SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 128, 24 February 1919, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

■ An interesting and popular wedding was celebrated in the presence of a large number of friends, ut the Salvation Army Hall, in Broadway, on Wednesday, February 19, the contracting parties being Mr. William White-'-Oi returned soldier) and Hiss Pearl Toomer, daughter of Brigadier and Mrs. Todmer, of GO Linton Street, Palmerston North. The hall wns artistically decorated with white rosea and palms by girl frauds of the bride, and the service was conducted by the father of the' bride, assisted by several officers of the staff. St. Joseph's Church, Waipukurau, was the scene of a very pretty wedding on Wednesday last, when Miss Leonie Sowry, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sowrv, of Waipukurau, was married to Mr. I'hilip Flood, 6econd son of Mr." and Mrs. J. E. Flood, of "Innisfail," Waipukurau. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a> dress of cream moire silk and ninon, trimmed with pearls and true lovers knots, and the usual veil and orange blossoms, and carried a shower . bouft uet of pale pink flowers and maiden-Eair fern. Mies Verna Sowry, sister of the bride, wore a dreßS of pink voile. The two little flower, girls, Miss Marjorie Robinson, and Miss Violet Campbell, wore pale blue silk dresses and mob caps, and carried baskets of flowers. The best man was.Mr.. Bert . Parker, cousin of the bridegroom. After the ceremony, a. reception was held at the residence of the bride's parents. The presents included many valuable cheques. The bride's present to the bridegroom was an engraved sovereign case, ' the bridegroom's present to the/bride a'handsome gold wristlet watch. The bridesmaid received a gold chain bangle, and the two little' flower girls gold brooches; gifts of the bridegroom. Mr. and Mrs. Phil Flood left b.v motor-car for their home in Wangnmii.. A report from Australia states that Miss Muriel Starr is studying -her Shakespeare very closely, and it is on the cards that she may appear as Portia in "The. Merchant," Rosalind in "As You Like It," and Kathei'ine in "The Taming of the Shrew" (possibly with Mr. Frank Harvey as Petruchio).

The death has occurred in a. private hospital • in AVellington of Mrs. A. .A.Morris, mother of Mr.' Arthur Morns, of Masterton.. Miss Una Freeth, Palmerston North, is visiting WellingtonMrs. BarnicoaJ' is' visiting her sister, Mrs. Phillips, The Point, Canterbury. 'Mrs. A.'R. Allport is visiting' Christchurch Captain and Mvs. Willinms, Otane, have gon'o to Mount Cook. Captain Williams only recently returned from active servico. Mrs. Archer Hosking, of Masterton, and two of her children are spending a holiday at Muritai. Dr. .-. rcher Kosping is still 'on active service. I Mrs. W. H. Hosking, who ha 3 been in town for a few days, has gone back to Masterton. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols arc at present-in 1 New Plymouth. Dr. and Mrs. Young are spending a holiday at Mount Egmont. Mrs. J. H, Chisholm has been visiting Christchurc'h, and' has gone/on to, Dunedin- ':- ■ '"•-.- ■'■ ■.';,= Miss Speedy,- who' has' ! been' visiting New Plymouth; has.returned to Wellington. Mrs. Knox and Mrs. Kirker, who have been visiting New Plymouth, have returned to town; 1 A ''war'collector" 1 who'deserves more than a passing word of praise is Miss Ivy Munro, of Christchurch, who during the four years collected a sum of ,£IO4B for different', patriotic purposes. The amount of' work involved may be gauged when' it is stated that she never at any time received a cheque, and very few pound notes. Miss Munro will be remembered.,as the winner of the gold watch presented in connection with Violet Day, 1916, for the highest amount collected. On I hat day she competed against 300 collectors. ,The young lady in Question, who is a member of the Red Cross Depot, Manchester Street, can certainly claim to have "done her bit" during the dark years of war. Sister Christabel,.of Dunedin, has been appointed tlie ■ new travelling secretary of the Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union, and it is felt on all sides that she possesses the ideal personality for the work (says an exchange). Sister Christabel is by .way of being a pioneer, having come over from Melbourne 18 years ago to inaugurate the deaconess movement in Dunedin .a\i far as..the Presbyterian Church is concerned. She is the happv possessor of a manner of great charm and magnetism, and will '>e able to do fine work in forming nev uranches and •stimulating those already in existence to further and fresh efforts.

