WOMEN IN PRINT.

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 23, 26 January 1918, Page 7

WOMEN IN PRINT.

A' dance will be given at the Town Hall this evening by the Mayor and Mayoress and the Entertainment Committee. The special guests of honour will be the members of the 34th Reinforcements, though all other soldiers in town are cordially invited to be present.

The hostesses at the Sydney-street Soldiers' Club next week will be: —Sunday, Lady Stout; Monday, Wellington College Old Girls; Tuesday, committee; Wednesday, Mrs. Radcliffe and friends; Thursday, committee; Friday, Miss Fraser and Miss Skerrett; Saturday, Mrs. Louis Blur.dell. In charge of coats and narcels: Sunday, Miss Adams; Monday, Harris; Tuesday, the Misses Coleridge; Wednesday, Miss Van Staveren; Thursday, Miss MacKellar; Friday, Mrs. Chatfield ; Saturday, Mr. F. K. Reeves.

At the outset of the New. year's work the committee of the St. John Ambulance and Red Cross at the Star Boating Club Sheds wish to ask for a supply of old linen for the next packing. Parcels may be left on Monday, and each day, next week.

The following appreciative and inter. e&ting letter has been recently recivecl from a New Zealand soldier:—"l am ■writing from the New Zealand Convalescent Camp, Hornclmvch, and I should be so glad if you would forward extracts from this letter to the Evening Post for publication. We boys want everyone in New Zealand to know what the Voluntary Aid women are doing here and in other parts of England. These women work hard from early morning until 9 at night. I want, if I can, to make you homefolk realise just what is being done for us by New Zealand and English women for the_ boys -who land here from France; especially during the last few months. We all feel so grateful to these noble women who have come to our camps voluntarily, getting nothing for it but our thanks. Can you credit that we get home-made eatables in our good old W.C.A. #nd Y.M.O.A. at very much less than cost price? We have goodl, freshly-made tea, cocoa, coffee, and malt milk, delicious fresh buttered scones, small jam tarts, pancakes, pikelets, teacakes, date scones, various kinds of sponges, fruit salads, ginger cakes, etc. Also a very tasty dinner, not, of course, and all this in most comfortable and roomy buildings. There are other rooms for billiards lounge, etc., with most comfortable, cosy couches and.seats, -where we can write, read, or otherwise amuse ourselves. Coming out of the line right into one of these places makes one feel what it is not easy to put on paper. We have a, concert or cinema, every night, and some really good artists_ give thoir assistance. There is a notice in the V.M.C.A. hut: 'Free tea, for 60 men every' Sunday afternoon.' Then hymns and prayer afterwards. I heard one of the boye remark: 'Isn't it great! What would this life be without our women? Look at all/they do for us for nothing! God bleBS them, I «ay"—and so say many more, yours truly included."

The annual show in aid of the St. John Ambulance Red Cross Fund and the Trentham Camp Institute Fund will be held at St. Thomas's Hall on 6th and 7th February. The schedule is a comprehensive one.

A paoking day in connection with the Citizens' Service Leaguei will take place at the Town Hall next Wednesday, and ifc is hoped that there will be a good attendance of helpers, as it is intended to pack a large number of parcels. Work will go on during the evening as well as the morning and afternoon.

Miss Florence Birch will speak at the service on Sunday afternoon at the Young Women's Christian Association. Her subject will be, "Faith: Why It is so Important." Miss Mildred Williams, general secretary of tne Invercargill Y.W.C.A., will be at the service and tea following. All girls and young women, especially strangers to Wellington, will be welcome.

The Hon. Emily Kinnaird writes from London: "Almost the first thing the Administrator of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps did on the opening of their barracks was to go to the War Department of the British Y.W.C.A. and ask the association to send workers regularly to organise the recreation for the 600 young women, .strangers to each other, who had suddenly .been introduced to the discipline of army life. A ringing cheer went up from these girls; when it was announced that £6000 worth of wooden hutting had been purchased in Franco "by the Y.W.C.A., to put huts in the places where the girls were being quartered. Two'Y.W.C.A. leaders went out to open the first hut in July, and are being followed by others, as nine central huts are opened, in addition to the annexes which are attached to the V.M.C.A. huts. The Y.W.O.A. works in close association'with the V.M.C.A., at the request of the War Office, and 1 there are many camps round the big centres where huts are needed The Finance Board has allocated 1 £20,000 for the work in France. Our Y.W.C.A. workers have to realise that as officers and regiments move to the advance posts they may also have to go to places of danger, and some of them likewise must face shell and shrapnel. It is a noteworthy fact that the' last disability that was advanced against women being given the rights of citizenship has been removed by war; women are in the army, women are in the police force, and no ■one wishes them not to be there! They are in danger, some have returned ill, but they are offering willingly to share with men hardships and danger."

A number of sailors participated in the bright programme that had been arranged for last Saturday night, as well as soldiers, at the Young. Women's Christian Association. The games were greatly enjoyed. Miss Lambert was the pianist,' Miss Exton and others sang, and Mr. Oswin's recitations were much appreciated.

Mrs. W. H. Cox, secretary of the WaiRelief Collecting Committee, has returned from a visit to Auckland.

Mrs. M'Gavln, who has been visiting Christchurch, has returned and gone on to Palmertson North.

Mrs. A. E. Kernot and her daughters lia-ve returned from California.

Mies Elsie Williams, of Frimley, Has> tings, has returned to New Zealand.

Miss Mina Caldow is staying in Nelson at present.

