WOMEN IN PRINT.

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 139, 10 December 1919, Page 7

WOMEN IN PRINT.

Tho engagement is announced of Miss Mary Taylor, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Taylor, of Gisborne, and Mr. F. M. Clarke, the son of Mr. and Mrs. F. T. Clarke, of 66, Brougham-street, Wellington.

A kindly gift from the Spinsters' Club has been received by Mrs. Boden, honorary secretary of the Crippled Soldiers' and Sailors' Hostel, in the form of a cheque for £10 13s, accompanied with a note in which the hope was expressed that that amount might be the beginning of a fund to provide gifts for each soldier in the hostel at Christmas time.

Miss Marjory Nicholls leaves at the end of the month for Sydney, to connect with the Ormonde for Ceylon. Her wedding is to take place in Colombo in the beginning of February.

Mrs. J. Barton, of Trentham, has been spending a few days in town, and is leaving to-day for Heretaunga.

Mrs. and Miss Dyer return to-day from a trip to Auckland and Rotorua.

Mr., Mrs., and the Misses Kemot have arrived in London.

Mrs. Garfield Crawford has arrived in Wellington from the South.

A very interesting afternoon was spent at the Pioneer Club yesterday, when Miss Snelson, national secretary of the Y.W.C.A. for Australasia, and Miss Craig Robertson, a member of the National Council of Women, were entertained. Both ladies gave addresses which were listened to with much interest by a good number of club members who had assembled to meet them. Miss Snelson said that English women had, to a great extent, idealised New Zealand women. The fact of their having had the vote for such a long period of time, and the Plunket Society work, as well as for general reasons, was the cause of this; and she found herself, that the setting of the country, with its varied beauties and opportunities, was idea! also, and needed living up to in a way that was necet3ary for a great work. Miss Snelson alluded to the wide extent of tho Y.W.C.A. work, which is carried on in nineteen countries, and in many languages. She also alluded to the wonderful work organised among tho girls and women of the nation during the war, when the association dealt with hundreds of thousands. Hostels were established for these luncheons, teas, and recreation organised, so that the British Governmental and Military authorities called in the aid of the association at all places and times, both at Home and abroad. Interesting details of the returning of German'and Austrian women and girls to their own countries under the auspices of the Y.W.C.A., and also concerning the munition workers, were given by iYtiss Snelson. The speaker emphasised clearly that the association was out to benefit girls in general, not only members; the wish and hope was that every girl should have a chance. The new vision evolved by the war was that women were going to be called upon to play an even more important part in the world, and, therefore, it was of the first importance to give girls proper environments and opportunities for making the best of their mental and bodily talents. In alluding to the self-sacrifice of girls, Miss Snelson mentioned those who willingly and knowingly took up the work which turned the skin yellow— which will remain so for many years to come. They not oidy did this, but, when speeding up was urgent on account of the necessities at the front, asked permission to discard their mlaeks and gloves, thus increasing both danger and disfigurement. Other instances of practical heroism were given, and Miss Snelson said that she had no doubt that the same fine spirit existed in New Zealand girls, and she earnestly urged both men and women in this country to help the Y.W.C.A. to the best of their ability, so that still more girls here might have proper opportunities and help given them. Miss Craig-Robertson spoke of the fine work accomplished by the Women's N.ational Councils in other parts of the world, and urged that the New Zealand branches should affiliate and send delegates to the international meeting which will take place in Norway next year; Miss Craig-Robertson, who has been re-elected on a board of control in England during her absence, expressed her surprise and regret that no women are members of city councils in New Zealand, or, more important still, are not members of education boards. She expressed the hope that this would be remedied in the near _ future, and that women would see their duties in these directions and bo enabled, by being placed in the positions, to carry them out. Lady Stout introduced the speakers, and Mrs. Sprott, Miss Coad, and Miss Kane spoke briefly and appreciatively concerning the addresses which had proved so illuminating and interesting. The following from a London newspaper is of special interest to New Zealanders- The Victorian age (writes a correspondent) had many distinctions, but it did not glorify the baby. The nineteenth century was the age of the "comforter" and other iniquities. Now King Baby is being put on his throne again, and a crowd of clinics and creches are devoted to his wonhip. But goodwill is not enough; it must be harnessed to knowledge. _ A prophet has come over from the Dominion of New Zealand who preaches the gospel of the baby, denouncing the superstitious that have been strangling its growth, and bringing daylight into tho cradle. Dr Truby King is a remarkable man ; not only has he export scientific knowledge, but he has a gift of popular exposition that enables him to interest women of all classes and all degrees of education. So successful has he been in his campaign in this country tha.t the socioty known as the Babies of the Empire has been formed to carry out his ideas. Two houses in Trevovir-road, Earls-court, have been secured, and it is this building which was recently visited by the Queen. There is an idea that this is I just another creche, but its aims are very different. . It is really a collage of motherhood, trains nurses, and teaches doctors and the mothers themselves. Its doors are open to the rich woman as well as the poor, for it is quite a fallacy that ignorance is confined to the poor. Dr. Truby King insists that motherhood is a whole-time job, though he makes it easier by removing some of the old superstitions. Baby was supposed to want feeding every "two hours, and visions of father walking tho floor were conjured up. But Dr King has proved that baby it not so inhuman, and that four regular meals daily, with a good long unawalrened sleep" at night, are onough. If tho bottle cannot be avoided, .then there is the right concoction to be used. All these things can be learnt at Trevovir-road, and there many a- mystery can.be unravelled.

The British Civil Service correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph writes as follows : —In the 300 odd pages of the War Cabinet Report for 1918, just published, several scattered and complimentary references, .amidst the host of subjects dealt with, are to bo found to the women's work during the war. We are told, under the heading of National Service, that the share taken in the national effort by women was worthily maintained during the final year of the war. Fully six millions were latterly engaged on whole-time work, a great part of which was essential to the war effort of the country. Of these it is estimated that a million and a half acted as substitutes for men \vho were called to the colours, while another quarter of a million were actually in uniform as nurses or in one of the women's corps attached to the Navy, Air Force, or Army. Serving in France alone in March, 1918, there were no less than 6500 of the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps. The recent investigation of the man-power retained in the various departments of the Civil Service showed that it has been found possible to carry the enormously-increased burden of public administration with an annual decrease of 57,000 male Civil servants. This is in itself, the report states, a remarkable war achievement, and it is largely due to the competence and the devoted work of the 108,000 women who have been temporarily or permanently added to the Civil Service since August, 1914. The number of village women employed part or whole time on the land is estimated to have been about 90,000 before the war ; at the beginning of 1918 it had risen to 260,000; at the end of Septemberv to at least 300,000. Early in the year, owing to the withdrawal of men for the Army, it became urgent to enlist further whole-time workers in the Women's Land Army to take their place, and about 9000 additional women were selected, trained, equipped, and placed in employment. In 1918 the output of home-grown timber rose to 4,250,000 tons, as compared with 3,----000.000 tons in 1917, and 900,000 tons in 1913. At Ist October, 1918, 2323 women fellers and measurers were employed to assist in this work on the lighter sides of the industry, and the report states that "they have given satisfaction." The Women's Royal Naval Service numbered over 4000 in December. In addition to doing women's ordinary housework, their sphere of utility gradually widened, and latterly included wireless telegraphy, signalling, ledgerkeeping, motor-driving, and other similar duties formerly performed by men. Nearly 2000 women were entered by the W.R.N.S. for the Air Force.