WOMEN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 March 1918, Page 6

WOMEN'S WORLD.

PERSONAL, Sirs. Newton King, who has been on n, short visit to Wellington, has returned. * # » • Mrs. R. J. Matthews, with her sister, Miss Marshall, are on a visit to Christcluirch, where they will he the guests of Mrs. W. H. Skinner. * * * t Mrs. R. McLean (Hawera) is at present in New Plymouth. * * » » Miss B. King is the guest of her sister, Mrs. S. Allen, Dunedin. . . * * * * Mrs. Jas. Wilson and Miss 11. Wilsonj who have been on a visit to \v ellington, return by the mail train to-night. « * » • Mrs. M. Fraser, who has been on a visit to the Mountain House, has returned. * * * • Mrs. E. Self (Te Kuiti) and Miss J. M'Allum - (Hawera) are the guests of their sister, Mrs. B. Chaney. Mrs. H. Stocker, who has been on ,a visit to Hastings, has returned. Miss Casey (Auckland) is the guest of her sister, Mrs. E. Paul. « * * • Mrs. McHardy, who has been on a visit to Auckland, has returned." * • u « Mrs. C. McAllum. who has been on a lengthy visit to Wellington, has returned. Mrs. A. Alexander has returned from a visit to Wanganui. * * • » Miss Wade, who has been on a vis-it to Dunedin, has returned. * * » * Mrs. A. H. Glasgow, who was the guest of her daughter, Mrs. J. C. Nicholson, has returned to Wanganui. Miss B. A. Campbell, matron of the New Plymouth Hospital, is on a visit to Auckland. She will thence go on to the Cold Lakes. During her absence Miss Gill will act as matron. « * * » The visitors staying at the Mountain House for this week include Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs (Christclutrch), Mrs. Quinn (Hawera), Mr. and Mrs. Donald Cane (Wellington), Mrs. Thompson (Awakino), Mrs. Enderby (Wanganui), Miss Cane (Mokau). Sir. Thomson (Napier), Dr. and Sirs. Elliott (Wellington), Mr. and Sirs. Codlin (Auckland), Miss Wankon (Wellington).

Amongst (lie visitors slaving at Niger House this week are: Slr3. Mapon (Stratford), Sirs. Dempsey (New Plymouth), Sirs. Upton (Auckland), Sirs. Jackson (Dunedin). # * * » The visitors staying at Chatsworth for this week include Sirs, and Slisses Neville (2) (Palmerston North), Sirs. Greig (White Cliffs), Sirs. Lethbridge (Foilding), Slisses Hodges and Slaekay (Palmerston North), Slisses Newcombe and Taylor (Wanganui). Sirs. F. Lethbridge (Wanganui). SOCIAL NEWS PUKEKURA PARK FETE. Last Thursday the fete, held in Pukckura Park in aid of the grounds was favored with special ideal weather, in contrast to the prevailing winds of the past week, and, although not up to the expectations of the committee, the sum realised added appreciably to the fund that has been set up to carry out many important improvements to the Park. The afternoon tea kiosks, ice cream and sweet stalls, were under the management of the Mayoress (Sirs. C. H. Burgess), who was ably assisted by a strong and willing committee of ladies, besides members of the High. Technical, Chetwoile, Central, and West End Schools. A very enjoyable open-air concert was held in the evening, which consisted principally of items by the Citizens' Band. The reflections from the brilliant illuminations on the lake made a scene for a pantomime. Amongst those present were: Mr. and Sirs. C. H. Burgess, Slesdames Nolan, G Fraser, Beckhessinger (Waitara), Foote, Chaney, G. Kebbcll. Garner. G. Millar, D. Hursthouse. W. Weston, Webster, D. Robertson, Willis, Ryder, W. H. Sloyes, Dell, Stainton, H. Okey, A. Gray, Slackay, P. Fitzherbert, Crawford. Stohr, Slarsiiall, F. G. Evans, P. Jackson, Perrv, Colson T. Anderson, A. SlacDiarmid, Tribe, Johnstone. J. Morey, J. Clarke, Clemow, A. Ambury, F. Wilson, I*. Fookes, Waugh, Hayden, Boyd, Campbell, Wilkes, Hooper, F. Orbell, Sykes, W. D. Webster, F. Robertson. G. Sykes, Cornev, Robb, Wynne-Lewis, F. S. Johns, Allen," Slisses Stanford, Arden, Renaud, Capel (2), Baker, Drew, Tribe, Ramson, Harrison, Robson, Ford, Crawford, McAllum.

