WOMAN’S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 208, 28 May 1921, Page 4

WOMAN’S WORLD.

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAR AND NEAR.

(By

Imogen.)

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL A dance that was thoroughly successful was that arranged by the Kelburn Rovers (who are nearly all "old bovs” of the Kelburn Scouts), in St. Peter’s Hall. The attendance was good, and all the arrangements were excellently carried out. Lycopodium and flags had been used freely in decorating the rooms, and with the many pretty frocks which were worn the scene was particularly charming. A delicious supper had been provided, and with good music and an excellent floor the Rovers and their friends could not fail to enjoy themselves. The chaperons were Mesdamos Myers, Fordham, Reviws, and 11. Young. The Ladies’ Committee comprised Misses Brabazon, Dawson. Darling, Fordham, Hampton, and White; the Rover Committee, Messrs. Ellis, Fernandez, Darling, Hampton, Heywood, Morton, Myers, Norris, Reid, Rc-viers, Robinson, Van Slyke, Waterson, and IVright. Scoutmaster E. Lawson did much to secure the- success of tho dance.

The Gazette contains notice of the appointment of Mrs. Phoebe Yeates to be an official visitor to tho Point Ualswell Prison.

A meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children was held in the society’s rooms yesterday. There were present: Mrs. F. Chapman (in the chair). Sprott, Chatfield, Ho’by, and Dr. Ada Paterson. Numerous cases that had been investigated were reported. and others, it was stated, had been satisfactorily settled. Tho following resolution was passed :—"The Society for the Protection of Women and Children has read with interest the report of Mr. John Beck, officer in charge of the Special Schools Boards of the Education Department, dealing with proposed legislation on child welfare. Many of the improvements suggested have been strongly advocated for years by this society, which would therefore welcome the prospect ot their being carried out in the near future.”

Mrs. J. Darling has gone to Christchurch to attend the Navy League Conference which is to lie held ihere next week.

On Tuesday afternoon next Miss Katherine Hughes, of Canada, authoress, historian and journalist, will be entertained nt the Pioneer Club by members. Miss Hughes has had much to do with political and International affairs, and has had many interesting experiences. For some time she was provincial archivist for Alberta, was private secretary to the Premier of Alberta, and later was assistant. to the Agent-General for Alberta in London. Among her publications are: Pere Lacombe. Blackrobe Vayogeur, the Timber Section of the Canadian Encyclopedia, Vol. II . Historical Alaga,.ino Editions, etc. On Tuesday afternoon she will speak upon the Comparative Study of Woman in Various Countries, and her universal mission.

The engagement is announced of Air. Leo du Elon, of Hamilton, son of Monfiieur and Madame du Flou, of Wellin?» ton, to Miss C. Bavenliill, of Auckland.

Miss Estelle Deere is spending a few days in Masterton.

The comfort of the one woman member of the City Council (Mrs. M'Vicar) is being -well looked after by her fellowcouncillors. who are providing her with a room of her own, at the Town Hall, in which she can receive people who wish to see her upon business matters, etc. In various ways they are doing what is possible io make her lot as a city councillor pleasant and comfortable.

At the annual meeting of the Dannevirke branch of the Women’s National Reserve the following officers were reelected .—President, Mrs. AV. F. Knight; vice-president, Miss Hopper; secretary, Mrs. Branting, with Mrs. H. Glass as assistant-secretary; treasurer, Mrs. H. W. Giesen; committee, Mesdames Helps, J. Curtis, Mercer, H. Cowper, Anderson, Watkins, and Miss Drummond; hostel committee, Mesdames Helps, Curtis, H. Cowper, Anderson, and the secretary; amusement committee, Mesdames Glass nnd Watkins and Misses Drummond and Denvers, with another whose consent has yet to lie obtained. The reixtrt dealt with affairs relating to the women’s hostel and the balance-sheet of the hostel for eight months’ working gave an excess of Qvssets over liabilities of «£B3 14s. 3<l.

