SOCIAL AND' PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 71, 17 December 1919, Page 4

SOCIAL AND' PERSONAL

Mrs. Hnwhvicko Smith is visiting Christchurch. Mrs. .Tacksou Palmer has returned from a visit to Christchurch. Mrs. and Miss Dklsbury are leaving towords Ihe end of the weak for Alfrcdton to stay with Mr. and Mrs. H. Didsbury. Miss Ewart is visiting Christchurch. The annual prize-giviing in connection with St. Peters Sunday Schools took nliico on Monday evening at St. Peter's Hall in the presence of a large gathering of scholars and their parents. The prizes iroro distributed by the Veil. Archdeacon TI. Watson, vicar "of the parish, and a short musical programme, which was contributed to by St. Peter's choir boys and others, was presented.

. The District Nursing Guild of St. John gave a dolightful party at St. Peter's Mission Hall (by permission of the Rev. T. Fielder-Taylor) to the children of patients. There "was a large gathering of very cheerful guests, who thoroughly enjoyed tlio Christmas tree and its gifts, and the tea party 'which followed. Thoso who were not able to attend wero not forgotten, for presents were sent to them ns well. Tho district nurses and members of committee attended, to the littlo guests and a very happy time for all concerned was spent.

Mrs. Louisa Snelson, -who ivas known ns tho "Mother of Palmerston North," died at Wnngariui on Monday morning.

The death took'place in Wellington on Sunday of Miss Lorna M'Lean, orly daughter of Major and Mrs. W. H. M'Lean. of Wanganui, both of whom at the present time are absent in England.

Another of New Zealand's pioneers died in Auckland last 'week in the person of Mrs. Ellen Irvine, nelict'of tho'lnte Captain ,T. C. Irvine, of Howick. The deceased lady was tho daughter of the lato Dr. Francis Cotton, of Dublin, and sister-, in-law of the Rev. Dr. F. F. Carmiehael, one- of Ireland's finest preachers, who died recently. Mrs. Irvine camo to NewZealand in the early 'sixties. She leaves threo daughters-Mrs. M. C. 'fully, of Parnell, Mrs. P. Ponsonby Peacocks, of Rcmuera, and Miss J. Minehin Franklyn, of Epsom.

A eatlierinz of the lady sur.erintondont. sisters, and nurses of the Cook Hosnital. Gisbome, was held, at the Nurses' Homo last week' to farewell Sistors Tarlton and M'llray, who, after a lengthy neriod of service on the hospital staff, have Tosisned. Durinpr the course of the evening the departing sisters were m'esentea'with a set of pold studs each. Air. and Mrs. W. D. Fisher, who are leaving Cinrevillc, were entertained last week at a. farewell social. Duriiifr the evening Mr. W. B. Allen, on behalf of 'the residents of the district, made a presentation to the guests of the occasion, as ■a loken of Ihe esteem in which they were held, and oxoressed the general regret which was felt at their coming departure for Strr.nva'r. Mondny, September 13, was'the irolden wedding of Sir Thomas and Lady Hewitt, who were married at Eversley Church bv Charles Kingsley on September 13. '1869.

