WOMEN IN PRINT.

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 51, 28 February 1918, Page 9

WOMEN IN PRINT.

A very satisfactory beginning was made yesterday at the Town Hall, when the social afternoon entertainments for the mother* of soldiei'B and sailors -were resumed. Mrs. 0. VV. Russell, president of the honorary committee oi the W.N.E. (under whose auspices these entertainments are given), received the guests, and was presented with a beautiful bouquet of pink and white asters, tied with rose ribbon to match. A most enjoyable programme of music and recitations was given, those taking part being Miss Caldow, Mrs. Bath, and Mr. O'Connor, who sang, and Miss Marjorie Bennie, who gave some good recitations, j Mrs. Le Marchand played piano solos, and she and Miss Caldow played the accompaniments to the songs. Later in the afternoon, after tea had been served, Sir Joseph Ward came, and gave a very cheering and interesting address to the assembled mothers. He spoke of his own personal observations of the care which is taken both of the well and the sick and wounded solditrs at the front. There Were 45,000 transport cars actually in sightjat one time, and these were daily taking fresh fond and equipment to our soldiers, a)ld thja food included what might be called delicacies for those who were requiring such. In 25 miles there was one continual stream of cars coming and going—a double line, with not room enough for a man to pass be,tween. He also saw 4000 New Zealanders being taken in cars from the trenches, where they had been for 26 days. The lesson of the war to the whole world was the .possibility of colrjgsa! development in commissariat which enabled sixteen or seventeen millions of men to be provided for in close quarters. With regard to the part New Zealand had taken in the war, Sir Joseph said that the association of a ydang and vigorous country could not fail to be a force and a help, and so far as the men and, their equipment was concerned a man 'who wanted to find fault was simply a "fastidious monster." With regard to the work of English women in Britain and abroad, there were 4,500,000 of them doing all kinds of work, and doing it well. He had even seen them searching for the dead and wounded in the debris of a great munition factory where there had been an explosion. When he enquired afterwaiids if many of them had been, tei'rified into leaving in consequence of the danger, the' answer was "Not one." Sir Joseph also mentioned that he-had met Admiral J3eatty, and that after the battle at Jutland the warships were repaired and "fixed up" in forty-eight hours and ready again for action—a truly wonderful record of work. Sir Joseph concluded with good wishes for the relatives of all present, and said that he^ hoped and believed that the authorities of all. the Allied countries would combine after the war was over for instant 5 demobilisation of citizen soldiers and make firm efforts to establish peace on a foundation which would make it impossible for such a war to be Waged again. Mrs. Corliss thanked Sir Joseph for his kindness in soaring time to come to the meeting and for his very interesting address. She then moved a vote of thanks, which was passed with hearty acclamation. Among those present were Mrs. Massey, Lady Ward, Mrs. Porter, Mrs. Hauan, and "other members of the W.N.B. Tea was w.el! managed and , dispensed by Mrs. Baldie and assistant*. , A very pleasant and successful "at home" wae held at the residence of Mrs. Oscar' Ellis, Tasman-street, yesterday afternoon, in aid of the funds of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which has for some time past been under a heavy strain. There were about 120 ladies present, and', by means of an informal sale of work and home produce, the satisfactory sum of £36 was raised. Among those present were His Grace' Archbishop O'Shea, and the Revs. Fathers Mahony, O'Connor, and Dignan, S.M. Miss Turnbull is staying with Mrs. Helmore, at Fondalton, Christchurch. Miss Elsie Williams, of Frimley, is in Wellington for a visit. Mrs. Wolters, of Cartefton, is staying in town for a short visit. Mrs. Beere and Miss Estelle Beere have returned from a visit to Nelson. ■■Visitors from Rarotonga to New Zealand include Mrs. Ayson, wife of Mr. Justice Ayson, Deputy-Resident Commissioner at Rarotonga, also Mrs. A. Ambridge and Mrs. E. Matthews.Mrs. Gow (Grant-road) is visiting the South Island at present. The Misses Ewart (Willis-street) intend leaving shortly for a visit to Australia, and will probably be away for three months. In contrasting the expenditure in aeroplanes and flying machines generally, between America and ..England, Sir Joseph Ward.said yesterday at the Empire Mothers' Meeting that the AmeriCahs are now expending £120,000,000 on these machines, while, when he was in England, the value of them "was estimated at only about £100,000. Ho considered that England would have to invest at least £60,000,000 to keep pace with things. Another interesting point was that President Wilson was elected in a country containing 100,000,000 white peoplo as a pacifist President, and yet in two and a-half years he has become a war President, wifi nine-tenths of the people working earnestly with him. Conscription and war organisation sprang up almost in a moment, and the motto was, "Thorough" in all branches. Another extraordinary transformation was that of Henry Ford, who firk of all fitted out and financed a pacifist expedition, and now has given £20,000,000 for the building and equipment of ships to help Great Britain and America to combat the submarines. . ' The committee of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Clubhouse lias decided to. hold a series of "At Homes" in the Returned Soldiers' Club. It is considered desirable that leading citizens (including those who have hitherto supported the institution) should be given an opportunity of seeing for themselves the valuable work that is being done for the returned men. There will be five of these entertainments, one being given each month. A pleasant musical evening was given by Mrs: Harlen, Wright-street, when Miss Gertrude Jeffery was entertained at a "kitchen evening," many friends being present. In reference to his projected journey to, England with the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward said yesterday afternoon at the Town Hall that "for choice" it was certainly not |the time to go across the ocean now. There were many perils at sea, and later discomforts and perils on land, with air raids, etc., and he could not understand how it was "some J people thought that they were merely going for a pleasant holiday. People were very fortunate who could stay in New Zealand, where the war was just a vision in the distance. Speaking of her impressions on her 1 arrivnj 111 Sydney, Lady Davidson (wiiv 'of ike new JSoyemgr) said that