"HOME MEETING" A very successful "Home Sleeting" under the auspices of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, was held on Thursday afternoon, at the residence of Mrs. N. T. Maunder. Mrs. Seivewright addressed the meeting, and spoke of the opportunity of women to-day, to work for the uplift and the betterment of all. Three of the ladies present intimated their willingness to become members of the above association. At the close of the meeting a vote of thanks was accorded the hostess for her hospitality in opening her home to the union for its meeting. MECHANICAL SERVANTS. HOW THE AMERICANS MANAGE. The servant problem is vexing the mind and disturbing tho peace of almost every woman to-day—it is certainly responsible for the presence of many a wrinkle and line on the brow of the harassed housewife. The United States, because of tli2 high rate of wages paid for female labor, faced the same difficulty some years ago and solved it! That country has reduced the need for domestic labor to the absolute minimum, and to her we can well look for hints and advice about the lesson that bitter experience, lias taught her. "You British women," an American friend said to me the other day, "live in such a groove. You engage so many servants because you have, always kept that number. You cling to the oldfashioned methods of running a house, Jfhtn new ideas would bring you a thou-

sand devices that would dispense with half your maids and with a tremendous amount of discomfort." Her own home, indeed, is a wonder of ingenuity in the way of labor-saving devices. Cooking and cleaning (the main factors in a house) are done by electricity. Electricity is Elaine's "maid of all work." Electricity cooks, heats the baby's food, does the ironing, and cleans the house from attic to cellar. "I am going to spring clean to-mor-/row," she said. "Would you like to seo how it's done without labor?" I agreed most readily in these dreary days of the dearth of domestics—what woman would not? When I presented myself at an early hour I smiled at the dainty appearance of my hostess and the complete lack of preparations. I soon realised, however, how superfluous any preparations would have been, for the use of the "'olix-tric maid'' completely eliminates the fuss and bother which "spring cleaning" (from past experiences) naturally suggests to our minds. It was a warm, bright morning, bia the sight of the cosy copper electric Btove was very welcome and cheery, "Breakfast's just ready," Elaine announced. In vain I looked round for any evidence of cooking. A delicious odour of cofl'ee proceeded from an electric percolator on the table. At its side was a neat little egg-cooker, also worked by electricity, fitted with an ingenious arrangement for allowing the eggs to be removed at- the exact moment they are done. I was amazed at the simplicity and iieatness, the absence of fuss and bother; but when Elaine proceeded to extract perfectly cooked bacon and toast straight from a cooker on the sideboard I was dumbfounded! This was a mostinteresting and useful device, an "ovenette" she called it, made of pressed steel, niekelied and highly polished, and making quite an ornament on the. sideboard, ft was a grill and stove combined. The bacon was grilled in the top part while the toast was cooking in the lower one—both operations going on at the same time with the same, power—while beneath was a special iindcrdish for grilling. She told me the price was only 33s (id. "You see it cooks by itself," she c\. plained, "and really, it is surprising liow very economical electric cooking is. for whereas in the cooking of a three pound joint by gas or fire (which opens the pores of the meat) about threequarters of a pound of meat is lost, electrically cooked the same joint would only loses a couple of ounces." "A consideration in these days," I remarked. "Exactly," she agreed; "it also ensures the preservation of the full flavour and nutriment." The plates were heated electrically, and for the wee babe milk food was instantly warmr-1 simply by the placing nf an electric tube into the bottle., "Now for the cleaning," said Elaine. "What about the heavy furniture?" t asked when I realised there- was only one young maid to assist us. "Oh," she replied, "tiiat's quite unnecessary with a vacuum cleaner!'' And indeed I soon found that- was true-, for the electric cleaner proved to be a very simple contrivance, light as a broom, and capable of oj+rnordinary manipulation. It dived behind and under hook-cases, desks and piano with the greatest ease. It sucked the dust from Hie innermost depths of every corner and crevice in the rooms, from the carpets, the curtains, the picturerails, and even the wallpaper. It not only removed the dirt, but also purified the. articles by creating a rush of fresh air without any sign of floating dust. It cleaned and freshened tho mattresses, pillows and bedding, culled the dust from the buttons and corners of the upholstering and all the time there was absolutely no laborious work attached to it. Practically no ofl'orc was needed. Lightly passed over any object it effectively removed all dirt.

"Is comparatively trivial," I was told. ''My dear," Elaine went on to explain, "the cleaning of tho carpets alone would have cost quite £"> (and think of the inconvenience of having them taken nway for quite an indefinite period., while this, 'my niaid-oi-all-work,' two years ago only cost about £lO, and its uses, as you can sec, are legion. The power it consumes is very trivial. We pay Od a unit for electricity in this district, and the cost of running the- cleaner works out at only one penny per hour. Certainly there were no doubts lefr. in my mind of its efficiency, for in a, very short time, with a conspicuous abdenco of dust and dirt, the rooms were cleaned and freshened.

In the kitchen labor-saving devices played a very prominent part. A vacuum washer, costing but a few shillings, cleansed the clothes by the lastestknown scientific method —compressed air and suction. They were ironed by an electric (ilb iron, also costing but a few (diillings, working at the price of less than twopeneo per hour. For cleansing the floors there was an automatic washer, costing Rs lid eight, montlis ago. which entailed no stooping or bending, while a patent mop cleaned the linoleum and polished it at the same time.

Our day of spring cleaning was certainly through, and yet thoroughly free from the usual cares and worries associated with such an event. The domestic servant is superfluous in Elaine's home. A constant supply of hot water is assured by the gas circulator in the kitchen, quite a cheap and very useful Installation, and in the bathroom there

fs a geyser, hired at a small annual sum from the" local gas company. I was inclined to regard the fitting up of these wonderful electric appliances as a very costly item, but Elaine told me that the various electric supply companies only add about a a per cent, profit over and above the actual cost for material and labor.