At the annual meeting of the Wairarapa Caledonian Society on Friday evening, says an exchange, tbo president (Mr. ,T. E. M'V:. Calwell) referred' to the fact that Miss Helen Gillespie, who had acted as secretary during the time her brother was engaged in military duties, was leaving the district. The president stated that Miss Gillespie had been most attentive to'her duties,' mid had won the respect and admiration of the directors. They' felt that they could not let her leave without showing some token of their deep appreciation, ui.d he took much pleasure, on behalf of of the society, in handing Miss Gillespie u gold expanding wristlet watch and a cheque for .£lO. The assemblage then rose'and sang "For She's a Jolly Good Follow." Miss Gillespie suitably thanked Hie mem', hers of the society for their kindly'coii. sideratiou, and stated tint what she had done had'- been a work of love. Mr. A. J. Giddings then moved that Miss Gilltspic be made a life honorary member of the society,- This was carried by acclamation. ,■

Speaking'to the members of the Presbyterian. Missionary., Union on Friday, Professor Hewiteon, of Knox . College, Dunedin, said that he hoped the day was coming, and coming soon, when women would become member of the Presbyterian Assembly. AVhy, he asked, should this not bo? ' Women were as much interested in tho activities of the Church as men, and as workers were quite as devoted.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds are still being thrown away annually by the Commonwealth Government under the existing system of indiscriminate distribution of the maternity bonus. A, promiso has liow been given by the Commonwealth Treasurer tlmt some, at any rate, of this expenditure is to be done away with in the future, and when the Federal Parliament reassembles proposals will be placed before members for nn nltorotion in the method of payment, which will provide that tho money shall go only to those who need it, and not to that wealthier section who can find no better use than to spend tho bonus in a "celebration." From July 1, 1018, to ■Tiinuiirv 31, 1910, the number of maternity allowances claims granted in the Cornmonwealth was 72,441, representing a disbursement by the Commonwealth of no fewer than ■£362,205. Such an amount would undoubtedly have been tremendously reduced ball tho money gone only to those in real need of it, During (he similar period in 1016-17 76,341 claims, representing .£381,705, were granted, and* in 1017-18 73(800 claims, representing .£369,450; The total amount paid during tho whole of 1016-17 was ,£675,770, and during 1917-18 it totalled ,£647,562, while from 1012 to 1018 tho total cost of the allowance has been 4:3,806,580. The granting of tho allowance, it is stated, has had np appreciable effect on the biith-rato or on the infant mortality rate. .

Antonla Dolores. The splendid reception accorded to Mdlle. Antonia Dolores on Saturday night upon her appenranco in Wellington, after an absence of five years, left no doubt as to the piano she holds in public esteem, and Mdlle. Dolores is . pleased to 'be amongst us again. Since ■ November, 1914, until tno signing of the i armistice all her performances have • been for patriotic purposes, the only condition attaching to this wonderful gift i of service being that whichever patriotic i 'body Mademoiselle helped should have , the' entire handling of the proceeds. In i addition, she 1 and her friend and cora- .■ panion. Mdlle. Vnudour, have worked tireiessly—sewing, knitting, anything—to help those who so needed help. As in i the case of so many of our own women, i their own wardrobes became matters of i little importance. Indeed, as Mdlle. . Dolores remarked in an interview yesi terday, it was at ones a duty and a I pride to be shabby when it was a ques- ■ tion of giving precious moments to work i fcr one's country in any way whatever. i Engagements had been made for Mdlle.' I Dolores to sing in Australia when the 1 epidemic put a stop Tn the principal citI ies to anything of the sort, and Jinde- : moisclle felt that she could not 6ing in • the smaller towns when there was 60 i much sorrow and anxiety in the coun- ■• try. Her arrangements were made .to > come to New Zealand, a .month; earlier : than sho has actually managed tn, but ■ hero the shipping difficulty intervened. ■. Finally the party reached Auckland in • the Manuka, and were then held up by 1 the quarantine bar. They were all ex- ■ tremelv amused at their experiences. De- ■ lays notwithstanding, Mdlle. Dolores .was. 1 able to fulfil her engagement to sing ' on,the evening of her arrival. ' If one had to single out Mademoiselle's " most potent quality, it would be the elu--1 sive spirit that, for "want of a better ! word, we call "charm." It is the part r of her individuality that remains with 1 you—charm of delicate humour, charm ' of warm emotion, and charrti of a great compassion for all unhappiness. It is what you feel in her singing, the souVof ' the'song. It is what reaches the hean't : of an audience that would be Jeft cold 1 by 'brilliant technique alone. , Mdlle. 1 D'olores is staying with Mr. and Mrs. ' .). Prouse at "Cricklewood,". and has 1 been the recipient<of quantities'of most 1 lovely flowers from her many friends and : admirers in Wellington. '. Land Women In England. / ',"- The demand for women labour in England still eceeds the supply- There is at the present time an increased' demand ;. also for women . milkers, saw the ''Farmer." A number of women trained in this work have for some time, says a Home writer, been drafted to other employment, as there were no vacancies for them as milkers. They will, however, be withdrawn from any other work on which they are at present employed' as soon as sufficient women are set -free from potato gangs to replace -them,, • ■ An interesting efficiency test was held in West Suffolk recently, the first eucli test held in the county. It was conducted on the fnrm of the chairman of the War Agricultural Committee; nud three other farmers assisted in judging. The fi irls werj examined in milking, ploughing, root pulling, manure loading, spraying, and thatching. Fifteen recruits were tested, and only oue failure in one subject is reported. * . ,'.> ■ A' woman that,cher, trained in Essex, has been employed with much success, and is already booked jn advance by two more farmers as 6oon as her present job is finished. Many women are doing good work as thatchers; and further facilities are to be afforded for the training of ' women in .thatching. •'