WOMEN IN THE NAVY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22293, 16 December 1935, Page 4

WOMEN IN THE NAVY

DOMESTIC COURT ADVISER The widow of a naval officer who was killed in the war recently started on one of tho hardest jobs ever set a woman, states an overseas writer. Mrsi. E. M. Langdon, the mother of two grown-up sons, will sit in an office next to that of the Commodore nt the Royal Naval Barracks at Portsmouth and givo advice to sailors' wives. The British Navy wants to keep its troubles "in the family" and so at Portsmouth, Devonport and Chatham "tho Admiralty has opened a welfare and marriage allowance section. Mrs. Langdon, a tall, kindly woman with greying hair, has had long experience of working among sailors' .wives and their children. She is at present Admiralty Inspector of Children's Welfare at Portsmouth. Although Mrs. Langdon ia empowered by the Admiralty to give advice at her "domestic court," she will be unable to give any financial help. Her chief business will be to explain to wives how to keep out of fiuancial tangles, and in some cases she may be able to put forward a plea to the Admiralty on behalf of couples who find that the pay for a man under 2o will not keep two. The; new arrangement will enable commanding officers to institute/without delay any inquiries or arrangements for the well-being of men's families. The commander-in-chief and commodores of tho Home ports have been empowered to decide upon the action to be taken in certain matters connected with marriage allowances which have hitherto been dealt with only at the Admiralty. Two other women have been engaged in the same capacity. They are Mrs. Sprott, now Depot Aid Fund worker at Devonport and Miss H. Wyon, Deaconess at Chatham.