NEW ZEALANDERS AT HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20722, 15 November 1930, Page 18

NEW ZEALANDERS AT HOME.

CONFERENCE LADIES. PRIME MINISTER'S WIFE. [FROM OUlt (OWN" CORRESPONDENT. 3 LONDON, Oct. 8. Mrs. Forbes, wife of the Primo Minister, coming to London for tlio first time, lins stored up a wealth of impressions. Chief among theso is the kindliness and helpfulness of all whom sho has so far met. Naturally, Lady Wilford, a personal friend, has smoothed out many difficulties ill tlio first week for both Mrs. Forbes and Lady Sidey. For ono thing, there is hasty shopping to bo dono. To-night Mrs. Forbes and Lady Sidey dined at Buckingham Palace as the guests of th* King and Queen. Mrs. Forbes was greatly impressed with (ho Guildhall dinner on Wednesday night. Her photograph had appeared in the newspapers and many ladies whom she had heard of, recognising her, mado themselves known to her. On her voyago to London sho was pleased and surprised to find how many New Zcalanders—some of them old friends—were to bo found scattered across the world. At every place of call—Suva, Honolulu, Victoria, Vancouver, Ottawa, and New York—New Zcalanders mado themselves known. Goodwill, indicated by tho presentation of bouquets of flowers, has followed her from Auckland to London, and her travelling apartments, and now her rooms at tho Savoy Hotel have rievor lacked floral decoration.

During tho few days before (ho conferorenco began, Mr. and Mrs. Forbes followed their bent and visited a number of tho places of interest. St. Paul's Cathedral and Petticoat Lano were included in these.

Next Sunday, Mrs. Forbes is lunching with Lady Hudson and will meet there Mrs. Amery, wife of the Right Hon. L. S. Amery. A later week-end will be spent at tho country homo of Lord Bledisloe, whero the Prime Minister and Mrs. Forbes will be guests of relatives of the Governor-General. Lady Sldey. Lady Sidey seems to bo enjoying thoroughly her first visit to London. She was the guest of Mrs. J. H. Thomas, wife of the Secretary for the Dominions, on Tuesday evening. Admiralty House, whero tho party dined, Lady Sidey found most interesting with its paintings and relics of the British Navy. "Our hostess, Mrs. Thomas," said Lady Sidey, "was very pleasant, and I liked her very much. N Miss Ishbel Mac Donald as a hostess is very natural, and gives one the impression that she is holding her position very well just by being her natural self. Sho must be a wonderful manager, however." Lady Sidey has conveyed fraternal greetings from the New Zealand International Council of Women to the London headquarters. Next week there is to bo a conference of 700 delegates at Portsmouth and Lady Sidey hopes to be able to attend some of the meetings. When sho has time she will also get into touch with tho Federation of University Women at Crosby Hall, and pay a. visit to tho Mothercraft Training Society at Cromwell House, Highgate. Lady Squires.

Lady Squires, v ifo of the Primo Minister of Newfoundland, has established two precedents—she is the first and only woman member of Parliament in Newfoundland, and she is tho only woman in the Empire to sit in a Parliament of which her husband is the Premier. In another way sho is less original, for she shares his political views. Lady Squires has been a frequent visitor to Ixindon. ller elder daughter was educated at an English school, and at the Royal College of Music. Her two oldest boys were at Harrow, but aro now at a Canadian university. The youngest boy, now nt a preparatory school in England, will also go from Harrow to a Canadian university. Lady Squires graduated in Canada. Miss Elaine Squires accompanied Sir Richard Squires tc tho Economic Confcrcnco at Berlin last year.