HERE AND THERE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 43, 19 August 1930, Page 15

HERE AND THERE

Dance on H.M.S. Dunedin. Commodore Geoffrey Blake and the wardroom officers of H.M.S. Dunedin entertained a largo number of friends at a private dance given on board the warship at Lyttelton, on Saturday evening. The quarter-deck was transformed into a ballroom by means of awnings, bunting, and coloured lights, and the supper tables were decorated with spring flowers. The ship's band, a very excellent one, provided music for the dancing. Commodore Blake entertained a number of friends at dinner before the dance. •' i An Appreciation.; : A correspondent sends the following appreciation .of good work: "There stands at Reikiorangi a little Anglican Church which was built "to the glory of God" through., the efforts of two ladies, both of whom have now passed away. Ono, Mrs. Jfonk, died some years back, and the other, Mrs. Boyd, passed away just lately. The writer well remembers, as do others in Wellington, the visit of theso two in their efforts to raise the necessary funds. Both were very eager. The church was finally built on the ground donated by the late Mr. !R. C. Hamerton, but it is felt that a mention might be made of the lady whose ready wit, keen sense of humour, and persuasive words were chiefly instrumental in gathering in the money required to give the little settlement its church. For some years past— through failing health—Mrs. Boyd has not been able to take any active part in working for others. Much sympathy is felt for Mr., M. Boyd in his bereavement. Duchess's 30th Birthday. When the Duchess of York celebrated her thirtieth birthday on the 3rd August in the quiet surroundings of Glamis Castle, only the Duke of York, the Princess .Elizabeth, and the Earl and Countess of Strathmore were present (says a London writer). Telegrams of congratulations arrived continually at the little post office in the tiny Highland village. Pictures of the Duchess hang in a place of honour in nearly every cottage there, villagers speaking of her as "oor am young loddy." One villager said: "We do not fly flags here as in London, but we love her just as much as the great folk doon there." Women in Whitehall. Women have carried off 17 out of the 67 vacancies offered in open competition, at the recent . examination for executive posts in the Civil Service, says the "Daily Mail." These appointments cotne next in importance to the administrative class, the highest in tho Service, and, including bonus, give prospects of advancement to a maximum scale of salary approaching £1000 a year. Tho number of candidates was 766, of whom 326 were women. Miss M. H. Mackie obtained fifth place. The next, Miss M. F. Longley, won the eleventh, and Miss M. Wilson secured tho seventeenth place. All the principal departments, except the Defence Departments, are open to the women successful at this examination. They are employed in the Estate Duty Office, tho offices of tho Special Commissioners of Income Tax, the Exchequer and Audit Department, Customs and Excise, to which they were assigned from the provious examination. In tho Estate Duty Office in London, a woman chief examiner has a scale of £600—£20—£750, plus bonus. Tho bonus on a salary of £700 at the present time is £187. In tins office those women will bo engaged in charging the several death duties in force, of which the principal is the estate duty. The Loague of Mothers. A mooting of the Central Branch of the League of Mothers was held recently, when there was a very good attendances. Mrs. Clarke presided. Mrs. Cundy gavn two very good recitations, and.the:aisual: "community sing" took place. Afternoon tea closed an enjoyable meeting. Clumbers will meet at the Vic-toria.-Wurd at 7 p.m.-on Thursday, Slst, when a concert will be given, and members will.h.o oxpcli'd .to provide supper as usual. > I

Women Ministers. Support for the contention that women ministers or preachers should be allowed to solemnise marriage, and also for the placing of women wage-earners within the scope of tho Unemployment Insurance Bill, was given at the monthly meeting of tho Cliristelmrch branch of tho National Council of Women, states the Christchurch "Times." Miss E. Chaplin, speaking on the subject of women ministers in the church, stated that in some backblocks districts men and women were forced to travel miles through rough country in search of a clergyman who would perform the- marriage ceremony. In one at least of those districts there was a woman home missionary who performed all the duties of a clergyman, but was debarrod by law from celebrating marriages. The fact that a woman registrar in one country town had in recent years solemnised a marriage was also commented upon, and it was decided that the following resolution should bo referred back to the affiliated societies for consideration: —"That tho National Council of Women urges that legislation be enacted so that a woinau minister or recognised preacher be empowered to solemnise marriages." Stokes Valley Institute.

