CURRENT NOTES

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26119, 23 May 1950, Page 2

CURRENT NOTES

Mr and Mrs R. W. Morgan (Cashmere Hills) will leave Christchurch next week for a visit to Sydney and Melbourne. They intend to return to New Zealand about the middle of July.

Mr Michael Miles, who is on the staff of the 8.8. C., and Mrs Miles, who are spending a few days in Christchurch, will leave to-morrow for Wellington. They intend to leave the Dominion about the middle of June, and will spend about three months in Australia and a few months in South Africa, before returning to London.

Miss Eileen Nutt (Papanui road), who on Saturday won the South Canterbury women’s golf championship, returned to Christchurch on Sunday. Miss M. Corkill. matron of the Nurse Maude District Nursing Association, in her annual report, to be presented at the annual meeting next week, records changes in staff during the year. Nurse E. E. Browne retired after 15 years of' loyal service with the association. Nurse D. Spencer was granted a year's leave of absence to do nursing work overseas; Nurse H. J. Baxter transferred to the Child Welfare Department, and Misses Margaret Horgan and Romola Bunt joined the association’s staff. “I doubt if in any other country a stranger would receive such kindness,” said Mr Michael Miles, an official of the 8.8. C., yesterday, when he was describing an incident that occurred on his arrival in New York. As soon as he landed, he telephoned for rooms in an hotel in the city, but was refused. He met two dockers on the wharf, who asked what his trouble I was. He explained. One said: “I’ll ring the Red Cross,” and in spite of Mr Miles’s protests that he had no ' claim on the Red Cross, the docker • carried out his suggestion. Very soon smart Red Cross girl drivers arrived at the ship’s side and said they would take him and his fellow passengers to hotels. Mr Miles, greatly relieved, wondered what tip he should give the

helpful dockers. He decided to give them five dollars. But they said, “That is too much,” and handed back two dollars. In the annual report of the Nurse Maude District Nursing Association Trust Board, the chairman (Sir R. Heaton Rhodes) writes: “We are very pleased to report that Mrs J. Ferrier has consented to become a member of the committee, as has also Mrs J. H. Blakelock, who is the wife of the local Medical Officer of Health. We feel that our committee will be greatly strengthened by the addition of those two members. Mr H. W. Saundercock has replaced Mr V. C. Lawn as one of the representatives of the North Canterbury Hospital Board on the committee. It is with sincere regret that we have to announce the resignation of Lady Acland. She has been an indefatigable worker for the association for very many years. Mr R. C. Jamieson, whose death occurred while he was on his way to England, will also be missed from the committee.” The Friends of St. Helens have continued their useful work during the year, providing clothing and comforts for those patients who enter the hospital badly equipped. The annual report of the association acknowledges receipt of parcels of baby clothes from the Mount Pleasant Women’s Institute. and from the Federation of Congregational Women, and records that additional china had been bought for the use of patients. The library service had been continued, and Christmas gifts had been provided for mothers and babies in hospital. In addition, members had helped with the sale of health stamps and had raised money with which to send food parcels overseas. Mr G. Brown presided over a good attendance at the May meeting of the Belfast Garden Club in the R.S.A. Hall. For the members Mr Brown presented Mrs A. J. Smith with an attractive floral basket, made by Mrs

D. Bisman (vice-president), in appreciation of her work as secretary. Mr L. J. Mawson, secretary of the Canterbury Chrysanthemum Society, gave an interesting address on the early history and the culture of the chrysanthemum. Mr Manson judged the various competitions, which resulted as follows: specimen chrysanthemum. Mr S. Gower 1. Mrs Gower 2. Mrs D. Lisman 3; bowl of chrysanthemums. Mrs Gower 1. Mrs G. Salt 2, Mrs E. Crundwell 3: silverbeet, Mrs Crundwell 1. Mrs Harrold 2. Mrs A. J. Smith 3: onions. Mrs B. Johns 1. Mrs Harrold 2, Mrs Crundwell 3; potatoes, Mr S. Clare 1. Mrs Harrold 2. Mr W. McFaddcn 3. The hostesses for the evening were Mcsdames Salt, Dennis and Phillips. The Friends of St. Helens, besides attending to Ihe needs of St. Helens Hospital in Christchurch, its staff and patients, send much help to individuals and associations overseas. Under 1 the Save the Children fund they sponsor two displaced children in Europe, they continue to send food parcels to patients and former patients of Queen Charlotte Hospital and to the Soldiers’. Sailors’, and Airmen’s Families Association in Glasgow. More than 100 parcels were sent overseas last year, according to the annual report. On February 26 a son was born to Dr. and Mrs Spencer, the New Zealand doctor and his nurse-wife at Rewi Alley’s Bailie School atSandan, Northwest China. The boy, Michael, is the first European baby to be born there. The Bailie School boys built the Gung Ho Hospital at Sandan two years ago for Dr. and Mrs Spencer and it is still the only place where medical help can be obtained in the whole of the Sandan Hsicn. The hospital operates a free clinic where the school boys are trained as nurses and “surgeon’s assistants” and where nearly 100 patients receive treatment every after-

noon. Two musical artists well known in Now Zealand, Miss Isobel Baillie (soprano) and Mr S. Wainwright Morgan (pianist), have been injured in an accident in Germany. They were walking through the streets of Dusseldorf, during a concert tour in Western Gerwhen a motor-car mounted a footpath and ran them down. Both were taken to hospital. Mr Morgan suffered a fractured pelvis and other injuries and Miss Baillie suffered head lacerations and concussion. Both are reported to be progressing favourably. Mr Morgan was well known in Christchurch before he went overseas. He. with bis English wife, returned to Christchurch after the war. but decided to make their home in England and left for London towards the end of last year. Women’s hairdressing salons at East London. South Africa, report that they arc being plagued by men seeking beauty aids. Men are having their hair set in permanent waves and get regular manicures, and are reported to be constantly pestering perfumecounter assistants for beauty aids and hints on how to use them. Men’s hairdressers do not cater for East Lon - don's males, and it is left to women’s establishments to aid these men. At one stage during the war business was so good that, one women’s salon provided special facilities for men. Velvet has become an all-the-year-round fabric in Paris. One designer, Rochas, combines it with faille for a coat or uses it alone for a cocktail dress. Dior uses it for picture ha Is and elbow length gloves to wear with sleeveless chiffon garden party dresses, while Fath lines a black taffeta coat with black velvet to make an ensemble with the slender-line dress. A noveltv in Fath’s collection is a group of short evening dresses in different coloured nets. They have full pleated skirts which reach to mid-calf and have embroidered motifs on strapless corsages. The newest, gloves are shouldei’ length and richly embroidered in jewel tones.