SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 129, 25 February 1919, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Mrs, Hope has been cleoted treasurer of the Women's National. Heserve, in place of Mrs, Hanan, resigned, As a result of the concert given under the auspices of the honorary division of the Auckland Women's National'Keservo in the Town Hall on January 18, in aid of the child sufferers by the recent epidemic, Mrs. F. A. Hansard, who organised the concert, lias handed to the Mayor a. cheque for. i£so 16s. lid.', the net proceeds of the concert, after all expenses had been paid. Mr. and Mrs. Bethuns leave to-day for a trip to Mount Egmont. Mrs.- W. H. Field and Miss Field have returned from Eotorua. Mrs. W. Nathan and her youngest daughter left Inst night for a holiday to be spoilt at Mount Cook. Dr. Platts-Mills will entertain all . the delegates to the conference of the Women's National lleserve at afternoon tea in-the. Pioneer Club on Friday afternoon. Mrs. W. Barton and her three daughters are at present in Christchurch. They loavo during the week for Mount Cook. Mrs. Alex. Crawford will entertain the Lady Liverpool fund workers at her home ill Mirahiar to-morrow afternoon. Mrs. T. Baldwin is staying at the Midland Hotel.

Mr. and Mrs. ,F. Sanniel, who have boon touring the South Island, are expected in Wellington this week.

Miss Fancourt has let her house, and is the "guest of Mrs;:. Kane, . Halswell. Street.

Miss Mestayer would be glad if 'any who. can send books or money, to buy bcioks for the. white members of the Mclanosian Mission would kindly send their contributions to her at IS9 Sydney Street' West, before the end of this week.

Mrs. Walter Mongomery, of Little Itiver, who lias been staying in Auckland, has left to join Lady Wilson's party at Rotorua.

Mr. and Mrs. David Nathan are making arrangements to proceed to Europe, and have ' booked to .leave by the Niagara shortly.

Tho engagement is iuinounced of Miss Olive Beryl Downes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Downes, "AllOwah," Kelburn Parade, to Mr. Clifford Whittick, of Sydney, oiily son Mrs. William 'Whittick, Auckenflower, Brisbane, Queensland.

. Soldiers' and"sailors' mothers are reminded of the reception for them' in the Concert Chamber by the Women's Na.tionkl Reserve -'to-morrow: afternoon at half-past two.

Mrs. Rhodes,-Seattle, after, spending a few weeks" at .Kotorua, is now in Auckland, and in the course of an interview, published in the, ."Star" says, amongst other things,, that, women have never, failed during the past five years, and women ought now t« come out into the' open and take a' public interest in all big civic questions, to preserve the ideals of justice for which their sons have died, or be for ever called a "slacker" as a woman who sits at home with her l'eet to the lire of comfort becomes. The woman of New Zealand lias gone out and held "Paddy's Markets," and has sacrificed all her comfort ,to the lied Cross work, and now if she sits back and refuses to l-'ecognisti the great power of her voting strength given icr on nil moral questions affecting the home, she is a "slacker" in tho wor?t sense of the word. Mrs. Rhodes pointed out that if we turn back the pages of political history in'any country, they will show that when a jjrfcat danger arose from unscrupulous politicians and their keenness to get through, vicious pieces of lMislation, it, was always immediately after a great war when they'counted on the troubled minds of the people and the deadly inertia that comes from long suffering removed. The 'women of' New Zealand gained'the ballot "in an easier manner than any other country; even in democratic America. there are millions of women who yet cannot make (heir voices felt in the government of the country. In New Zealand they can-, and , Airs. Jihodes appeals to them to use their power for the moral welfare of their homes.

