CURRENT NOTES

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25740, 28 February 1949, Page 2

CURRENT NOTES

When the Minister of Rehabilitation. Mr C. F. Skinner, and Mrs Skinner celebrated their silver wedding anniversary last week, they were entertained at Parliament House by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) and members of the Cabinet. On behalf of his colleagues. Mr Fraser presented Mrs Skinner with a necklace of paua shell and silver, and Mr Skinner with a gold-mounted pen.

Mrs I. L. M. Coop (Dominion vicepresident of the W.D.F.F.) and Mrs G. W. Fairweather (a member of the advisory committee) returned to Christchurch on Saturday after a tour of branches on the West Coast. They opened a new branch of the division at Charleston, where the members are all young women and they visited branches at Westport, Karamea, where members of the Mokihinui-Nikau branch were also present. Inangahua Junction. Ikamatua, Koiterangi, and Kokatahi. On the return journey to Canterbury, through the Lewis Pass. Mrs Coop and Mrs Fairweather were guests at a pleasant gathering of the Maruia Women’s Division, which is under the Nelson Provincial district. At this meeting, attended by 26 women, about eight new settlers to the district were receiving a warm welcome from the residents.

The appointment of Mr and Mrs Francis Bate and Mr Maurice A. Till, of Christchurch, as the first members of the University of Otago Trio has created much interest among music lovers in Dunedin. The members of the trio have begun preparing a repertoire of chamber music while they are still in Christchurch. They will arrive in Dunedin soon and are expected to make their first public appearance in April. Miss Winifred McQuilkan, former principal of Columba Girls’ College and writer of a number of books for children, was married in Dunedin last week to Dr. Graham Hall, resident medical officer of the Dunedin Puolic Hospital. Dr. and Mrs Hall left Wellington by the Dominion Monarch on Saturday for England. Miss C. M. McLay (Dominion Maori organiser) was elected Dominion president of the W.C.T.U. at the Dominion convention held this month in Timaru. This was announced at a meeting of the Christchurch branch of the union, at which the president (Miss C. Henderson) presided. It was decided to send temperance literature to the Maori Girls’ College, Ferry road.

An outstanding Christian leader in social reform anad peacemaking. Miss Muriel Lester, will arrive in Auckland to-morrow to make a six weeks’ lecture tour of New Zealand. Miss Lester, with her sister, Miss Doris Lester, was co-founder of Kingsley Hall, a community centre in the most crowded and poverty-stricken area in the East of London. Later she was chairman of the maternity and welfare committee of Poplar Borough, in the depression years when it pioneered municipal social services in Britain and gained an all-London legislation whereby the weight of relief was taken off the poor boroughs solely and distributed among all London local bodies. Miss Lester will visit Christchurch in April.

Businesswomen and men in Auckland are showing appreciation of amenities recently established at the Parnell baths on Auckland's eastern waterfront. A cafeteria has been opened at the baths with seats, tables, and gaily-coloured umbrellas placed along the edge of the water. AiTer a quick ride to the baths workers in city offices and shops can have a swim, buy a drink and sandwiches at the cafeteria, and eat their lunch in pleasant surroundings. The serving of lunch at tha baths has been responsible for a big increase in business. The ladies* championship bowling tournament will be officially opened at the Linwood green, Stanmore road, to-morrow, at 8.50 a.m. The tournament will be played on nine greens, the use of which has been given by the men’s bowling clubs, and 56 rinks and 106 pairs have entered the competition. Visitors from the West Coast, the North Island, and South Canterbury will take part in the tournament, which will continue until Friday. Mrs Robert C. Murphy (New York), who has been the guest of Mrs L. W. McCaskill. Fendalton, has arrived in Invercargill on her way to Milford Sound. Later she will visit the fiordland expedition.

The first Friday of Lent, which will fall this year on March 4. is recognised by Christian women in 70 countries of the world as a day set apart for prayer. The day of prayer had its inception in the United States in 1887 and it gradually grew until many countries joined in. The idea was adopted in New Zealand in 1927. As a result of lhe work done by her branch of the Countrywomen’s Association of New South Wales in raising funds to build new seaside homes, Mrs J. M. Gordon, of Burren Junction, New South Wales, arrived in Auckland by the Monowai to spend six weeks’ holiday in New Zealand. This was the prize offered by the Countrywomen’s Association of New South Wales to the branch which raised the most money on a per capita basis. Mrs Gordon is at present staying at Scotlands, the home in Onehunga run by the Women's Division of Federated Farmers as a rest home for farmers’ wives.

Mrs Guy Williams (Wairarapa), formerly the leading woman golfer in New Zealand, who left for England last year, plans to return by the Dominion Monarch in September. An amusing description of a conference of the Associated Countrywomen of the World, held in Washington in 1936, was given in Christchurch by Miss Elsie Zimmern, of London, a past secretary and chairman of the Associated Countrywomen, when she was visiting Canterbury. At the invitation of womens’ organisations and the Department of Agriculture about 200 delegates from many different countries arrived in Washington for the conference. Before they arrived, inspectors of the Department of Agriculture on their rounds had invited countrywomen to attend the conference as visitors. The result was stag gering. Seven thousand women, representing every State in the union, arrived at the congress. Many had to be accommodated in holiday and motor camps. “I think they came to see what we looked like and to inquire if we knew any of their relatives in the Countries from which we came,” said Miss Zimmern. “It was also rumoured that Mrs Roosevelt would give a garden party at the White House for those attending the congress and many felt it would be a good opportunity to visit the President’s home. Mrs Roosevelt gave the party and all enjoyed themselves, although no refreshments were provided.” In Canada, the interest in the visitors was almost as great. There 4000 women accepted a general invitation to meet about 50 of the delegates who were interested in the work of women’s institutes. On that occasion, lunch was provided for all.