OVER THE TEA-SUPS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 101, 27 April 1912, Page 15

OVER THE TEA-SUPS.

SUFFRAGE RESPONSIBILITIES. Consequent on the granting of votes to Califonria-n women, there has arisen the Californian Equal Suffrage Association— body which is always mapping out, a list of badly-needed reforms that it calls on women to see carried through. These deal with the desirability of the making of better laws in regard to ehikl I labour and the white slave traffic, a I broader basis of education for women in schools and colleges, etc. •'LADY ADVERTISEMENTS."' The lady ''animated advertisement"' is the latest boulevard novelty in Pari?. The other afternoon an attractive- j looking girl, wearing a smartly cut tailor made costume, patent leather shoes, and, a large fashionable hat. appeared on the boulevard smoking a cigarette. In her hand she carried a riding whip. A large crowd gathered as she continued her walk along the boulevard until she j reached a shop in which she disappeared. Emerging a moment after, she an- j nounced to the crowd iv a clear voice that admittance was free. DISADVANTAGE* OK THE FLAT. " Flats are never homes," was a verdict—to which many, with experience ot both flats and houses, will heartily agree—given last, month by Mrs. Thos. Edison, wife of the great inventor. She holds no uncertain views as to the mistakes of the age in which she lives, and her advice to girls is, in a nutshell, that they should get all the education they can. have an ideal and live up to itand never consent to live in a Hat! Both men and women should spend .as much of their lives in the open as possible, and should eat more simplyprepared dishes. The whole of modern life, Mrs. Edison thinks, is too complex. It is unwholesome, and therefore it isn't good. A CONGRESS OF MOTHERS. There was held in Massachussefcts, some weeks ago. a Congress of Mothers, and the American papers, which liave just arrived, give interesting accounts of the great work being done, for mothers by mothers. Perhaps their greatest piece of work was the present* '. tion of a petition, on the hearing of the widowed mothers' pension bill at the j State House asking the appointment of a commission to study the advisability of contributions by the Commonwealth for the support of widows with depend .Tit children. It is proposed that the commission consist of one woman and two other members, who will investigate the subject, and report to the Genera! Court on or before January Bth, next yea r. Out of many cases the following was cited, viz., that of a mother with five. little children left destitute on the ilaatll of her hti.sband. She had to ask aid from the Stiitp. but all they did was to tak* her children from her. putting her littl.'i five-months' haby to board with ati oIH I woman in a. tenement district, so that it I died from ill-veirtilation. i

The maintenance of the children, the mother pleaded, was <-o<=tin!r the State 40/ a month more than she herself could manage ie for if she might be their guard- : ian herself. The secretary of the State board was. however, unable to grant her request, and the (onerress of Mother-; is no-rT trying u> help all destitute mothers in a like predicament. COURT PRESENTATIONS. There is some humour in a detail of the arrangements made for this year's receptions at Buckingham Palace* To | many who attend these royal assemblages the ceremonial movements often appear slow to the. point of tedium, and >»bviou«ly if they were accelerated a larger number of presentations could be effected in the time available on each I 'occasion. The Ixml Chamberlain and his assistants, after a. strategical survey of the position, have agreed that tho way to save time is to curtail the ladies' trains. So an official order has gone forth--and early «nough to preclude a panic among the fashionable dressmakers—thai all court trains must be shortened by no less than .1 yard. It I was estimated that the change would; M-cure a saving of at least hall'-an-hour at each reception; but ■when the King ! and Queen heird of it they decided, i while approving of the new order, th-it j j in.-tcad of availing themselves of the I economy in time they would have the in- ! vitation list extended and devote the I spare half-hour in receiving a larger number of guests. This is agreeable I news to many ladir- who might otherI wise have failed to '■'■cure a presentation !at court before the close of the season, as ! the number of request* made through j the Lord Chainlierlain for invitations is ! much larger than usual. Thongh the i new dress retrulst.iriri was not generally ! anticipated, it wa» submitted Ui cheer- ■ fully enough. It is acconipanieil by in- ■ st.ructions which mark i , welcome dp- ' partirre from the graceless narrow gown. and leave the wiy onen for an immediate ) return to mere rational styles. I i WOMEN TO ASSIST TERRITORIAL j RKCRL'ITIXG. j A novel idea has been hit upon by ! despairing recruiting sergeants in King- ! ston-on-TTianves. where there is a shortj age of nearly a hundred and fifty men lin the ranks of the Territorials—a ! scheme that, holds in it more than one 1 temptation to amusement on the •part of 1 the fair pleaders. [ The colonel and officers of the, sth [ Battalion East Surrey Regiment a few j days ago issued the following invita.I lion : —

"In order to encourage local interests in the recruiting movement during the special recruiting week, the officers of the nth Battalion East Surrey Regiment invite all ladies of the neighbourhood to wear recruiting favours during that period.' .

And. as an additional inducement, a pair of gloves was promised to every lady bringing in a recruit.

The invitation has been enthusiastically accepted, and since Saturday, ladies with saucy tricolour ribbons have been hard at work all over Kingston. Stirbiton. Tolworth. and the Dittons. beating up recruits. It is reported that many pairs of cloves have been earned. Entertainments an' being held every evening in the hope of attracting volunteers, and it is significant that the lady recruiting officers were asked to lv> present at a smoking concert, on Wednesday. The same idea seems to have struck the commanding officer of the Use.*?: Koval Horse. Artillery, since he is al.-o holding a special recruiting week at Colchester, and i- appealing to the ladies to assist liim. The week will eon-1 dude with en invitation smoking concert on Saturday night, when the Mayor of Colchester and others will speak, and at which ladies.are invited to-be pr» agoW - — - r^_^_—^___