Mr. J. A. M'Grath, of Napier, and Mies Rosaleelie M'Grath leave by the MonoWai this evening, after spending a. holiday in Ghristchurch, Nelson, and Wellington.

Mr. 'Arthur Clothier; officer in chargo of the Valuation Department, Dunedin, accompanied by Mrs. and Miss S. Clothier, arrived in Wellington this morning on a holiday visit. They, arc staying with friends in Tinakorl-road. Mr. Clothier will be remembered as a member of the Wellington Leidertafel and in Mafionic circles.

Mrs. Millar, 95, Tiuakori-road, his left oa^a ju«t. to Melbourne,

Mr., Mrs., and Miss Fairbrother, of "Karloo," Carterton, and Miss Mary Hart, are spending a few days at Lower Hutt before leaving for their future . home at Eketahuna.

A pretty wedding was solemnised by the Eev. Father Campbell at St. Anne's Church, Newtown, on Tuesday last, the bride being Miss Doris May Veevers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. Weevers, of Liverpool, England, and Mr. J. T. Twomey (well known in sporting circles), eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. P. M. Twomey, of Bay View-road, Lyall Bay. The bridesmaids were Miss Monica Twomey (sister of the bridegroom) and Miss Nellie Lang. The bride, who was given away by Pte. J. Flannagan, wore a white silk dress, veil, and orange blossoms, and carried a beautiful bouquet of white roses and sweet peas. _ The bridesmaids were in white embroidery dresses, with black tulle hats, and each carried shower bouquets of pink sweet peas. The bridegroom's present to the bridesmaids was a gold brooch each. Mr. and Mrs. J. Twomey left for the. north the same day.

'An interesting engagement has been broken off—that between the popular novelist who writes as "Marjorie Bowen" and Dr. Carlo Vanzetti, M.D., of Florence. "Marjorie Bowen" .has always liked Italy, andj as Miss Gabrielle Margaret Campbell, she married a Sicilian, the late Zefferino Emilio Constanzo, of Mineo, Sicily. The authoress' sister is Phillys Vere Campbell, the artist. They are daughters of the popular story-writer, Mrs. Vere Campbell.

Another group of successes .is to be credited to Miss Lily O'Leary, the clever Wellington dancer, who holds the championship for New Zealand. At the Wanganui Caledonian Society's sports this week, Miss O'Leary distinguished herself by gaining five first places and one second out of six dances for which she entered, and therefore won the champion" points medal. She came first in the Highland fling, Highland reel, sailors' hornpipe, sword dance, and Irish jig, and second in the Sheaun Triubhas. Miss Jean Mackenzie, also a Wellington girl, came first in the lastmentioned, and with her sister, Miss Thelma Mackenzie, is mentioned as being' very successful, the dancing all round being of a very high order.

Coffee-stalls run by women are a revival rather than a war expedient, sa^s a -writer in the Daily Chronicle. For it was a- woman wlio nearly a. century ago started the first coffee-stall outside the London Docks to supply working men with early breakfasts. And for many years women had n. monopoly in this kind of catering until the early morning stall developed into an all-night institution, which required a" man to look after it.

Interesting experiments iri the transport of -wounded by aeroplane have been carried out at Villacoublay by Dr. Chassaing, the deputy of Puy de Dome. A.n aeroplane of standard type, adapted to carry two stretchers in a closed compartment, was used, and (says the Paris correspondent of the Daily" Mail) even at a speed of eighty milea an hour no vibration or discomfort was felt by tha persons who represented the wounded. Dr. Chassaing believes that air ambulances Avouia render great service in cases of stomach wounds, where every minute- saved is of great importance. They would fly at a height of only about 600 feet, so that the Bed Ctoss would bo plainly visible.

Instead of the old week-end purchases, suburban housewives are submitting their orders on Monday and Tuesday, says a London writer to an exchange, to be executed when the shopkeepers knows how much lie will have for his customers. If a pound of tea is ordered two ounces may be sent. Butter is aiso " allowanced." Practically every staple article of food lias its official maximum price. The charge for a 41b loaf is 9d, a quartern of flour is B^.^ Tho retail price of butter is from 2s 3d to 2s 5d a pound, about twice as much as before the war. Butter, beans, jam, cheese, chocolate are other goods which have their maximum price, ft is all very novel and very > confusing. But it is better than standing in queues for hours outside a butcher's, a baker's, or grocer's, and becoming the.slave of the shopkeeper. In Germany, b;y abolishing free competition, the rationing system has put a premium upon bad quality goods. As the maximum' price is fixed, the shopkeeper adulterates his goods. Whole families in Germany oftea ha>ve to divide up the duty of waiting in the queues outside different^ shops. Yet strict rationing must come in England unless the people will deny themselves more than they are doing at present. There is not enough food to_ go round at the present rate of consumption, though ample if people cat only what health and strength demand. The muni-tion-worker is the worst offender in this matter of over-consumption. Hundreds of thousands of women are earning wages which they never of in. prewar times. I have heard cases of skilled pieceworkers making from £10 to £15 a week. Families are able to indulge in unheard-of luxuries. They demand the very best joints at the butcher's, and eat bread in quantities which would appal, the food' controller. The people who are suffering most are ■women workers, mostly clerks in the city, who take theii' midday meals at teashops. Not only have prices been raised at these places about 50 per cent., but customers geb much less for their money. The usual serving of bread is now two ounces a penny, making the ninepenny loaf yield 2s Bd. In some restaurants a loaf is cut into -Joz portions, making a quartern yield about 6s. Eggs at a teashop are 5d each, 2£d is charged for a piece of cheese, while a slice of cake isl 2|d. These are sad prices for a girl clerk.