Conference- in Melbourne, says an exchange, M its Primrose (Visiting Trained Nurses Association, V ittoria) read a paper on the Plunket Society of New Zealand, showin" how the movement originated, and what it had accomplished in. reducing, infantile mortality in the .Dominion, as well as ensuring "better babies. 'Subsequently the question was asked, whether there was anything to prevent the New Zealand system-of saving child lito being carried out in Victoria in its entirety. Mrs. Hemphill said it was mainly a question of finance. Mrs. Witham' protested against finance coming in the way of the welfare.,of infant life.' No one should economise in saving child life. (Hear, hear.) Child-, ren in the Commonwealth under the age. of one year die at, tho rate of WOO annually. ' Why',could not tho jeiMO recently put oh: the .Estimates for child welfare work be- used in adopting the Plunket system in its entirety? rhe mothers should not bo blamed for their ignorance, for there' was no place in V ictoria where they'could, get training. . ' Mrs. Staughton and several other speakers disagreed with Mrs., Witliam, pointing, out that many agencies were at work to bring .about practically the same result as the Plunket nurses. Mrs. Hemphill said there uerenow seven baby centres in Melbourne, although tho oldest had only been 'established fifteen months.- The ;£ISOO mentioned by Mrs. Witliam -was a Government subsidy on' the pound for pound basis, and tho baby clinics hud to bo financed by outsiders before the subsidy was granted. Ladv'Nieholls (Ta'smania)"said it seem., ed that'the-chief difficulty-in mostpJacßS. was 'tho unwillingness to put aside littleinstitutions 'people■■ wcr'o iiersonajly interested in, and look at the question from a,national. standpoint,. Ihey were anxiously trying to reduce the infantile mortality in Tasmania, which was li per lOtlfl, against Victoria's 60. ~ An After-war Problem. " A good deal of 'speculation is rifo regarding the demobilisation of the women war workers in England." It is-felt by many-that womon who have been occupy-.' ins responsible positions and drawing pay in proportion will not cheerfully go back to subordinate positions and the scale of pay ruling in pre-war days. Women havo given practical demonstradon of their ability to do anything-that has been, demanded of them.,' In airy.factory where women and men work together there will be one rate of pay for work accomplished'; that .is, the demands of war conditions upon the w;oinanliood of England and the response roado to that demand havo practically accomplisli--3d that for which women have been agitating for years-equal pay for equal work. This being so, the scale ot pay for all work that'was previously done exclusively by women must advance in pro-' portion, even for domestic service. A recent cablegram- from--London stated that the Wbinch'sDemobilisation Department will probably urge the creation' of a sfain-; ilard wage for domestic sen-ants.'- the cablegram goes on to state that ' thousands if girls formerly employed at shell-filling will hesitate to accept domestic service [where tbev are urgently required), and will demand approximately the same conditions of leisure and wages as before. Of course, when comparing tho rato of wages,'it must always be remembered that tho domestic worker's wages include board and lodging/both usually better than that enjoyed by the .factory hand. As to conditions of leisure, it is difficult to see bow they can be absolutely standardised for domestic workers, especially in such homes as those where helo is most urgently needed, lidmes with, tiny children ivho demand all their mo-" flier's timo if alio is to do justice to them and turn (hem out efficient in mind and bodv. Should the position in regard to domestic workers become much more aento it is b<viml to have a very cpnmw effect upon the birth-rate, and this in -pite of the fact that marriages will probably increase, which makes for the verv worst p'ia?e of rue" suicide, b»cau?e it »i»an« eljiiiiiiM'iig the fit, end "national fitness and oßiciimcv form the only foundation i'or national endurance."