NOTES FOR WOMEN

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10294, 31 May 1919, Page 5

NOTES FOR WOMEN

IN THE BALKANS ’

INTERESTING LETTER FROM CIS BORNE NURSE.

Sister Korr, of Gisborne, who left j Sow Zealand with the Volunteer Sis- j terhood, and was ac latest advices working with the Scottish VVomon s Hospitals, being attached to Or Bennett's unit at Dobravcni, is now attached to the Serbian Relief at Belgrade. The following letter from her should be of interest“ The transport column will soon bo no more. Miss Dillon had orders from the committee (of the S.W.H.) to dispose of the cars and bring the unit home, to bo disbanded. 1 am transferring to tbo Serbian Relief Fund for outpost duty. 1 made two journeys from Nish ta Voles in awful weather, mud, rain, snow, and wind, to bring up wintci clothing for the unit. X finally caught up with tho unit again at Belgrade, where 1 worked in the military hospital. Wo canto hero to Nobioncl, in .Hungary, two months ago. Tho first ariuy is stationed hers and round about. There was no nursing for mo to do in the hospitals, the Serbs were wolf supplied, iand bad -little Serb sisters, and in the civil hospital they have Magyar nuns. Colonel IV-tko-vitch, our director of medical services, asked me to run a Soldiers’ .Home for tho Serb soldiers, who arc travelling backwards and forwards on leave, or on duty. The town is packed with French' troops, and there are practically no billots for the -Sorbs. 1 have 53 beds and run a small canteen at tho same time. bliss Sandes (Sergeant Flora SamJcs) give me some money for tho canteen, and Miss Dillon had some given to her by grateful patients, and she gave me that. Altogether 1 have been able to have ; hot cofteo with plenty of sugar, going I all day, and a good hot supper every ! night, with very often a second meal ! for those whose duty kept them in

the town al! day. I first of all got rooms in an old barracks that had been a Herb hospital, and just evacuated, but tile Krone!! turned me out of that. ' Then Colonel P. found those rooms in an old Magyar school, also just evacuated. It took mo n fortmight to get them cleaned, but I sat tight in the other place till I got enough German prisoners to clean them. It was a real case of the “importunate widow,” the French tearing their (muon one side because I wouldn’t turn out, and the -“Narelnih” tearing his because I wouldn’t turn in before they were cleaned out. You have to ask and ask, and worry and worry, before you get anything done. X made a kitchen out of what looked like a rubbish box at the end of a passage, and turned an artist out of a small room he had commandeered for a studio, to make me an office and .'tore. 1 have three largo rooms for the home, two dormitories holding 53 beds, and smother for a mess room and canteen. I have four extra beds in that. A lot of Serbs who have been imprisoned in Germany have been passing through in batches of between (>0 to 1-100. I managed to give them all either a drink of hot coffee or a meal. We gave 1200 supper one night, and -400 coffee one morning. The home is very popular. I have the beds full nearly every night, and generally some sleep on the floor in the canteen, but' it is better than the streets they literally slept in before. .1 was going bom cone night and found a squad of 03 sitting on their packs, at the corner of the street, a cold, drizzly rain falling; they slept in the canteen that night. Altogether I must have had 170 in the home that night. I shall be very sorry to leave it, but the prisoners have finished and the soldiers will not be passing so often through, and they ought to find a Serb woman to run it. Everyone has been awfully nice ■to me. Though I know I have worried them to distraction sometimes, they have all done their “Serbian” best. NTobicad is better off for food and clothing than any other town I have seen, and thoro is a sugar factory not far off which is working, and sugar is • comparatively cheap. Serbia is very badly off for both food, clothing, and hospital necessaries, and the number of orphan children is something appalling, they run into tens of thousands. Belgrade is the headquarters of everything now, just as Salonika used to be. The British and American Hed Cross have done a great deal, especially the A..8.C., have sent a loj; of money and material. Transport, of course, has been and still ia the great difficulty, no railways, shocking roads, and part of the time the Danube blocked with ico, but everything is rapidly improving, and if only they don’t have another war, by next year the Serbs should bo able to find themselves. I can’t conceive how the Balkans is ever to be at peace, so many conflicting interests, and each wanting to be “top dog” and have bis neighbour’s field. The Italians trying to take X'’iume. and the Bulgurs asking for easy terms, tbo Jugo-Slavs, and the Slovenes and the Serbs all wanting different forms of government, and at amy rate wanting the largest say in things. I cannot understand the proBulgnr fooling in England. I only wish some of those people who think the Serbs are asking too much from the Bulgars could have done the trek with ns, and seen and hoard what wc did, they would not bo pro-Bulgar very long.

For the kindergarten street sale yesterday, Airs L. Tripp' had a stall at Woodward street, in connection with which several competitions wore held. Those were won by: White rabbits. Miss Allen; bead-bag, Air J. B. AlncKwaa; iced cake, Airs G. Tripe; and cake, Aliss Duncan.