The committee of the Auckland Women’s Club entertained Lady Jellicoe at tea. this week. The lounge where tea was served was prettily decorated with violets and chrysanthemums. Among those present were: Miss Gillett, who accompanied Lady Jellicoe, Mrs. Gunson. Mrs. W. R. Wilson, Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Lucas Bloomfield. Mrs. Duncan Clark, Mrs. H. Kinder, Mrs. J. Hodgson, junr., Mrs. Tracy Inglis. Mrs. Dickenson, Mrs. A. Kinder, and Miss ■!. Murray.

The engagement is announced ol Miss Marjorie Waldegrave. youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Waldegrave. Palmerston North, to Captain 11. T. R. f’arlyon, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Carlyon, of Gwavas, Hawke’s Bay.

A pleasant gathering took, place at (he Mastertoil Hospital this week, when the members of the nursing staff hold an arievnoon in honour of Nurse MTvor and Nurse Welby, who are severing their connection with the institution. Miss M'lvor has resigned in order to return home, and Miss M’clby is leaving shortly io continue her training at the Alexandra Home, IVellington. The departing nurses were made the recipients of presentations from the staff, keen regret being expressed at their approaching departure.

Miss Webb-Jones has been appointed seoreiarv of the Wanganui branch of the Farmers’ Union Mutual Fire Insurance Association.

Airs. Barltrop, first officer of the 'Wellington South Nursing Division, and Miss Robieson, superintendent of the Wellington Nursing Division, paid a visit to Hftwera on Wednesday, and addressed a meeting of men and women interested in St. John Ambulance work. These ladies are visiting the different towns in the Wellington, Taranaki, and Hawke’s Bay districts, and it was with the object of starting classes that they visited Hawera. Mrs. Lovell presided over a small attendance, and after the matter had been discussed Mr. W. .Read offered to do what he could io start a men’s class.

At the meeting of Everybody’s Social Club this evening, two items will be given by the Dramatic Club of the Y.W.C.A. All girls are invited to be presold -with their mon friends at the clubrooln in Herbert Street at 8 o'clock. The usual devotional meeting will be hold at the Y.W.C.A. clubroom in Herl>ert; Street at 4.15 p.m. on Sunday. The Rev. J. Sykes will bo the speaker. All girls are invited to be present at this meeting and to stay to the tea and social hour fallowing. Mr. and Mrs. W. Bridgman and Airs. Atkin, of Mount Edon. Auckland, are on a visit to Wellington.

“ NOT AT ALL POPULAR”

PUBLIC ATTITUDE TO WOMEN

ilt. “Captain Mac” (IVilford Sanderson), and Mrs. U. G. Avery, "Oh, Johnny.” In the course of his presidential address, given during the interval, M. Duflou spoke of tho very great pleasure it had been to the Cercle that the Returned Soldiers’ Association should have joined

hands with them in providing the programme, and he hoped that they would be able to co-operate in many other ways. Although if. was two years since the war was over, the French people had not forgotten and never could forget ilie splendid way in which the men from New Zealand had risen to the need of France. He thanked the association

greatly for their co-operation and those who were contributing to the programme in the second part. M. Duflou also spoke of the aims of the Cercle. It existed for several purposes, among them being primarily the keeping of the F’rench people resident in W’ellington in toueljj with one another; also it existed to enable those who had learnt French to keep the language up, and still again it offered help to those who were learn-

ing the language. It existed not only for the French residents of the city, but. for those who had a regard for Franco and her people. The Cercle also offered opportunities for studying the art, ths literature, the ideals of the French people, and yet another thing it was the means of throwing open the doors of kin-

dred bodies to members who might be visiting other countries. Following M. Dluflou’e remarks. Mr. Avery, on behalf of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, spoke of the pleasure it had been to the association to co-oper-ate with the French residents in Wellington in this or in any other matter. As soldiers they had fought side by side with the poilus, had shared their hardships and had fallen together on the fields of France. The poilus had looked

upon them as their brothers in arms, and they, the men of New Z t’^ and ’™ been proud to be so regarded. They could never forget that association, and would always have the greatest education for France and her people Following the speeches suppoi was handed around, after winch came ha second part of the programme Contributing were Mrs. Lawrence with a piano, forte .solo, "Danse des Lutins (L. Nollet) ; an "Elogie” (Massenet), by Air. L. J Ixiftus; violin solo, Adngiotto (Bizet), by Mr. Rule; a romance, "Obstipation” (H. de Fontenailles). by Alisa Drury; "Cavatine” (from “Faust”), General Tarbayoff; and a recitation, "Ma Femme Danse” (Raymond), Air. Spencer. The playing of "lot. Atarseillaise ’ coneluded a very enjoyable evening.

