WOMEN IN PRINT.

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 40, 16 August 1916, Page 9

WOMEN IN PRINT.

Miss Rout writes one of her cheerful, practical letters from Tel el Kebir, where she is an energetic helper'at the Soldiers' Club. She sa3's . "We are getting on fine here. We have five large marquees up, and have surrounded the only group of decent trees in the place—it is an oasis for the boys in every way. They throng the place now, and I have no need to send any notices through the camps. Nearly all our New Zealand helpers have returned home, but we have a party of Australians who are very capable 'and cheerful. The cooking has been tho trouble; I have had to do it myself for several weeks, and the weather is distinctly hot! I have stood over huge field boilers making gallons and gallons of blanc mange (the boys are very keen on that), and on Sunday they excelled themselves by eating nine barrelfuls of fruit salad (beer barrels), and two of blanc mange, also a boiler of custard in the afternoon. Thissincluded the evening's provisions, so at S o'clock I made a huge boiler of sago custard, 50 eggs, and a bucketful of sago, half a, cup of vaniila, and water to match. They went through that in twenty-five minutes It was like watching a fire through tussock .... I have some five cooks to help me now, but they may go further afield any time." Miss Rout mentions 200 eggs being "whacked up", in a bath, cocoa in boilerfuls and lots of clearing up, etc., being done, and when she offered thanks to the corporal he said : "Oh, don't thank us; the blokes thought it was Christmas." Miss Rout says: "Heaven knows they need our help badly enough, poor lads. ... I never dreamed six months ago I was -coming half round the world to be a canteen cook, but no work could be more important at the present time, for it certainly does help to keep well men well, and to buck up those who are seedy . . . We have got on finely in the financial sense. I have paid for all the stock and equipment, etc , out of canteen takings, and have not needed to get subscriptions, though if such came along they could bo expended. wisely for the benefit of the soldiers, but we can run without, if needs be. I am practically out of debt, except for 600 cases of fruit, about 30,000 tins, and a ton of cocoa. -This sounds a tremendous lot, but we are using about 2cwt. a week, %'id on Sunday the boys -ate up nearly 1500 tins of fruit, made up into salad. Now I must go anii see if the devourers have this afternoon eaten up all to-night's puddings. X so, another cooking match instanter."

The Victoria League Concert Party will give one of its vaudeville entertainments in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on 2nd September. The proceeds will be in aid of the league funds, which have suffered considerably owing to the war, and the ordinary social and educational work is likely to be cramped oonsiderably in consequence. As small a, proportion as possible will be allocated lor this, and the rest will be expended on Christmas presents for our sailors, such as tinned fruit and vegetables, etc. The party is well known for good work in giving regular entertainments at the camp, hospitals, and in aid of various patriotic funds, being always ready to help if possible. Their Excellencies the Governor and the Countess of Liverpool, General Sir A. Robin and staff, Colonel Potter and staff, Surgeon-General Henderson, the Mayor and Mayoress, the Prime Minister and Mrs. Massey have all given their patronage, and have promised in each case to be present if possible.

Misses E. A. and N. V. Lindsay, of Wodonga, Victoria, are leaving Wellington to-night for the South Island, having just returned from touring the North Island.

The death of Mrs. .Minnie O'SulKvan occurred yesterday at her residence, 209, Aro-stroet. The late Mrs. O'Sullivan was a native of Admoro County, Waterford, Ireland, and arrived in the colony ivith her mother, Mrs. F. M Cleary, and oilier members of the family some fifty two years ago in the sailing ship Asterope. They landed at Wellington, but later took up their residence in Marlborough, where they number among the viioneers of that province. Mrs. O'Snllivan's husband predeceased her twentyfour years a^ro, and after his death she came to Wellington, and resided here ever since. She is survived by two sons md six daughters, Messrs. J. T. and A. W., Misses M., M. A. and V. O'SnlHvan, Mps-dames W. Bowles, N. Coninjjy, of Featherston, and H. Burger, of Oannevirke.

A letter has just arrived from an offi-f-er of high rank in the Navy, savin? that some ladies in England had sent 500 pairs of whits shorts and the singl°ts to match to his shit), which is in ♦he very hot-regions, and that officers ''nd men were wearing them and finding them the greatest comfort. The temperature at midnight was 98deg.. and tlie n-tmosohere moist, which is far more trying than dry heat. The need of cool clothing is clearly very great.

Mr. and Mrs. James Macfarlane, of Napier, are staying at the Royal Oak.

A curious record, of money—a bag of 100 sovereigns—being buried in the ground and forgotten, is given in the account of the death of Miss Eleanor Jones of Arasioho. The twe Misses Jones (one died a few months ago) were orchardists, and lived on the same property foi sixty yeara. Some years ago ■they built a new house, and during the removal operations the bag of sovereigns was found. One of the sisters had put it away and quite forgotten the circum-sta-nce.

"To know what I want and to see that I get it" is the motto of the war-time working woman (says a writer in the London Daily Mail). She takes stock of her intellectual and physical capabilities, decides in which market to offer her services, trains where she thinks she is deficient, and goes out to get a job "A re-ally capable woman always knows the value of her work to her employer, and if she is at all diplomatic and pertinacious she generally ends in getting the wage she asks," said an employer experienced in engaging women lor clerical work. "Such a one came to me the other day, told me what she could do in a clear, practical fashion, and asked for work. 1 told her that we could find room for her and that her salary would be 25s a week. 'Thank you very much,' she said politely but very firmly, 'but I think that I must have come to the wrong department. The work that I can do is worth at least three guineas. I'm so sorry.' Well, she carried the day. She is now the head woman in a room of several girls. "Most war girls can stand out for fair wages longer than men can, for a great many of them even now only want to supplement their incomes; they have not the exact responsibilities behind them that men have." |

The friends of Mrs. A. J. MaeTavisli, of whom there are many in Wellington and in. other parts of the Dominion, will regret to hear of her death, which took place at New Plymouth on Sunday night. She was quite in good health up to a short time ago, but became suddenly ill, and her daughter (Mrs. Howard Richmond, of Remuera) was sent for, arriving in time to be with her at the end. Mrs. MacTavish was the daughter of the late Judge Halse, well known iii the old days of Wellington. Her sisters, Mrs. W. S. Pi-eid and the Misses Halse, reside in Wellington.

For four successive winters the committee of the King-street State school, West Melbourne, has supplied children who bring their lunch to school with hot tea at the midday reoess. The funds for this are obtained by an annual performance in a picture theatre, a portion of the programme being supplied by the pupils of the school.

The following appointments are announced by the Wellington Education Board :—Assistant mistress, Northland, Miss MacKellar, of the Ma,ngamaira School; assistant at Mount Cook Girls' School, Miss G. B. Chatwin, of the Wellington "South School; assistant mistress *t the Masterton 'School, Miss M. Murray, at present acting as a relieving teacher.

A most interesting demonstration ol the method of treating cases of sufferers from infa.nti-le paralysis was given at the Seddon Annexe, of the Hospital by Nurse Bevilaqua yesterday afternoon. A great many mothers attended, looking anxiously for help and information, and brought, in most cases, such fine looking, splendid youngsters, who, if they can only be cured of this ailment, are likely to make fine available citizens in the future. In looking on at the cases, it would seem as if no money or trouble should be spared to secure a successful restoration to the muscles attacked, a-s tho children are otherwise so strong and healthy, and in view of the present necessity for building up the nation in every possible way, to make up for the wastage caused by the war, facilities should certainly be given lor skilled help and education. Miss Bevilaqua explained her metfiods, which are those ol I.'i- Mackenzie, of Melbourne, who had demonstrated, on his own son, that muscles could be made to work after twenty-three years of paralysis. She was emphatic on three points: First, that a doctor must be consulted before treatment is given; second, that ordinary massage is useless; third, that a mother must, understand why certain exercises are given, and must work under the supervision of someone who lias learnt Wie treatment and has a thorough knowledge of anatomy. Miss Bevilaqua explained that when you rub anything you stretch it, and that paralysed muscles were pulled out of place already, su that massage in the ordinary way must accentuate this evil instead of checking it. She had added to her knowledge by continual observation of a great number of cases, and during tho afternoon gavemuch helpful advice concerning the cases present. The names of the masseuses who have attended the demonstrations can be obtained at the Health Department.

The following interesting letter, which ! originally! appeared in the London Daily Mail, has been sent by a correspondent : — BLACK SWANS FOR BELGIANS?. Dear Sir, —Some months ago you were so kind as to publish the notice of a gift' of more than a thousand frozen black swans which had been sent to the Belgian Refugee Food Fund through the intermediary of the Belgian Legation from generous donors in New Zealand. We should like, through your columns, to show tlie various ways in which this ■unique gift has been utilised. The swans, when plucked, were distributed to Belgians in Crreat.Britain and Ireland, and some were sent to Belgians in Belgium. They have a high reputation as a table delicacy and were much appreciated by thu recipients. The rather arduous task of plucking the birds was very kindly undertaken by a poultry expert (Miss Violet Bertram) with a band of devoted fellowworkers. They passed on the feathers and down to Messrs. Heal and Sons, who cured and prepared them for the use of the St. John Ambulance and Red Cross Societies Kg fewer than 93 pure down and 156 fine fealher pillows were handed over to the various hospitals through Lady Jekyll, some of them very rightly being given to the Hospital for New Zealanders at Waltoii-on-'.l hames.

The wings, which had been kept intact, were inspected by Messrs. Rowland "Ward, who. most kindly undertook to cure the best of them at a nominal charge, and they are commanding n ready sale. From the damaged wings that remained the lady pluckers took'the best of the quills and prepared and cut them by an old-world process into first-rate quill pens; some of these have had the New Zealand coat of arms and the Belgian flag painted on them and some have been left plain; bath are on sale at the offices of the fund, prices: Wings 2s 6d each, painted quills 6d and 16, unpainted 3d each.

This is a specimen of how our fund does its best to utilise to advantage every gift with which it is entrusted. This fuud, which has been duly certificated by Government, is feeding over 2000 Belgian refugees. Subscriptions and donations are not so numerous as they were, and we earnestly appeal for contributions 'to carry on our work. The smallest gift will be most thankfully received by the hon. treasurer, Lady Williams, 19, St. James's-street, Piccadilly, S.W.—Yours faithfully,

Constance Holmes, Hon. Sec. 19, St. James's-sfcreet, Piccadilly, S.W.