WOMEN IN PRINT.

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 2, 2 July 1919, Page 9

WOMEN IN PRINT.

The Christchurch Women's National Reservo has had a city branch as well as tho headquarters executive, but it lias resulted in overlapping, so it lias decided to disband the city. local branch. AM work, will in future be concentrated in the central committee.

At a meeting of delegates from tlio Memorial Cemetery Committee (W.N.R) and the Returned Soldiers' Association yesterday it was decided that all plans and information should be placed before the members of the Dominion Conference of the association, which takes place this month, with a view to the association undertaking to raise funds for the memorial chapel to be erected at the Soldiers »and Sailors' Cemetery at Karori.

The following donations and gifts are acknowledged by Mrs. Boden, hon. secretary of the R«Uirned Soldiers and; Sailors' Hostel Society :-»Napier ; Women's National Reserve, suite of furniture; J. Myers and Co.. load of firewood j Newtown School children (per Mrs. Parkinson), 10s; St. John Ambulance and Overseas Nursing Brigade, two cases clothing (per Mrs.- Preston}; Red Cross, shirts and underclothing; Dannevjrke W.N.R., cheque for £30; per Mrs. J. A. Hanan, £10 17s, collected at Khandallah, in which is included £5 Red Cross donation.

News lias been received of the arrival in London of Mr. and Mrs. James Mackenzie, after a very pleasant voyage. Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie's cons and daughters, who had all been on active service (as soldiers or nurees), were there to meet them. .

Miss Jessie King, who has been away from Wellington for about th©:e years, has returned here, and is staying at the Empire Hotel.

Miss Chaytor, of Blenheim, has been in Wellington to meet one of her brothers who returned by the Prinzessin.

The systematic canvass which has been organised to raiee the £15,000 which is so urgently needed to carry on and extend the splendid work of the Y.W.C.A. is being continued this week with encouraging success. Several large donations, in all some hundreds of pounds, have been promised and will be acknowledged shortly. The Business Men's Committee hopes that, within the week, those who can send either large or small donations will do so, or hand them to the official canvasser. Donations may be posted to the Treasurer, P.O. Box 1071, Wellington.

The Petone Tennis Club dance was held last Saturday in the local drill hall, which was artistically decorated with flags. The music was supplied by Mr., VV. Smith and Mr. Sturaan was the M.C. The supper tables were draped with the club colours, blue and gold. There were eighty couples present, and a pleasant evening was spent. The arrangements were in the hands of the following committee: Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Parkinson, Mrs. Evison, Misses Arrowsmith, Cockrane, M'Kenzie, Naughton, and L. Walters, Messrs. Hutcheson, Marsden, Duncan, Collins, and Sturman (secretary).

The question of social hygiene, as touching the health of soldiers, was discussed recently at a conference of the Returned Soldiers' Association, and it was stated that,women were opposed to the notification of venereal diseases. The Social Hygiene Society of Christchurch has defined its position.on this important point. It holds that provision should be made for a national scheme of free clinics, under which bacteriological and other diagnosis tests would be provided free, with drugs and treatment, , and specially qualified doctors, all free of expense, i'or all sufferers who voluntarily present themselves for treatment. When such provision is made, and only then, doctors should be compelled, under penalty, to notify any case of a sufferer from venereal disease who refuses to continue the treatment as long as it is necessary, of who exposes to infection any other person, such notification being an entirely conditional one. Members of the conference protested against a distinction being made between soldiers and civilians, but such distinction is inevitable, since, with soldiers, who are under constant medical supervision, the disesse can be immediately detected, and they can bo compelled to submit to treatment. Further, the soldier receives medical treatment free of expense, while in the case- of civilians the treatment, being prolonged and expensive, is always an obstacle to application for medical aid in the early and most curative stages of the disease. This is the reason why the society so strenuously urges tho establishment of free treatment." It was considered that compulsory notification really defeated its own object, and specially prevented those who had contracted the disease through no fault of their own from seeking advice, as they dreaded the stigma attached. It was contended that under the form of notification advocated by the society the difficulty would disappear. Compulsory notification in civilian life appears^ impossible unless examination on suspicion is adopted, and that means tho direct enactment of the CD. Act, and would be only operative in the cases of women leading an immoral life, leaving untouched the private prostitute and diseased man. The objections to the CD. Act were fourfold, and were as follow: (1) While under this Act a woman can be detained for treatment for an indefinite time at tliQ public expense, she may be reinfected immediately on her release, and be as great a menace as before her detention and treatment; (2) the Act is a direct incentive to vice, because it creates a false sense of security ; (3) it lias been proved beyond all controversy ■ that vice and disease have increased under its operation ; (4) it operates against women only, and under it many innocent women have been subject to false charges. The Society for the Protection of Women and Children in Wellington at its last meeting passed fi resolution endorsing in its entirely this pronouncement made by the Christchurch Social Hygience Society.

