WOMEN IN PRINT.

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 45, 21 February 1918, Page 9

WOMEN IN PRINT.

A lady who has been visiting Napier is greatly impressed with the special arrangements made for tiny children on tho Parade there. There is a long pool atout 40 feet long and about 20 feet wide, made of concrete, with seats here and there, and a pavilion roof (open all round). The water in the pool is only about a foot or two in depth, so that the smallest child can paddle with s!ifety. It is called the children's pool, and is a great joy to a large number of little ones, as the beach is not safe for the very small ones. The visitor suggests that possibly one could be made at Oriental Bay, where it would be immensely appreciated.

Miss Janet Stout is expected to arrive from Napier to-day.

Miss Allen is leaving shortly for Sydney, en route for Soath. Africa.

Mrs. H. D. Crawford has taken up her residence in her own home in Hob-son-crescent.

Miss M'Lean, principal of Wellington Girls' College, is visiting Picton.

Mrs. E. Powell, of Grant-road, is staying at Golden Downs, Nelson.

There was a very large attendance at the monthly meeting of the Sydneystreet Soldiers' Club yesterday. Mrs. Massey, who presided, made a very sympathetic reference to the death, of Mrs. Herdman, and a vote of condolence with Mr. Justice Herdman and family was passed, all present standing. Several interesting matters with respect to the club were fully discussed, and gratifying letters from tho camp commandants and also from soldiers absent on active service were read and appreciated greatly by all present.

The girls' cjijj, in connection with the W.N.R., was addressed recently by Mrs. Seville, a member of the W.N.R. Executive. Mrs. Seville, who has returned from a visit to Australia, gave a most interesting account of some of the patriotic work that is feing done there.- She epoke especially of the magnificent work being carried ah by the A.C.F. This organisation not only provides comforts for tho Australian soldiers while in the firing line, but looks after them when on leave. Mrs. Seville also gave a short description of the work done by the Babies' Kit Society in Australia, which provides outfits for war-orphans.

"She Training of Children in Purity" was the title of a. very interesting lecture delivered by Nurse' Chappie at Khandallah on Tuesday afternoon to a largo and appreciative audience. Mrs. Dale was in the chair. Lady Stout and several other ladies from Wellington were present. The speaker dwelt on the child's need for instruction on the facts of life. These ehould be" given by the mother to quite young children in sympathetic confidence, and they should be taught the beauties and wonders of life in Nature. It was an insult to the Creator to think of sex as something impure when it applied to humanity. ' The mother was the sculptress of the race— the architect of humanity, and the whole fnture of the race lay in 1 her hand. If every mother were to rouse herself to a sense of her responsibility to the world, and to realise the magnitude of her opportunity, she would so train her boys now that as men they would live lives of purity and abstinence, and the whole race could be practically re-made in a periofl of two hundred years. Innocence was never destroyed if knowledge wae imparted in the right manner. Ignorance was too often confused with innocence; but few children reached the age of 12 years without having acquired somehow a knowledge of the facts of life. Girls and boys should be taught to reverence the mother as the creator of the race, which ■would inculcate a deep and lasting respect for all women.

At the Sydney-street Soldiers' Club last evening the weekly dance was held and attended by a very large number of soldiers. Mrs. Coleridge and Mrs. Earle were in charge of the dancing arrangements, and the Hutfc ladies were the hostesses in the tearoom. Mrs. Massey (president), Mrs. Salmond, and other committee members were present, and a number of officers also visited the club during the course of the evening.

The resignation of Miss A. P. Banwell, accepted by the Education Board yesterday, is from the Ghuznee-street and not the Mount Cook School, as originally stated. Miss Ranwell, who is recognised as one of the best instructors of infants in the Dominion, has been in the Te Aro School for about twenty years, and is now compelled to resign for health reasons. She is entitled to superannuation through 1 length of service.

The moat cruel fate attended the fair at Oakleigh (Australia) on 2nd February, and ruined what would have been a most excellent and substantial result. The memorable storm of the afternoon swept the grounds shortly before 5' o'clock, taking everything with it, in one or two instances even the money that had been taken earlier. All the crockery and glass in the marquee wae broken, and the scene in the tent where the baby competition was being 'conducted was most alarming, as many of the poor little mites were without an atom of clothing, and some of the mothers fainted. When the storm had cleared, wreckage wae strewn everywhere, and hundreds of peoplo, soaked to the skin, were rushing off the grounds to their homes or to the shelter of houses in the vicinity. The plight of the large number of- children was pitiful, so many being in a state of terror. At this fair special mention was made of the Kewpie stall. It was decorated with mauve, black, and white poppies. Many kewpies were already attired, generally in variously coloured tulle ballet skirts, but purchasers could have their kowpiesdressed "while they waited" in ribbons, etc., according to their fancy.,

Some interesting notes on i-ecenfc war work come from the Australasian, as follow: —"While their mothers and maiden aunta are doing 'part-time' war work, the younger girls are 'wholetimers' in the military hospitals, or are serving in the 'W.A.A.C and the munition, factories. It is often quite difficult to recognise a girl friend in the unusual costumes which some of these employments require. The King this week was visiting an aeroplane factory at iChiswick, when he suddenly came upon a familiar figure in overalla. It was Lady Victoria Bentinck, the daughter of his old friend the Duke of Portland. Lady Victoria does a full da.y's work with the women hands, taking her meals with the rest in the canteen. There aro some women who have no skill in needlework, and do not care about nursing. They naturally go to the ammunition and aeroplane factories, or drive a Keel Cross mofor-car. The last occupation is popular with well-to-do girls with sporting tastes. And they all tell you that they do not need try call in » man for ordinary repairs. In the case of a breakdown, they are off Ihe driving seat and under the. car quite as quickly as a male chauffeur would be. The activities of the Women's -Auxiliary Arniv Corps in France aro extending quickly. No fewer than 800 women are

employed in 'salving' war stores. Ac each advance takes place our .own dugouts are abandoned or enemy dug-outs are captured. Every dug-out will yield something." ■

The British. Secretary of the Admiralty issued the following announcement recently in the Daily Express . —The Admiralty have approved ot the employment of women on various duties on shore hitherto performed by naval ratings, and have decided to establish a Women's Royal Naval Service for this purpose. The members of this service will wear a distinctive uniform, and the service will be confined to women employed on definite duties directly connected with the Navy. It is not intended for the present to include those serving in the Admiralty departments, or the loyal dockyards, or other civil establishments under the Admiralty. Dame Katherine Furse, G.8.E., at the request of the board, has accepted the position of Director of the Women's Pvoyal Naval Service, and will bo responsible, under the Second Sea Lord, for its administration and organisation, including the control of the members when off duty and the care of their general welfare. A further announcement will be made shortly with regard to the mode of recruiting for the Women's Royal Naval Service and the branches of it for which immediate entries are required, and no applications or enquiries should" be made until this announcement has been issued. Dame Katherine Furse recently resigned her appointment as com-mandant-in-chief of the Voluntary Aid Detachments.