There are people, though happily their number is decreasing, who classify all women's organisations as mediums for tea, gossip, and scandal —a visit to a women's institute meoting would soon convert them (writes a correspondent). There is no time at an institute meeting for either gossip or scandal, though a good cup of tea is a feature of tho afternoon. At the last meeting of the Stokes Valley Institute, a prize was offered for tho best "home-made household article," and much ingenuity had been used to produce the articles exhibited. Tho übiquitous sugar bag appeared in several guises; kerosene cases and tins were disguised as seats and coal boxes, but tho prize was won by Mrs. Williamson,' who inado a brush from part of a kerosene case and the hair from a horse's tail. A demonstration and practice of Barbola work was conducted by Mrs. Pharazyn, many members showing decided artistic ability. Mrs. Hawthorn, the president, announced that it was hoped to form a circle of the League of Mothers within the institute, thus widening its interests, also that a donation had been received from Mrs. Cottle towards the maternity bag. Another interesting feature was the reading of a letter from, tho English Institute, with which .1 correspondence is being established. Three new members were admittod during the month, and two other applications have since been received. Afternoon tea was dispensed by Mrs. Fcnton, assisted by members, and the meeting closed with hearty votes of thanks to Mrs. I'harazyn and the hostess. Concert at Porirua. . Several hundred patients of Porirua Mental Hospital were entertained by a concert • -party from Wellington on Sunday afternoon, when a bright and attractive musical, instrumental, and elocutionary prpgramme was given. The audience was highly appreciative, and at the close all those who had combined to make the afternoon a success wore warmly thanked. Those who took part were;—Misses Vera Boesley, Mavis Castle, Areta Wharton, Saundcrs, Knight,, and Fletcher, Mosdamcs L. J. Hopkins, E. Maslin, T. Eoberts, and Messrs. Asheton-Harbord, B. Castle, 1. Boberts, Harding, Jenness, and PipeMajor Eraser (bagpipes). The Price of Beauty! Strawberry juice baths, now advocated in Paris for beauty culture, must be exceedingly expensive, but not more so than some other freak baths which from time to time have been tried on both sides of the Atlantic (states an English exchange). A fashionable New York hydropath advertises a bath of boiled roses and lilies for "that tired feeling," one of pine needles and violets for melancholia, and some dozens Of other "flowery dips" for other real or imaginary ailments, while a Belgian establishment provides baths, concocted according to tho bather's choice, from combinations of lavender, lilies, roses, carnations, and whatnot. In point of extravagance the record probably remains with a film star who used to boast that her daily dip in a bath of sea water, milk, and attar of roses cost her some 25,000 dollars per anum. Other folk are content with gaining much the same effect froni a handful of bath solts. • "Mint Sauce!" One of Princess Elizabeth's latest discoveries is mint sauce, which, intrigued her so much that she asked a gardener recently if he would_ give her some mint to make more mint sauce with! (writes a Londoner). Only a rail separates the happy little grandchildren of the King and Queen from tho happy little children of everyone else as tlrey romp in the same public park these early summer mornings. Dame Rachel Crowdy. Although still quite a young woman, Dame Bachel Crowdy has had an extraordinarily eventful career. In her early 'twenties she spent a year in Guy's Hospital, the knowledge of nursing gained during this period proving invaluable later (says an English exchange). She next studied dispensing,' .and Worked for the National Health .Society as ' a:.'lecturer and demonstrator. On the outbreak of war she crossed to Boulogne with tho first batch of trained V.A.D.'s, and was put in charge as principal commander of thousands ■of V.A.D.'s in France and Belgium. For this highly responsible work she received many decorations, and was made a Dame of the British Empire. Her appointment as a moral) or of the health1 section of the Secretariat of the League of Nations followed immediately after the war, and sue was later put in charge of the social section, the only woman to hold such a position. The Queen's Emeralds. Perhaps tho chief single impression left on the debutantes at the recent Court was of tho Queen's emeralds (writes a Londoner). When Queen Mary visited Paris on her State visit beforo the war the French writers singled out as her particular quality beyond other quee_ns the way in which she woro her jewellery. They said that she restored the grand jewels to society. The emeralds came into the possession of the Queen's grandmother, the Duchess of Cambridge, when she was young, as a prize won in a lottery. The- Duchess bequeathed them "to her daughter.the Duchess of Teck, who .loft them to tho Prince Francis of Teck, who left them to his sister, the Queen. The Queen has added to the emeralds, so that they are now, after tho break-up of so many sets of jewellery, one of the finest sets in the world. The late Duchess of Coburg and Duchess of Edinburgh had magnificent jewels—on the whole a grander set—but they are now dispersed. Emeralds aro not "everyday stones," and not very many ladies can wear them; in fact they require tho splendid carriage and the imposing dress of the Queen to display them properly. Beautiful Arms. It is only natural, that every woman should desire to possess lovely arms. Tho jievfeet arm should be neither too flit nor too thin, but exquisitely moulded, of a smooth, white texture, with dimpled elbows nnd rounder! iforwm'g

tapering to slender wrists. ■ How few of us realise the possibilities which lie in ordinary housework for improving tho contour of our arms! FOr instance,, bed-making' is the finest exercise in tho world for rounding our arms and making them, shapely all 4 beautiful. When' it's a ■ question or sweeping and dusting, it will be afe well to try and use your arms alternately as by this means, one arm will not becomo more developed than the other. Those who wish to preserve the beautiful outline of their arms in spite of having to use them a lot, will find the best thing to do is to sponge them frequently with equal parts of vinegar and water. Let the water be warm and the mixture allowed to dry into the skin. Afterwards, massage the arms well for about ten minutes, the palm "of the hand being moistened from time to time with salt water. Then rinse the arms in'cold water and rub them hard with a Turkish towel.

A vote of thanks was passed by the Petono Plunket Society for tho grant of £125 from'the Macarthy Trust towards the funds of the society. !;