Miss Irene Penrsnn, and Miss Rowe{of Christchurch), have left by the barque Rona, for a- trip, to Tonga, and on to San Francisco. They intend to stay away for about nine months, and tra-vsl in America and Canada.

In reference to the recent decision, of the Countess of Liverpool Fund Committee to pay over the balance of the fund to the War Relief Association, the lion, secretary of the . committee states that the fund was intended for the benefit of men on active service abroad. The members oE the committee are all keenly desirous of helping soldiers to tho best of their ability and strength. While there was a diversity of opinion about the disposal of the money, the majority thought that perhaps in transferring it to the War Relief Association that it would be used to more practical advantage, than in giving the pleasant little gifts to the men on arrival.

Mr. and Mrs. A. Jenkinson are visit' ing Auckland.

Miss Jessie King has returned from the North, where she has spent the last three yeare between Auckland, Botorua, Wanganui, and Hawkes Bay. She is staying at the Empire Hotel.

Mrs. Percy Easson, of Hataitai, is leaving by the San Francisco boat Toftia on Friday on a three months' trip through the United States and Canada. She will spend a few weeks in. Southern California-, and then proceed to Chicago ajid New York, and subsequently visit her brother in Canada.

Sergeant-Major H. W. Harris, who was well known in Wellington as a secre-. tarial helper to.the St. John Ambulance and Bed Cross depots in Wellington before he joined the forces, writes from London that he was stationed at Headquarters, and expected to stay there till demobilisation was completed. la mentioning the great march of overseas troops through London, he says : "Our boys-had undoubtedly a splendid reception from i the crowd, and from personal observation I am convinced that they have won, nob only the admiration but the respect of the Home people. I refer specifically to the New Zealand boys. . . London is a terribly crowded place, and life is one long struggle from the time you emerge from your house until you reach yonr destination. You have to struggle to get on a 'bjis, to be told that it is full up, and yon must get off again, and wait and struggle for the next. Then comes the tussle in the tube—you never go far in London without taking a tubetrain —and at the end of the journey the straggle to get off. Then you cram into a lift and are taken up to ground level. If you are lucky enough, to dodge all the 'buses, taxis, carts, bicycles, etc., you eventually arrive at your destination feeling absolutely draggled. . .-■. Before embarking for New Zealand every 'Digger' gets fourteen days' leave, and to commence such leave a very large majority make for London first. Consequently you can go hardly anywheTe in town without seeing the New Zealand'hat bobbing about eomewhere in the offing. Their behaviour is undoubtedly excellent in general. There are, of course, just a few who 'lose themselves' for the time being, but that, of course, is not to be wondered at, in view of the large number there are about. Of all the places in London which were established for the comfort and convenience of the Digger, the War Contingent Association Canteen in Southampton Row is the most grateful and comforting. Mr. I. W. Baymond, the chairman of the executive, is an awfully fine chap, and a really good, kind, sympathetic, and understanding friend to any old New Zealander who happens along. The ladies there, too, are just splendid, and their one object in life appears to be to mnke our fellows feel happy when eo far from home."