SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 252, 17 July 1908, Page 5

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Mr. and Mrs. S..M. ,Luxford, .of Palmerston North, left yesterday on a trip to the Pacific Islands. Mr. and Mrs.'John Blriridoll loft Wellington. yosterday., for. Auckland to join tho Tofua,.which, sails, for the South Sea'lslands on July 21!.- '." ' .On Wednesday Mrs. F. W. Mackenzie gave a-small luncheon party in. honour of Lady Stout, who is paying a short visit to Wellington .before sho returns to Auckland. The luncheon tablo was very prottily decorated ivitlj daffodils. Mrs. Mackenzio wore a whito silk .blouse with .' skirt of joalo pink clath, whilo Lady Stout was in a tawiv. tailor-mado costume . and wide black and; white hat with tufted .feathers. ■ Tho other ■ guests • wero Mesdames Brandon, Fell, Itussell, and Kendall, and Drs. Agues Bennett and PlattsMills.'. ] .; .. • Mrs! is staying with Mrs: Mackenzie.,' .-V _At tho Congregational Church', Palmerston North, on Wednesday, Mr. Harold G. Tonks, .youngest son of Mr.. W. Tonks, of Wellington, iva's married to Miss Ethel 'May. Martin,. of Palmerston .North. The'service was fully choral, and tho Rev. ; Mr. Hurd. officiated. Tho bride wore 1 a. dainty frock', of'.white embroidered muslin trimmed with 1 lace;, with a bridal wreath and. veil. Miss Lena Tonks, sister of the-.bridegroom, who acted as bridesmaid, ;wore a.-frock of pale blue delaine, trimmed with vglace silk. and lace, and a'pale blue felt hat with white plumes.' ■ ' Mr. G. Sutherland,/of; Wellington, .was >best man. After the wedding the bridal party.and guests, adjourned 'to Mrs. Rawlins's;; tea - rooms, whore the wedding breakfast was. held. Later on Mr. .and Mrs Tonks left , for their future: homo in Hamilton. : On Tuesday afternoon tho Rev. T. G. and Mrs. Kay, of Wadostown, gave an informal little tea at tho Hotel Windsor' to several members,of the;. Synod who still remained in town. ' Among'their guests were Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Dean, from Wanganui, Rev. Mr. arid Mrs.; Watson (Masterton), Mrs. T. F. Martin .and Miss Martin, Hovs. '• Messrs. Isaacson, Davys, ,R. Young, and Sikes, with Messrs.' .Jacoh,'Kebhell, and' Wheelen • It!was arranged .that tho, women's meeting ofthis ' afternoon.;in connection with the" Maori Congress was to bo hold at'the Hotel Windsor at 2.30, but it has boon thought bettor to' fix tho hour for .3 o'clock; and to hold the meeting at : the : Y.M.C.A. 'Room; Upper Willis Street. /■The Free Kindergarten Council has invited the, women . delegates attending . the Maori .Congress to. visit the Free Kindergarten in tno Anglican Mission Hall, Taranaki .Street, this < morning, and watch tho children at their lessons. ' , ; /. Invitations have been issued by Mrs. Harold Beauchamp' for -an- " At Home" on' Tuesday, July 21; ' ' ' ■ The .wedding of Mr. S. E. Cooper and Miss :E. Elson, both of Masterton, was solemnised' in St. Matthew's Church, Masterton, on; Monday -last, by the. Rev. Mr. Watson. MAORI GIRLS FOR DOMESTIC SERVICE. . Lady, Stout's plea' fori-tho. more .general training' arid employment >of Maori girls as , domestic , servants, in Pakeha homes, is ing much' 'discussed just .now, and it, is evident that there aro two opinions on tho subject.-'' Ther'o'are no; two opinions .'about' the valuo' of domestio training. It. is recognised, that this .is 'even-'more.'.essential.for. the Maori girl than fpr;tho young European. Speaking generally,'.! tho English girl .will do well if-she has enough .'domestic knowledge to' enablo: her to maintain audi iincrease'. in certain ■ minor details- the • comfort which' she - hast been' brought: up. Tho Maori girl has to be taught;to'/create for, herself an .environment; of comfort. , v Sho .has to' liavo implanted -in';h6r -those'ideals for domestic lifo .that'her English sister is' by courtesy supposed to inherit, and herico it is necessary that ■ she 1 should , receive a very thorough training in housewifely arts.' The 1 four .'colleges' to which reference was made yesterday,.aro already doing excellent .work; in this -respect, .and it must' be borne. iri;miiid that'what Lady Stout suggests is an extension of-their good work, together with, an of tho . field of : labour in which the well-trained Maori girl may find employment' arid;, further practical training'. It is stated that,,given;such wider opportunities, 'the. Maori, girls would becomo better fitted to-be'wives aiid mothers, and homemakers, and. that .they would.be -enabled;-'to thko.'a very'important and intelligent part in the'preservation and advancement of:' , the Maori race.; *'•' ■ V,', ' \ ■ Many; of; the Maoris . havo given their.' w.armest approval to Lady .StoutJs - proposal, and a number of those Maori girls who havo taken -service'-' .in Auckland' havo been " delighted, with the .'suggestions., Also, some of tho leading representatives,at .the Congress have expressed their".'opinion that .Maori girls.would bp willing to enter European service. So far good, but on the other hand people who: havo known the Maoris well . declare , that they would: consider such servitude humiliating, and would bo far too 1 proud to take service' with the -pakeha. Dr. Pomare, speaking at the Congress on Wednesday, expressed himself very strongly on this point. Maori girls wero already suffering from one disability,, that of colour, lio said, and they wore adding to it another, that of servitude; ■ A certain suggestion of inferiority always attached to servitude, and he wont on to ask whether tho Maori girls who entered pakeha households would be allowed to eat at the samo table with their employers, and whether a distinction would be made. And he asked, further, why the Europeans wore desirous of, taking Maori girls 'as servants? Was.it no't becauso tliero was a dearth of European-servants ? ".I think this ,is a case of one for tho Maori and two for the pakeha,". said another ; man, when asked^for his opinion. "Thero aro all sorts of difficulties in the way, and the'mattev requires very careful attention," said a lady doubtfully. "I am not at all sure that it would answer." ' -.' "In my opinion," said a'pessimist, "it is very seldom one comes across a mistress who treats her English maid with any degree of fairness or respect,, and 1 don't think a Moari girl would be likely to faro better. She would pro'baibly feel her humiliation more than the English; girl,_ who is prepared for the treatment she receives." ' - ' Most of the women'who have discussed the proposals do. so very-doubtfully, acknowledging that Maori girls may in many cases make excellent sorvants, but-questioning the advisability of encouraging thorn wholesale to enter domestic service. Let.them be trained by all means; say these critics, but. let them put .their training, to account among their own'people, and if they want to find occupations, hold out to thorn a prospect of something that will'develop their faculties better than so'rvicc 'for people of'another race.