she thought that the sheer beauty of the surroundings ought to make Sydney residents good tempered and fond of the artistic side of life; she considers that children are affected by the fluvroundingb in which they are brought up. If they live in an uninteresting city or suburban street which possesses no natural beauties their natures cannot expand ns they would if trained amid lovely scenery. _ On the same grounds also, Lady Davidson dislikes golliwogs. Jcewpies, and other ugly toys as children's playthings. t Mr. T. J. MacMahbn,, the well-known South Sea Island traveller, says the Sydney Morning Herald, who is now in Sydney, is showing among other island curiosities a. picture hat made of pumpkin stalk* and trimmed with the «ame fibre. This hat is_ the. work of a. Tahitian lady, now living in the Solomon group. Mr. MacMahon has a high opinion of the white women, resident in the island group. Since conditions became so far ameliorated that the planters could taks their wives to live there, the white women have pluckily faced the trying climate and the "tropical housekeeping, with the result that the standard of living and refinement has been notably advanced. s At the Red Cross shop yesterday the art union for the picture donated by Mr. Pratt was drawn. The winning number wai 39. A charming account is given in.a recent Engliah paper of a visit to a day and night nursery for munition workers' children, which has been established near Woolwich Arsenal. The writer says:—The architect has seemingly stored in his mind all that he subconsciously longed for as an infant, and has materialised it for the benefit of the children of the munitions-workers at Woolwich. The main room, the babies' parlour, is a long apartment flanked on two sides by a vovandali, and on the third "by a wide passage, well ventilated at each end.- The room itself is full of light and nir, with plenty of play room and no awkward corners to ,'nfhct 'bruises and wounds unawares. A lengthy crawl brings a baby boarder into the sunshine of the verandah and the safe seclusion of its play-pens, a. longer crawl and a, hop is rewarded by entrance into the surrounding garden, where a detectable' sand-pit is a permanent! feature. Brightly coloured flowers enliven the garden and attract bird and insect visitors companions often more interesting to a two-year-old than the most sprightly of humans. Mattresses occupy part of the floor-space of the iiursery, -which^ at night-time, are developed into fullfledged beds. At one end of the room are cupboards let into the wall, at th© other furniture fashioned for the special needs of "two-feet nothing." There, instead of being perched on a high-chair to feed with giants from an elevated table-land, the infant visitor sits on a miniature arm-chair at a table brought to the level of childhood. The low tables are, in fact, kidney-shaped and hollowed on the inside, so that a nurse, or attendant, seated in the centre may feed half a dozen children in turn. On the day of my visit, dinner was in progress, and I watched the feeding of the toddlers, each with his own spoon and portion, by the smiling guardian at the hub. In another room, all the .infants were assembled, a brigade in cots, of which tho advance-guard had invaded the verandah. The daintiness of the room with its blue curtains and cot hangings and the chubby satisfaction of the cot-dwel-lers must "be-a constant .inspiration to the visiiing 'working" mothers. Spotless kitchen' foi' ; the preparation of the childr. ..'s meals are situated in the rear of the nurseries; there is an isolation room where suspect infectious cases are detained, and a laundry with an indefatigable laundress. The bathing-room, fitted with .modern appliances, is in many respects excellent, although too small for the requirements of a nursery arranged for fifty to sixty children. The whole establishment is wanned by _ a central heating installation, the radiators being well protected by guards. Are we going to have a recrudescence of the objectionable habit of the indiscriminate use of scent among women ? asks a writer in the Leader. _ The last week or two it has become quite an epidemic in Melbourne, and it is unbelievable how much misery can be added to a close afternoon or evening by the close proximity of a woman who has spilled half a bottle of crude scent over her clothing before entering public thoroughfares or places of entertainment. We shall ha.ye great cause to pray for peace on a, new count if this is to be_a permanent business, because the delicate perfumes of Northern France are not now on the market, 'and the cheaper brands, or rather inferior ones, are appalling when vised assiduously. During the heat spell, I was fated to come into close contact with quite a number.of,these users, and sometimes it was almost unbearable. Some peculiarly pungent, sickly perfumes must liavo been given around lavishly for Christmas gifts to women who did not know how to use them. Individuality tells us much in minor matters like these as in anything. If a woman has a fancy for perfume, she should be careful to use it properly. She should use the spray with the utmost circumspection, and never pour the liquid from the bottle carelessly. If she likes scented garments, she should get powder sachets and keep them in her drawer and wardrobe. Then there will be sufficient scent for every purpose, and yet not enough to be positively repellant to those with whom she comes in contact.