WOMAN’S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 30, 29 October 1921, Page 4

WOMAN’S WORLD.

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAR AND NEAR.

(By

Imogen.)

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

On Sunday afternoon, an "At Home” will be. held at the Wellington Jewish Women’s Club, Barber’s Buildings, 125 Cuba Street, in aid of the Palestine Plunket Nurse Fund. All members of the club are cordially invited, and it is hoped there will bo a largo attendance as the object is such a worthy one.

A meeting of the National Field Committee of the New Zeala/,1 Y.W.C.A. was held on Wednesday, Mrs. Albert Kayo presiding. There were also present: Mrs. F. R. Chapman. Mrs. C. IT. Taylor, Mrs. D. O. McClay, Mrs. J. S. Elliott, Miss ITorence Birch, and Miss F,lla Fair Lady Luke was unanimously elected a vice-president of this committee. It was decided that a workers’ conference for members of all the associations in New Zealand should bo 'held in Wellington on February 22, 23, and 2-1, 1922, for the purpose of educating workers to the purpose of the association and formulating policies for forward work among the girls of New Zealand. A Normal Training School for training girls for leadership in physical culture, health, and recreation is to be held in Auckland next year under Gio able leadership of Miss Julia E. Fisher, physical culture director, from America.

Mrs. Alex. Sutherland (Martinborough) is visiting Wellington.

Miss Coull, who has been staying with Miss Barr, Havelock North, returned to Wellington this week.

Mrs. Donald Donald (Masterton) has been paying a, brief visit to Wellington.

In Detroit, street traffic is to be prohibited in fifty city blocks to provide play space for children. Traffic is to bo banned on certain streets between 2 and 5 p.m. daily, and it is believed this notion, will minimise accidents and injury to children.

The death is announced of Mrs. Emmie Gilbert, for many years a well-known and l respected resident of Khandallah. Mrs. Gilbert, who was the wife of Mr. H. E. Gilbert, arrived in Motueka when a child, and it was in that district that sho spent most of her life. She went to live in Khandallah three years ago, and endeared herself to a wide circle of friends. The late Mrs. Gilbert leaves a family of one son—Mr. Gordon Gilbert, of Now Plymouth—and five daughters.

A meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children was held on Friday afternoon. Mrs. F. Chapman was in the chair. A number of cases that had been investigated were reported upon, and several cases for maintenance were brought before the consideration of the meeting. Subscriptions were acknowledged with thanks from the following:— Miss Lyra Taylor, £1 Is.; and Mrs. J. W. Stables, ss.

Mrs. N. Miller, of Masterton, is spending a week or two in Wellington to bo near her daughter, who is in a private hospital in Wellington.

A very enjoyable concert, arranged by Mrs. Ginn and the Pioneer Club Singing Circle, was held at the club last evening. Tho programme was a vari.ed one, and comprised several glees by the singing circle, songs by Mrs. Townley, Miss Knight, Mrs. Shaw, Mrs. Mitchell, and a song with violin obbligato by Mrs. Ginn. A quartet was contributed by Mrs. Ginn, Mrs. Sewell, Mr. Tombs, and Mr. Rule; and a trio by Mrs. Sewell and Messrs Tombs and Rule. Supper brought to an end a very pleasant evening, and the singing circle was complimented upon the progress it had made under the direction of Mrs. Ginn.

A jumble sale is to be held in the Theosophical Rooms in Marion Street this afternoon, beginning at 2.30. the object being to help to provide a “happy Christmas" for those who are unable to attain that end themselves. There will bo plenty of good clothing for sale.

Miss Alice Stott has returned to Auckland from a visit to the Wairarapa and Wellington.

A special foreign missionary service will be 'held in the Y.W.C.A. to-morrow at if.ls p.m., and a special collection will be taken up in aid of tho funds of the foreign department of the association. Mrs. D. 0. McClay will he in the chair, and Mr. J. W. B. Hughes, national secretary of the Y.M.C.A., will be the speaker. All visitors and newcomers to Wellington are cordially invited to be present, and to stay to the tea and social hour following

The pupils of Miss Dorothy Saunders aro to appear in two dance recitals at the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on November 7 and 8. Some of these clever children are already well known to Wellington audiences, .but Miss Saunders will introduce this year a, number of new performers of great promise. In addition to the dances, several interest-, ing recitations will be included in the programme. Methodist Women's Conference, The Methodist Women’s Missionary Union opened their conference on October 2(1 in the Durham Street schoolroom, Christchurch. Delegates from 16 auxiliaries throughout tho Dominion were present. There was a good attendance of women interested in missionary work. In view of the important work to be taken up next year, it was decided to hold the next conference in Auckland, the seat of tho Mission Board.

Reports from the auxiliaries were read, showing the membership to be ICOO, an increase of about 150. At the afternoon session Miss Common, of St. Helens Hospital, who is taking up nursing in the Solomon Islands next year, spoke on her call to the work. The delegates were welcomed on behalf of the Church by the Rev. W. 'Mrs. Bowron, in a presidential address, touched on the important work Iving ahead of the auxiliaries, and urged the necessity of women’s work for women in the Solomons, and among the Maoris, and the need for sisters being adequately traineel, equipped, and provided for. , An appreciation of the life and woiK of the late. Mrs. Scriven, of. Papua, written bv Airs. Hodder, of Palmerston North' and Mrs. Gilmour, of Papua, was read' bv Aim. Pacey. A vote of sympaihv with Rev. A. IT. Scriven and Mrs. and Miss Jamieson was passed. Mrs B. Ivcsnn. of Masterton, is at. present in a private hospital in Wellington.

Female Labour.

The troubles of Auckland housewives in connection with the vexed problem of help in the home would appear to be increasing, rather than the reverse, and registry office keepers all state that they have a long list of vacant places on their books, but practically no applications from which to fill them. An inspection of the advertisement columns of the daily Press reveals each mo.rning that between 30 and 40 mistresses are seeking cooks, generals, ladyhelps, and other domestic assistance, but a glance at tho situations wanted column shows a very different position with regard to the help offering, there being probably only about six advertisements for domestic employment. It was generally agreed by those familiar with tho position that one of the greatest obstacles to any improvement was the absence of any definite and binding arrangement between employers and employees. There would be difficulties in the way of this that do not occur in ordinary business arrangements, for housework is in a different class from that of most occupations, but at the same time it was considered that a clear definition as to hours and arrangements for time off such ns is given to workers in hotels and boardinghouses would help the position, while, on the other' hand, mistresses should have the right to insist that if they paid a good wage they obtained expert service in return.

The opinion was expressed by a prominent business man that the day of tho inexperienced and incompetent woman worker, in domestic or any other branch of work, is nearing its end. Speaking particularly with' regard to factory work, lie stated that his firm, which employ* one of the largest female staffs in Auckland, had found it necessary to get rid of many of the workers tliey had been forced to employ during the war. "In future, we shall be able to employ only girls with the will and tho ability to work well, and thus enable us to compete with English firms.’’ he said. "The mediocre hands, the girls who were just filling in time and had no ambition too make themselves competent, are no use to us under present conditions. We simply cannot afford to take on indifferent workers, and it would be better for industries to be curtailed than for them to be developed on a wrong basis. This conviction has been forced on us by the recent trend of events in the businesg world, and we liavo found it necessary to reorganise our staff during the last! month or two in order to meet conditions. Girls who are willing to work and willing to learn will find plenty of opportunities, but the girl whose policy it is to get as much as she can and give as little as sho may, will probably find it a good deal harder to find a position now than it has been in the past.”