Women are almost; as unpopular today as ex-soldiers. It is an unpleasant truth bidd.cn. from us foi 1 such reasons as modesty, tact and tactics. But the attitude ot the public towards women is more full of contempt and bitterness than has been tho case since the suffragette outbreaks.

Then a few women earned the loud opprobrium of the general public. Now the public attitude to women is less vocal, but it is all the more deep-rooted. Then "woman’s place is in the home” was the common cry. Now it is tho common feeling. It is not. merely a. masculine prejudice. Cleopatra was no doubt far more hated by women than by men. Her Saxon lady friends p.rohably regarded Boadice.a as a. hussy, and largo numbers of women have reverted to these precedlents, and are nowadays more “anti-women” than men are. The' most violent attacks on women in “men’s jobs,” or women innovators in any walk of life come from other women. If a robin ’has once lived indoors for a week, its wild companions will mob it on its osba.pt-. If a woman has in any way become a “public” woman, she can be sure that: her home-keeping sisters will be much more contemptuous of her than men will bo afraid of her.

Women preachers, barristers, engineers, professors, are regarded as evidence of woman’s advance towards equality. Legally it may be so. In public estimation they merely add. fuel to the flame of indignation andi annoyance. It- is tho most obvious truism that if women had not the vote to-day no power in politics could gain it for them, and if tho question were submitted to a referendum they would be deprived of it at once. Tho outcry against women jurors came not only from old wopMn in wigs, but from young women in ghort skirts. Women demanded freedom to exercise their minds, and they have used it to exercise the public patience. The politicians who gave women the vote have raised a monster that they not only cannot control. They cannot understand it. Women are demolishing bynlection forecasts, right and left, and. the election experts look ruefully on. like a conjuror who has put his hand in the hat for a rabbit, and has been bitten

The flood of praise poured out on women during the war has had its inevitable backwash. The women who saved the Allies are not fit to receive unemployment benefit. They did dirty work during the war. No wonder we resent their refusal to do housework now. They allowed themselves to become more and more feminine as the war worked its inevitable results on men. Now the men despise them for if. They egged th.? men l on, and many a man who resents his fate blindly blames the women whose smiles and praise- were so ready four years ago.

British opinion of women has sunk to its nadir. They are a little lower than the office boy. Th,? average man hates woman to-day a good deal more even than he hates other men: Such lifelong advocates of woman’s rights as Lady Astor and Miss Eleanor Rathbone frankly admit now the unpopularity of the women’s cause. The balance will swing back again, but for some years to coni’ women will suffer from an unpopularity that was too quickly gained. Among lieutenant-colonels who "walked out” with ex-servant girls because they were making munitions servant girls are unpopular. A great many men who made fools of ihenrselres are blaming woman for their follv.—W. Keith, in the "Daily Mail.”

French Cercle. The opening of the winter session of the Cercle Litteraire Francais de Wellington was ‘held in the YAV.C.A. rooms in Holbert Street yesterday evening. The large attendance of members and friends were received by the president, Monsieur Duflou, and an exceedingly pleasant evening was spent. The very excellent programme which had been arranged for

me euieilauimeui tn me greatly enjoyed, the Returned Soldiers’ Association having been responsible for the first part and the Cercle for .the second part. Contributing to the former wore Mr. F. A. Campbell, who sung ‘‘Garden of My Heart” .(Dorel), Miss Thomas, “The Harvester’s Night Song”; Mr. R. J. F. Aldrich, “My Old Shako” (Trotere); Madame Mildare Hewitt, “My Ain /T.onva FT ? Mr TTpw-