WELCOME HOME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 239, 8 October 1932, Page 15

WELCOME HOME.

A welcome back to 'Auckland took place yesterday afternoon in the lounge of the Lyceum Club for Dr. Hilda Northcroft, who has been travelling in Europe, for the last 12 months. The lounge was gay with splendid tulips and anemones in "big brass bowls and with a coral pink bulb massed in the centre of the room. The function was arranged by Mrs. E. A. Sinythe and Mrs. G. H. Wilson presided. In thanking those present for the warmth of their welcome back to Auckland Dr. Northcroft said that she left for Europe by way of the Panama Canal, where she spent a week before proceeding to Tennessee, where she was the guest of Mrs. Lodge, formerly Miss Betty Maeefiekl, a cousin of the poet. Her home was right in the Cumberland mountains and the conditions of the people, often sp6ken of as "poor whites," seemed little altered since the time when they were first brought under the notice of the United [States for their illiteracy. From there she went, to Chicago, where she was the guest of Miss Bertha Van Hoosen, professor of. obstetrics at Loyala University. As the majority of the men doctors in the hospitals had been her pupiljs the New Zealand visitor was present at many intensely interesting demonstrations and cases. Front Chicago she went on to Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal, and then lqft for England, in doing which slio passed through a great storm, when tJio waves ran 70ft high. Fortunately she was a good sailor. Christmas was spent with friends, and then she went to the Five Towns, for she formerly practised in the pottery districts, at Longton, and there she was very interested to notice the difference that had been made by child welfare work. The conditions of the women were very much improved and the children better nourished. With the dole there was an allowance for each-child and in spite of the unemployment she felt that the women and children had better conditions than when she lived in the district.

Dr. Northcroft also went to Vienna, where she was struck by the care of the municipality for the mothers, but the women showed the marks of their privation. .After working in Vienna she returned to England and spent a holiday in Somerset in the early spring,- when the trees were bursting into leaf, the banks yel'c.w with primroses and the dells blue with the wood hyacinth. She had never eeen such a spring and the flowers were heavenly in their beauty. In Shakespeare's country she visited the now theatre at Stratford-on-Avon ajul was struck with the fact that all decoration was kept subservient to the play and everything likely to distract from attention" to the stage was kept out of sight. She felt that this was just such a "theatre as Shakespeare would have approved of. While staying at Criccieth. she was calling on a relative of Mr. Lloyd George and met his wife, and tliey talked about tariffs. Mrs. Lloyd George said that she was sure that the country would not approve eventually. From there the traveller went to Dublin and was there on the day tliaf de Valera came back from the first" conference. The people were very depressed, but before she left their spirits had bounded up again as they said England would not stand up against them. On returning to England she went down to Worcester in a special train to attend the B.M.A.- Conference and all had to get into their lobes and then take part in a procession, which was. a very gay affair with the different colours of the gowns and degrees. They proceeded to the cathedral and afterwards had lunch on the college green. In London she attended the dinner in the Albert Hall,-when two thousand sat down and the Prince of Wales spoke. Next she went to , Edinburgh for the University Federation gathering, at which 575 delegates from 37 nationalities were present. Dr. Northcroft was thanked for her interesting address by Mrs.. Wilson, and after noon tea was served. Amongst those present were:—Mesdames P. J. Crump, Campbell, Alderson, Benton, M. G. Tremain, Firth, A. M. Ferguson, Miller, E. Northcroft, A. Northcroft, Rennick, Jensen . Kerruish, Trevor Bell, Ernest, Gould, Hurst, Walker, Hackett, Jameson Stonex, Donaldson, Braik, G. Massey, Bolitho, Callum, Wynyard, 11. P. Burton and Misses Basten, Ernest, J. Campbell and Barten.