Wedding in St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral. Tho marriage took place very quietly yesterday afternoon iu St. Paul's ProCathedral of Miss Beryl Townsend, daughter of Mrs. Townsend. of Roxburgh j Street, Wellington, to Captain G. Lomax Stedman, I?oval Air Force, son of Mr. and Mrs.' Stedman;' of Auckland. The ccremonv was per/ormed by tho Ven. Archdeacon Johnson. Tho bride wore a charming frock of white georgette with corsage and deep hem on tho skirt of beautiful old laco. Her veil of French net was fastened to tho head with orange blossoms, and she carried a sheaf of lilies. ' Miss Gwynneth Miliar was the only bridesmaid, and wore a very pretty frock of maize ninon with wide corsage of velvet in a deeper shade. Her large picture bat- was trimmed with maize tulle and velvet, and she carried a bouquet of deep cream-coloured tea roses. The best man was Captain K. L. Stewart, of tho New Zealand Staff Corps, and th" groomsman Lieutenant Ti, Stedman, R.A.F. ■ After tho ceremony Mrs. Townsend, who was wenr.usr a'black silk eostimio and black hat trimmed with mauve, entertained the wedding party 'and a few intimate friends'at her homo in Roxburgh Street. Later in Hie day Captain and Mrs. Stedman left for Rotorna, the latter travelling.in a navy blue' serge costume and largo blue picture lint, ■ Annual Concert of the Porirua School. The breaking-up concei't held in the Porirua Hall proved a most successful one from all standpoints-. Choruses, dialogues, recitations and songs were rendered by the children, who by the excellent manner in which they nerformed their parte amply, repaid their teachers for the labour and patience expended in training them. A pleasing feature of the evening was tho presentation of tho proficiency certificates won by tho scholars of tho Sixth Standard, by the chairman (Mr. B. Windlcy). Out of sixteen scholars who sat fourteen gained •the full certificate, this being a record for tho school and reflecting great credit •on the headmaster (Mr. W. D. Bennett). A hearty vote- of thanks was nccorded the teachers and Miss Dear, who accom. panied for the concert. A dance was held afterwards, Misses Dear and Whitchonso being the accompanists. Luckv War Babes. . Risim: clear • above the roof-tops tho smoke and tho ground fogs of London, its seven-storied structure dwarfing every other building on the mrfiision-covered crest of Campden Hill, W., is Tower Cressv. tho babies' new refuge from the nerils of want and the other social evils, states a London exchange. It is the home of an Empiro movement which has no uolilics except those which spring, from a ereat heart and a clear vision of the simnle, human needs of tho age. In its siwciotis. airy, and sun-bathed rooms is heard the sweetest music in the world —the crooning and gurgling of infants. For tho most part orphans of the war, or tho semi-derelict offsprings of its impulsive passions, these babes are now the temporary proteges of the National Children's, Adoption .'Association, 9 Sloane Street.. TV., the committee of which comprises -bishops, peeresses and their daughters, ano' members of Parliament They ore broucht to this paradise of childhood to await entry into homos, in most cases more comfortable than thoso from which tliev sprang. By Hie end of the vear tho association, which is receiving more applications for orphans than it can meet, hopes to havo place:! GOO children in the homes of families with whom tliev will, as tested by' inquiry, roceivo tho best of care. Tho war has awakened wido sympathies among tho childless wealthv and tho middle ciass for the ornfiancd children, alio' wero it not for tho privacy with which all cases are nocessnrilv treated, somo very interesting revelations could bo made as the extent to which families of means are adoptinc them. Some have been made heirs and heiresses of childless couples. Women on tho Bench. "I feel convinced that tho administration of the law would gain, and gain in-enllv, by tho addition of women of proved capacity and judgment to the letch," said Mr. Herbert Samuel, speakiiH at a mooting at Kensington, Palace Gardens in support of the appointment of women «s Justices of the 1 eacc. More the war, ho said, there had been each year 50,000 women and girls tried by courts of summary jurisdiction. In flic juvenile courts the presence of wemen on tho Bench would Ix> most, desirable. ' "Wo havo reached a tsmo, .ho added, "when tho burden of proof lies rather on thoso who would rofuso qualification than on thoso who propose it. - "Daily News."

Overworked Nurses, , I The movement everywhere for enforcins shorter hours of labour has not yet, except in a very limited form, penetrat-. Ed tho lu.fMiitiiis, states tho "DailyNews." -, Men who find a forty-eight-lioni" week too strenuous 'are attended when tliev fall sick by nurses .who are often on duty seventy or eighty hours a week, and rarely, if ever, have a whole dav off a week. "Their hours are much too long," .Mrs. Bedford Fcmvick, president of tho National Council of Trained Nurses, said to a representative of the "Daily News":—"lt lias been a twelve-hour day and a twelve-hour night, but reccntlv there has been a movement to reduce the hours, and in most of the best hospitals they ar-> being ieduced. There is no doubt that nurses have been the most overworked, underpaid, and least consideiert class in the community, and thev have been terribly exploited. In mv opinion, hospital management is the last remnant of monasticism" Trees Good for Health. Working doctors, according '.to report in the "Daily News," are asking the local council to fell or top all "unnecessary" trees on the ground that they iniuro health by' hindering ventilation, and bv "emitting an injurious carbon dioxido during the night hours." The report has been received with indignation anion? tree-lovers. . The curator of the Royal Botanical Societv was not snrpriseo: when his attention was drawn to the doctors reniiest, because, ho said, a good many medical men hold strange views on the subiect. "But, of course, ho added, "those who have made it a special study know that they are quite wrong. The amount, of oarbonic acid gas given off by trees during tho night is negligible, whiie on tho other hand the amount oi carbonic acta gas inhaled, and of oxygen inhaled, during the day is considerable. Trees if thev are not thick enough to shut out light and air from dwellinghouses, greatly improve the health ot a district." ' , Tho same view was taken by Mr. it. .1. FroKbrook, superintendent of the Parks Department of the Ley ton Urban District Council, who has made a life-long hobbv of tree-planting. Largely owing In Mr. Frosbrook's enthusiasm, no fewoi than 12.0(10 trees have been planted in tho Lovton urban district, during the past twelve vears. Sixty miles of public thoroughfares have been planted with trees, such as plane, lime, elmn, mouutnin ash. Maple, and sycamore, since he first came to Lev ton seventeen years ago. "Nothing purifies tho atmosphere like a mowing tree," is. Mr. Frogbrook's opmion "There ore very few people about during the .night, to breaths the small amount of enrbnn dioxide exhaled, whereas the population get tho full tenofit of the davtiiiio exhalation of oxygen. Tn Lovton. tho practice is to plant tin frees from sixteen to eighteen feet away from dwelling-houses, >« on]er I?*, ,0 '"; terfere with the free supply of light and air The general opinion of the community, after more'than a decades exneriencc. is st'-onsrly .in favour of the council's tree-planting policy: