WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1916, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

1; _ «» i SOCIETY NEWS. PERSONAL ITEMS. 58£ . Matthews, Wanganui, is at present in New Plymouth. Mrs. Knight, Feilding, is at present in New Plymouth. Mrs. and Miss Roach, Auckland, are en a visit to New Plymouth. Mrs. T. Homx, Motueka, is the guest of her mother, Mrs. F. P. Corkill. Miss E. Baily, who has been the guest of Mrs. Ward, Wellington, has returned. • - * * « Miss M. Douglas, Wanganui, arrives by tho mail train to-night. Mrs. Benson and Mrs. Saywell, who have been visiting Mrs. Bowden, New Plymouth, have returned to Feilding. Mrs. and Miss Williams have returned to Hawkes Bay after their pleasant' stay ;in New Plymouth. . Miss Munro, who has been holidaymaking in New r'ymouth, has returned to Hawera. * * * » Miss I. Skinner, who has been visiting her grandmother, Mrs. Skinner (sen.), leaves on Monday for Dunedin. Mrs. G. Kebbell, who has been the guest of ,lier sister, Mrs. P. Mitchell, Rcimiera*. has returned to New Plymouth. ■ •' v •■ .-•■ Mr. and Mrs. Con. Nicholson leave on Monday for Wanganui, and from there Mr. Nicholson will leave for Wellington, havng received orders to go into camp at Trentham. PAUL DUfAULT CONCERT. uast Wednesday, in the Theatre Royal, Paul Dufault, the great French-Canadian tenor, made iiis re-apparance to a New p lymodth audience, and was again greet--3d with enthusiasm whilst the insistency for encores showed how his efforts were appreciated. He was assisted by Miss Pauline Bindley (soprano), Miss Florence Scapini (violiniste), and Mr. Harold Whittle( pianist), all first-class artists • "■':.■■ afferent spheres. EMPIRE DAY. a<< (••'ti'i'tainment was held in thr ■iic:'. Templar Hall by the Junior Assn. of the New Plymouth branch of t!i': Victoria League, the object !><•" to furnish a room in the Overseas Club, which has just been taken up by the "ictoria league in different parts of tli< Empire, the London branch rcnuesfiii" the other branches to fnrnisli individual rooms. The locai branch set out to provide a room, which will be known as the New Plymouth (N.Z.) Room. 'The proceedings opened with the saluting of the Union Jack, which was lioist"d by a troop of Boy Scouts', under the command of Major Sandford. Spirited speeches were given by Captain Hartnell (just returned from the front) and Rev. Chappell, setting forth the aims and objects of tho junior branch, Groat credit and praise is clue to Mrs, Firth, who, by her untiring energy, made the entertainment the success it Was. During the afternoon a silhouette guessing competition was held, being won by Mrs. '■' S. Johns. Amongst those present were: Mrs. Firth, who wore a smart navy blue costume, and cerise velvet hat; Mrs. C. If. Burgess, navy blue silk, faced witi fawn, black lace hat trimmed with fawn colored roses: Mrs. S. Shaw; Mrs. Conn i.ey; Mrs. Hammond; Missei Rt<infor| (2); Mrs. A, H. Colvile; Mrs. Monro (Auckland); Mrs. Dowling; Miss Wilson; Mrs. Roy; Mrs. MacTavish (Auckland); Mrs. Heard; Mrs. H.' Stocker; Mrs. John; Mrs. Freeth; Mrs. Baker; Miss Baker; Misses Craoke (2); Mrs. Fi. M. Smith; Mrs. Dempsey; Miss D-mpsey; Mrs. Tuff; Mrs. Haseler.

SAVING THE BABIES. A THOUSAND LIVES YEARLY. REMARKABLE RECORD. A chart placed before the annual meeting of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children at Dunedin last week showed more clearly than words can the immense results achieved in seven years by the ment throughout New Zealand of which the society are the sponsors, und, so to speak, the pivot. This -mart was one showing the infantile mortality rates in New Zealand over a period of 40 years—from 1874 to 1014—and the remarkable fact it revealed was that, 'shile in the 33 ycar3 between 1874 and 1907 the death rate of infants was between 10 and 11 per cent, and 7 and 8 per cent., in the next seven years (1007-14) it fell to five per cent - . And it was in 1007 that the Society for the Health of Women and Children, State maternity hospitals, and State registration pf midwives were instituted. Had the rate of decrease been the same through the period 1007-14 as it was through the period 1874-1007, the percentage of deaths in 1004 would have been seven instead of five, and this saving of another two per cent, is directly attributable to the propaganda and actual work of this and kindred societies. The chart showed, too, that by 1030, proceeding through the normal curve set between 1007-1014, the infantile mortality will be only three per cent. Dr. Truby King, in the course of a short addvss, showed how conservative these figures are. Dr. King said that in 1007 there were 25.000 babies born in New Zealand, and the. number which died annually was 2.22 R. By 1014 (the . latest date for which statistics were available) the num--1 er of deaths had diminished to 1450, in spite of the fact that there were 3300 more babies born in that year than in 1007.. The proportional diminution, therefore, was nearly 000 less lives lost. It was true that 1007 represented an unusually high death rate,, but even striking an average over 1007 and the four preceding years there was shown a reduction of between 000 and 700 deaths as compared with those occurring annually for the seven previous years. Looking forward to the year 1030, they anticipated a lowering of the infantile death rate by 1000 a year, and this, as it was based upon a stationary birth rate of 25,000 annually (the 1007 figures), was really much below what they might anticipate; for in 1914 the numbers of births was 28,000, and by 1030 (at the same rate) the number would be 35,000. Accepting that figure for 1030, the reduction in infant mortality in that year would amount, not to 1000, but to" 1400 lives. This lowering of the death rate, however, was not their main concern. They were far more interested in the destinies of the 400,000 children whom they might expect to be born in the next 15 years. In the proper equipment of them they principally concerned themselves,