SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 94, 15 January 1920, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Mr. fliul Mrs. "Russell Grace returned to New Zealand last week from England by the Tofua.

Mrs. David Nathan has returned to Auckland from a visit to England.

The engagement is announced of Nurse Kitty Hurt, late of the Clirislc.hurch Hospital, eldest daughter of Mr. 1\ Hart, St. Andrew's, to Captain Halt'on, Tima'ru, a Main Body man, who recently returned to New Zealand after his long period on active service, states a Christehurch exchange.

At the Canterbury Sweet Pea and Carnation Society's Annual Show 'held i" Christehurch yeierday, an interesting exhibition was made of over GO varieties of fuschias.

Tho Christehurch "Press" states that a cablegram lias been .received announcing the engagement between LieutennntCouimander Eric George Rhodes, R.N., second son of the late George Hampton Rhodes, late of Claremont. Timaru, and Yonda Elizabeth Teschemaker, second daughter of the late Thomas Teschemaker, late of the Otaio, South Canter-' bury. 'Lieutenant-Commander Rhodes lias recently been appointed to the InterAllied Commission of Control (Austria).

Miss Dorolhv Bowden has just returned to Ohristchurch after being abroad for several years. She did excellent work at Wnllon-on-Thames Hospital, and was awarded a Royal Red Cross of tho second class for her services.

Mrs. G. Humphreys (the late Sir John Logan Campbell's daughter), who has been engaged during, the wliole of tho war period in providing at her Ai'wir expense and running a canteen in France ■for French soldiers, has been decorated by the French Government with La Medoille de la Reconnaissance Francaise, for the services she has rendered tho Republic' Mrs. Humphreys is the only surviving child of Sir John Campbell, to whose munificence Auckland owes Cornwall Park and other importa.nt benefactions.

Lady Boyes (London) arrived by tho Kigoma. on Monday, and lias gone to Christehurch.

Tho Misses Curtis and Dagg, Masterton, wbo have been visiting Rotorua andAA'ai)tomo, are at present spending a few days with Mrs. George Spencer, Hastings,

I Mr. and Mrs. R. Jacombe, of Paten, [are leaving A>y the Athcnio for England.

Mrs, Wildina- (Hawke's Bay) is tho guest of Mrs. Hanmer, Christehurch. ,

Word was received by this week's English mail that Hiss Esther Fishei> (daughter of Mr. F. M. B. Fisher), who recently arrived in London from New Zealand, where sho gave several pianoforto recitals, has been successful in passing the final examinations for admission to the, Conservatoire in Paris. Only, II French, candidates were admitted and four from outside, Miss Fisher being one of this fortunate quartet.

The death look place in Sydney recently of Mrs. Rebecca Jano Mulvillo, who was formerly a well-known resident of Wellington and later of Dunedin, and had lived for 45 'years in ihd Dominion. She is survived by 'her husband, who is now 90 years of age, her daughter, Mrs. M. J. Dawson, of Cootanvundra, Major W. N. Mnlville, K.A.F., London, Lieut. Mnlville, London, Mr. N, R. Mnlville, Jcluinnesburg, and another daughter, Miss Muiville, who lives in London.

During her visit to England, the Queen of .Spain showed great interest in infant welfare work, and one of tho places she visited was the North Islington Maternity Centre and School for Mothers. Defor'e leaving the centre the Que'en had a long talk with the principal about the need for infant welfare centres in Spain.- The infant mortality there was so terrible, she said, that sho did not like to mention the actual figures. Contreß 6itch as those in England waro unknown, though in many towns there was "La Goutte de iaifc" and a creche where tho working women could leave theirchildren. Spain, said Queen Ena, had also its foundling hospitals, where a curious system prevailed. If a woman could not afford to keep her baby sho put it through the window of the hospital, and it was brought up 'fry tho State. "Once," said the Queen, "while I was on a visit to u hospital, two babies wero put in through the window." The Queen stated that she fully intended to start centres for child welfare in Spain on lines adapted to the customs of the country. Sho had already been successful in establishing institutions for supplying free meals to consumptives.