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SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

On Thursday evening the members of tho Women’s National Reserve lulß Club met together to say ia-Ciell t afi=s Cable, one of their original tnerab'ers. who is leaving shortly on a trip to Fne-land. On behalf of tho club, Mi. O'Sullivan (tbo president) presentod Mis. Cable with a travelling ee-diion and conveyed to her every good mi f t a safe journey and a pleasant • *■■ At the. conclusion of_ the cveiimg tb present were entertained h.V Mis <> - ill iivan to supper at the Rialto. Air and ..jrs 1C 1?. Sishworth, of tho Lower Hntt, are visiting Christchurch. (Mrs A. W. Hogg is visiting Airs Tomplo in Christchurch.

Airs Lindo Ferguson has givtn u scholarship of £lO to the choir of be. Paul’s Cathedral, Dunedin, for tho free education of one boy in music and sitminu. Airs Ferguson hopes to make tho scholarship an annual one. The claims of women to bo appointed to the newly-created positions or organising teachers was made by tho Hon. G. J. Garland at tho meeting ol tbo Auckland Education Board. He considered u would be a mistake to appoint only mule teachers. Mrs r - E, Baunio said she was particularly pleased to hear Air Garland’s remarks, as they were made by a convert to the cause of women teachers. Air Garland : ‘‘l must deny tbo soft impeachment. There has been no convcrs.on at all.”

The Returned Soldiers’ Chib presented a very busy scone last night at tea-time, as numbers of men from th*Pakeba canio in and enjoyed tho refreshments provided. There were so many, indeed, that there was a great rush, and all bands had to turn to and help for a time. Airs Alec Gray received the men on behalf of the club, and tbo ladies who assisted in looking after them included Lady Stout, Lady Findlay, Airs Hope-Lewis, All’s Dyer, and a number ot girls. Miss Little played selections during tea-time, and the men thoroughly appreciated their welcome borne. Airs Harper, wife of the president of tho association, was present, and. Airs do Castro welcomed many of the men at the wharf, and brought them. to the club.

A meeting of the Alice Parkinson release committee was held on Thursday iu the rooms, Willis street, when it was resolved that, if peace should be declared before Parliament meets, and she is not granted her freedom, that another petition be sent to Parliament asking for a remission of the sentence imposed on her.

Alterations are steadily progressing at the Y.W.O.A. building in Boulcolt street, and very soon the blue triangle of the Y.W.C.A. will he up outside. Tho girls arc eagerly looking forward to entering their now building, winch will provide greater facilities for study and recreation than the one which io at present used as tho Y.W.C.A. administrative building.

The following have been elected officers of the Auckland Women’s National Kcserve: —idon. president, the Mayoress, Mrs J. H. Qunson: president, bliss P. ’H. Dawson ; secretary, Mrs Murray ; treasurer, Miss Watson; executive. Mesdames McGill, AlcDeaii, Stewart Mackenzie, Hyland, linume and Holland, Nurse Scott, Misses Johnson, Stott, Da Roche. A most successful euchre party and entertainment in aid of St. Alary’s Christian Doctrine Society was held at Godber’s rooms, Cuba street, on Tuesday evening last when, in spite of the inclemency of the weather, 140 people were present and all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Miss Iris Alissent and Miss Kathleen Hayden provided some excellent music prior to the commencement o‘f the party. Airs X. P. Halpin, whose singing is always popnlar, was much appreciated as also was Air Oswin’s elocutionary item, hoth having to submit to encores. The accompaniments were played by Mr Dickson in an artistic, manner. The first prizes wore won hy Miss Kelly and Major Halpin. whilst the consolations went to Airs Alf Reid and Aliss B. AlcNaughton. On the occasion of the fancy dress dance being arranged, by Aliss Borlase and her committee, there null be four prizes for girls’ drosses and two for the men. During the evening Air Tresize and Airs H. S. Alalcolm will dance a Bachanalo “Da Joie de Vivre,” which should be interesting. On this occasion Air Tresize intends wearing a costume which took tho prize at the Carnival Ball held in Milan in 1913, on which occasion it was worn by a prince, who presented it to Air Tresize in Plngland in. 1914. It is not generally known that Alarieda. Batten, the writer of “Love Life,” tho series of thirty sonnets published in Australia, is a New Zealander, says an exchange. “Alaricda Ratten” is tho pen name of Airs I. Al. Cooke, of Wellington, a new verse writer of considerable power. The name “Alaricda” is a pleasing combination of Mrs Cooke's two Christian names. Ida Alary. Airs Cooke has another book of verse, which those interested in New Zealand writers hope will make its appearance shortly. This consists of several of the prettiest of Maori legends done into verse, and is a very interesting production.