WOMEN IN PRINT'

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 83, 6 October 1915, Page 9

WOMEN IN PRINT *„-^3^^^^

Packing of the most energetic description -went on yesterday afternoon at the Pioneer Club, and at "Miss Coates's residence in Hobson-sfcreet, where gifts for soldiers at the front had been collected. The club is sending three cases, and the Victoria. League girls two. The girls had made sufficient bags *or their presents to be sorted in groups, so that each soldier would get fourteen articles in a bag ready packed. Many letters were written and enclosed, each one wondering what her particular hero was like in appearance. The girls wish to thank Mr. and Mrs. Cbull for a generous present of enough writing blocks for the company of soldiers, the covers being printed with '" A Present from the Victoria League Girls." The two cases are to be sent to B Company, sth Reinforcements. A gift tea, to- collect goods for the annual sale of work in St. Paul's parish was held in the Sydney-street room yesterday afternoon. The attendance was not quite so good as usual, but a number of gifts were received, and the flower stall, in charge of Miss Brandon and Miss Price, was very successful. Mrs. Warren* Mrs. Knowles, and Mrs. Badham received gifts for the jumble stall, and afternoon tea was in charge of Mrs. Bevan and Mrs. Bayfield. The proceeds from the sale of home-made cakes, etc., exceeded the amount received at the last gift tea. A wool-winding competition caused much amusement, and was won by Miss Morton, and the second, in which the competitors had to tear a pig out of brown paper, was decided by vote, and was won by Mrs. D. Anderson. Mrs. E. Anderson and other ladies provided music during the afternoon. The sale of work organised by the Sailors' Friend Society yesterday was a great success in every way. Mrs. Williams declared the sale open, and added that there was a danger of the men of the sea being forgotten in the demands of to-day. Yet as they carried our troops and conveyed our produce from our shores they too should share in our hospitality. The Chairman (Mr. W. Allan), Mr. Renner (secretary), and the missioner spoke with keenness on the work. In the evening various things were sold for -the benefit of the work and the Sick and Wounded Soldiers' Fund. An entertainment was provided, through the kindness of Miss Stainnand and her pupils, who gave clever exhibitions of dumb-bell "and Swedish drill, etc. At the close a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the performers. The stallholders were : Mesdames Thirkell, Colpus, Moore, Baker, Johanson, Dunn, Hunt. Glover, Coulby, and Mason, Misses Kreeft, Morrah, Fulton, Thirkell, Boyd, M. Skatchard, Legge, Fraser, Brand (2), P. Baker, Fulton, S. Baker, Grey, L. Scatchard, Colby, Smith, Veal, Mueller, and Nurse Morris, Messrs. Sorrensen, Colpus, Brocklbank, Staples, Oram, Dunn, Cogdale, Sproule, Tidyman, Baker, Galloway, and Sergeant Dent. Mrs. Manning and Miss Douglass, of Sydney, are at present visiting Rotorua, accompanied by Mrs. G. Richards, of Ghuznee-street. Mrs. Maher, matron of the Addington" Prison for Females, laid down her keys of office last week, and retired into private life after thirty-two years of continuous service as a prison matron in New Zealand. Mrs. Maher joined the service in 1883, when she was appointed assistant matron at Addington Prison. Mis 3 Rothenberg, hon. secretary and treasurer of the Pioneer Club Christmas Box Fund for Soldiers, wishes to thank all those who kindly sent money or goods. The response was a very generous one, and the three big cases are full of most acceptable Christmas fare and other presents. The packing was done by Mesdames Mackenzie and Leicester, and Misses King and Stott. Mrs. Coleridge wishes to thank the Kelburn ladies who have sent cakes, etc., to the Soldiers' Rooiii, in Sydney-street, and to ask them to send again on Friday next, as it is the Kelbnrn evening. Miss Gladys Nathan leaves for Rotorua to-day. An Australian, writer enters into the subject of the cost of living in England, and . gives some interesting details as follows : — "Good gracious ! It was not until a friend, writing from England on. the subject of the high cost of living there, and how dreadfully uppish prices are, that I discovered the appalling prices thai reign here. Food is so extremely uninteresting to me, and not being the housekeeper, it never enters 'my head to enquire about prices, but now I am intensely interested from the point- of view of national economics. With everything steadily rising, what is going to happen next? And will prices ever, ever, go down again? Anyway, at present it is cheaper to go and live in England. There a 41b loaf is 7|d ; fresh butter, Is 3£d per 1b ; cheese, lOid (and they call that dear) ; bacon, Is, and so on. Coal is 32s a ton for the very best, and we have been paying 36s for some time. With our 41b loaf at 9d, butter coming down now, but at 2s 4d for ever so long ; cheese, at Is 6d, and bacon at Is Bd, the English people who areamazed at the height of their foodstuff prices seem in comparison with out prices to be living for a mere song." To-morrow afternoon, at 2.45, Mies Spinney, will give the last of her dramatic recitals at the Masonic Hall, Boulcott-street. She will give the "'Trojan Women," a particularly beautiful theme, and full of interest at the present time. Miss Spinney will also illustrate a number of poses from the figures on Greek vases, which will bo accompanied by flute music. The entertainment is being given in aid of the fund for Servian women and children. The monthly meeting of the Women's Social and Political League, held last evening, was well attended. Lady Ward presided. Regret was expressed at the absence of the secretary, Mrs. Moore, owing to illness. A handsome hand-painted cushion was presented by Madame Sinclair, to be sold for the benefit of the fnnd for wounded soldiers. It was decided that the next meeting be a social evening for members and friends, and it will be the last meeting of the year. The parlour of the poor family, for so long a holy of holies, has had its day, at any rate in the model suburb that is being erected on the Prince of Wales's estate in Kensington. The designers have courageously resolved to build cottages with kitchen, scullery, and bedrooms, but with no parlour. Reformeri of housing experte have agitated for years against the existence of the rarelyused parlour in houses that were laments ably overcrowded. The percentage of men rejected ITy the recruiting authorities is now making the nation realise vividly the connection between housing and health. It is hoped that the small house of the future will have a goodsized scullery, with a gas stove, a decently large living room, and two or three bedrooms. The Local Government Board has recognised that the parlour is often a superfluous room. In their memorandum oti th« provision of boiusa* for the woWrWA clas6tta.tjiax.--iav6.nva akfts^ model

, types. In three of these there is a living room and scullery, but no parlour. It remains to be seen, however, whether the wise plans of housing reformers will not be wrecked by the intense conservatism of the British housewife, to whom the immaculately tidy parlour, in which the family is scarcely ever allowed to set its feet, is an emblem of respectability, and hence one of those luxuries that are more valued than most necessaries.