Wellington Red Cross Committee, A special meeting'.of- tho Wellington Red Cross Committee was held in tlio rooms, Mercer Street, yesterday evening. The president, Mr. T. \V. Young, was in the chair, and there were present Mesdiiines.. Moorhouse, Adams, \V. Nathan, L. . Blundell, A.-.Pearce; Miss Nathan (JiOti. secretary), and Messrs. Holmes, Veiteh,.- Allan/ and . Seville. The first business before the committee was tho question of the purchase of a motor-car for the use of tho patients at Miramar and Victoria Hospitals. At the last meeting the matter was referred, to tlio Dominion Council, but the council had recommended the local committee to do lis it thought best, pointing out that the Dominion has no fewer than forty-four hospitals, therefore it is much more advisable that each centre should provide what it requires. It was suggested that Lowry Bay Hospital might bo closed, but if so there would still be plenty of use for the car. now in use • there at Trenthani, which liatl and would continue to have 750 men. It was folt that our men had been very woll looked after whilst in hospital in England, and that as the voluntary use of cars would become loss and less it would 1)° better to purchaso a car and have it kept under the control of the oommittee. Mr. Young therefore moved, and Mr. Veiteh seconded: "That in order to pi'oyido outings for the men in military hospitals ill the district a motor-car be purchased and kept, under tho committee's control, and that volunteers bo linked to do the driving" This was carried, and Messrs. Young and Veiteh were r.ppointed a sub-committee to make the purchase. The second important matter for consideration was the application from the Returned Soldiers' Hostel Committee for JlO.OOfl towards the cost of a building. The Red Cross Sub-committee appointed to meet (he Hostel Committee in conference' uwre Mrs. Moorhousp, Miss Nathan, ■ Messrs. Young, Bush, and Veiteh, who submitted their recommendation to the following effect: Tlio subcommittee having considered the request of the 'Wellington Hostel for Returned Soldiers for a sum of ill), 000 to enable it to erect a permanent building for tho accommodation of returned soldiers and sailors is of tlio opinion that the hostel deserves the support of the Kef! Cross Society to tho extent that it undertakes the care of the sick and wounded soldiers, and tho sub-conunitteo recommends tlio Red Cross Society to consider annually any application which tho hostel may make for a sum to cover the expense to which it has been put in the care of sick and wounded soldiers. The sub-committee, however, does not recommond the investment of Red Cross moneys in land and the construction-of buildings. This was unanimously agreed to after full discussion. Colonel Moorhouse wroto to the effect that of <£5965 to be expended on work at different hospitals .£I9OB was AVellington's share. The vote was passed without discussion. A telegram was read from 'Colonel Rhodes to say that no further Red 'Gross supplies arc needed in England, but that Franco, Italy, nnd Serbia require men's, women's, and children's clothing, and the Serbians also food, to be sent to the British R«1 Cross Commissioner at Salonika. Mr. Young moved, and Mrs. N'athan socondod, that X 250 bo expended in food to bo sent to Salonika. II; was also decided to spend .1250 on blankets and warm clothing. . Mrs. Moorhouse, Mrs. Bhimloll, and Mr. Allan wero appointed to make the purchases. It was also unanimously" agreed lo place comforts to the value of £25 on board each ship taking homo troops from Bombay and Mesopotamia.

Jellyfish! The hottest, stillest day of the year, the day a Sunday, and nothing particular 10 do except to woo the soft arms of the glorious surf at Lyall Bay. With such thoughts hundreds of young ladies visited Lyall Bay on Sunday to find, bathing next to an impossibility. Undertow ? Not a bit in the world. Sandflies —only a few scattered units. Other insects and animals?— None. What, then, was the obstacle in the path of desire? It may seem incomprehensible or incredible, but the answer is jellyfishjellyfish, with black fringes; jellyfish with blood-red centres and chiffon flounces; jellyfish with brown faiings and eau-de-nil embroidery. Jellyfish of all shades and shapes, and sizes by the hundred, by the thousand, which appeared to have been mobilised especially to mar an otherwise perfect day. Many ladies and some men who did venture into the water among these semi-trans-parent floaters, found themselves stung oiv by...a nettle, some so badly as, to need an application of iodine tincture to' reduce thonf.'ritation. The beach wasstrewn ivith the invaders, and myriads of' children found happy occupation in poking their gelatinous bodies about in the 6and. Volunteer Drivers for Motors, ' The Red Cross Society wili be Very glad to hear'from Indies who are willing to take soldiers 'from the hospitals for drives in the society's car. Volunteers are asked to.oommunicnte with Miss Nathan, i Mercer Street. . The Übiquitous Microbe. ■ "Teach your child to keep his fingers', out of his mouth and nose at all times,", advises the Federal Health Service. "The greatest agent in the spread of tho6e. diseases whose causative organism ;, is present in the secretions of the mouth and nose is the human hand. Most of. us carry ourlingors to mouth and noso. many .-times a day, there to implant-the germs of disease- .which-' other • careless persons have spread about, there to collect a fresh supply of infectious materialto scatter, for someone 'olse.

"When surgeons' discovered it was their own infected fingers whi'ch carried germs into wounds,- they-undertook to discover a. meatfs -whereby their hands could bo rendered surgically clean. The whole realm of chemistry was ransacked, for agents which would • clcanso • infected hands. The scrubbings and immersions to which medical hands wero subjected are even yet a tendor memory to the surgeons of that'period. But all of these efforts proved .useless. ; Surgeons finally had to adopt rubber gloves. "Try'as you will, you can't by any known method keep your hands free from germs," states the Public Health Service, "hence the importance of teaching children to keep their hands away from their mouth and nose."