Definite Place in the League of Nations. Miss A. Helen Ward, in the course of an article in an English' magazine, asks, "Should there be a Women s Bureau?"

and says,_ "The success of tho Lcaguo of Nations idea is dependent upon tho intelligent co-operation of tho women. Is . it/' she adds, "not at least worth con- ■■ sidcring whether a' Women's Bureau, : made as representative, ns women can j make it, and regarded as additional to, i not as a substitute for, the full rights of • women with the general constitution of | the League, may not become an outward visible sign of an inward graco to many millions of women who without might remain for another generation ignorant of the richness of their heritage within the League of Rations' and of the , League's almost pathetic dependence upon their help? I'he writer suggests that tho women should be appointed for ; their general fitness for the purposo of j tho League, rather than merely as exI ports in what are known by a somej what unscientific definition as "women's j interests." ! No Night Off. ! Tho final days of the Prince of AVales'e j visit to America were strenuous, states ■ a New York correspondent of tiic "Daily j News." Following Ms return from Oyster Bay, tugs transported a thousand children from city schools to the Renown. They swarmed over the vessel, I clambered on her turrets, removed much ; new paint, peered into the Koyal cabin, ; ate cake, and yelled wildly ' for the Prince, who duly spoke to tjhem. Escaping tlieso perils, the Prince hurried to tho Eacquet Club for a quiet game, turning up afterwards, serene and smiling, at tho Plaza, where over a thousand Pi], grims banqueted with him vociferously. "My grandfather," said tho Prince, ' managed it better than I have. I've had no night off." A Grand Opera Ball: Last montli, a grand opera ball, f,iven by Lady Cmurd, took place at Covcnt Garden, its purpose being to inaugurate a fund for the permanent foundation ot English opera. Lady Cunard told a )x>n- . don "Observer" representative that she was forced, in the interests of national music, to give this ball, and sho recalled how much the nation owed for what had already bcon done, for opera to the musical genius and fortune of Sir Thomas Beecham. The Statu refused to support opera in any shape or form in England; therefore it was left to private enterprise to establish it.

"Yet opera is an education," she continued. "Wo owe the peoplo of tho country opera just as much as wo owe them art galleries, museums, and schools. Opera is part of (ho culturo of a. nation. In overy other country in the world it receives a subsidy from the State. But hero there is noiic—none. The State gives us its moral support.. Most of the Ministers have told ma they art in moral sympathy with us and out ideals, but they cannot and will nut contribute anything to I hen.. For ten years Sir Thomas Jioecliani lias given his musical genius, his unrenrtting labour, and a vast fortune to tho establishment of English opera. Ho has made a present to the Statu .of his marvellous organisation. Nothing of (his kind has ever happened before in any other country in tho world."

It was hoped to raise .£IO,OOO by tho ball, which would pay for two or three productions of opera winch it was planned to five

A New Composer. A voun<* musician who is coming before 'the public at Home is Miss Jane Joseph, whose composition, a Bergamask," was to have been played at bhe Coliseum some time in November. Miss Joseph is a daughter of a prominent member of the Jewish community, and there are no musicians in the family. She began to show n taste for music early, and plnved the double bass in a school orchestra. From school Miss Joseph went to Girton, where she graduated in classics, but took an active part in the musical life of the college, conducting a choral society and an orchestra. It was only after leaving Cambridge that she began to study music with a view to a career. Her principal teacher of composition has been Mr., Hoist, and during .his absence on active service she studied with Mr. Norman O'Neill, and she is now studying in Mr. Boult's conductors' class at the Royal College of Music. The "Ber"amastc" is not her first orchestral work? Miss Joseph has written incidental music to Mr. AV. B. Geals's "Countess Kathleen," which has been performed. She also has to her credit several songs, somo with string quartet accompaniment, and some piano pieces.