SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19471, 29 October 1926, Page 7

SOCIAL NEWS.

Mrs. John Salmon, of Thames, is staying at the Hotel Cargen. Mr. and Mrs. M. Gillies, of Wellington, aro visiting Auckland. Dr. W. McCaw and Mrs. McCaw returned bv the Makura from a visit to Tahiti. Mrs. D. G. Ferguson, of Romaera, is visiting her sister-in-law, Mrs. G. K. Wilson, of To Aroha.

Mr. and Mrs. W. Elliot, who have been on a visit to England, are returning by tho Ruahine, which arrives at Wellington on Saturday.

A League of Mothers has been formed in Greytown. Mrs- Tato has been elected president, and Mrs. Stent secretary and treasurer. Lady Alice Fergusson has consented to arrange for a speaker at the next meeting to explain the objects of the league.

Women owners loomed large at Doncaster races in England for twelve of them had horses., and in the case of Mrs. T. Carthew and Mrs. S. Whitburn more than one, running in the various races. Mrs. Arthur James and Lady Alwyne Compton-Vyner and Lady Ludlow have been faithful followers of the great sport for many years. The Duchess of Newcastle is also a well-known racehorse owner.

Seventy-three famous old London City companies have lent their plate, furniture, old tapestries, charters and documents for exhibition at the South Kensington Museum, and the result is a most interesting collection. It includes, among many treasures, a gold rosewatei" bowl and salver, given by Pepys to the cloth workers' company, and a gilt statue of St. Duns tan, onco on a barge and now the property of the fishmongers (write a London correspondent). ' These old guilds are immensely wealthy and immensely charitable. Many have endowed schools, and all have city halls, where, from time to time, great banquets are held. On these occasions every lady guest receives a miniature replica of some famous piece of plate as a souvenir. All sorts of trades and callings seem to possess a "company," haberdashers, glovers, instrument makers, chandlers, vintners, leather workers and even parish clerks.

Interested in politics from the time she could think logically, Dame Millicent Fawcett began to work for the improvement of women's condition when she was quite yonng. To-day she can look back on a great accomplishment in the emancipation of women from the disabiliti.es under which they were compelled to live in spite of their protests and the inexorable logic of their arguments. At a Liberal political meeting at her father's house attended chiefly by Suffolk farmers, Dame Millicent once took round a petition ask ing Parliament to pass the Married Women's Property Bill, which was then before the House. One old farmer asked: "If this bill becomes law and my wife has a matter of £IOO left her, should I have to 'arst' her for it?" Dame Millicent's affirmative settled the matter. She got no more signatures. A few yeare later, after she was married, a man picked her pocket in When she attended to prosecute him she found the charge sheet stated he was charged with "stealing from the person of Millicent Fawcett a purse containing £1 18s 6d, the property of Henry Fawcett." Insult could not more effectually have been added to injury.

Miss Frances Taylor, editor and proprietor of "Women's World," of Melbourne, who was a delegate to the recent women's congress in Paris, gave a sketch of a number of interesting matters while in Adelaide on her way home. She spoke of the fine friendliness of the women of all nations there assembled and of the matters concerning unknown conditions which were brought forward. "We had women from India," said Miss Taylor, "talking of conditions for their women from the districts where the marriage age averages 12 years. We were talking of legitimacy and marriage legislation, and they were talking of laws for these 12-year-old children.' A subject of deep interest and much discussion was equal conditions of work where men and women are concerned. After a great deal of information giveu and discussion the matter was left as ths last conference left it—with a resolution in favour of equal conditions, and with a clause , that "unless women wished it" no special protective legislatioQ should be made in their favour. 1 am inclined to think that this is the best thing," remarked Miss Taylor, "to work for a broad principle, with a saving clause to cover those conditions where modification is required."