NOTES FOR WOMEN

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10688, 7 September 1920, Page 9

NOTES FOR WOMEN

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL,

The- engagement is announced of Bileen, younger daughter of Mrs G. Y. Dennis, Brougham street, and formerly of "Goodlands," Mnsterton, to Mr Poter J. H. Low©, M.R.C.S.M., of Sydney, NewSouth Wales, and formerly of the Australian Army.' The Women's Christian Temperance Union regrets the fact that Wellington as a city has made no organised effort to assist the "'Fight the Famine" fund, which has in. many centres received excellent support. The W.C.T.U. is matins its own effort, and will continue to do so, bufc the District Union is desirous of seeing a wide effort made,, the need is great, the circumstances tragic and appalling. There are many, they feel sure, who would willingly give to this fund. A London correspondent -tvritee as follows:—Miss J. M. Girdler and Miss G. Watkins. the. delegates appointed by the Department of Overseas Trade to inquire into the conditions of female labour in New Zealand, have now arrived here. .Although greatly delayed in setting out from the Dominion, their voyage was an uneventful one, and they, devoted .their time on board to preparing their report. This has now been handed in to the department, but it will probably be some weeks before it is printed and ready to be laid before Parliament. Miss Girdler tells me that she and her colleague.hayo the happiest impressions of their visit, but as they -were both very much at home there, they did not visit the country as strangers. .There aro plenty of opportunities, she says, for the right women in New Zealand —not only - domestic servants but educated women of ability and enterprise.

Long, straight, sheath-like bodices, skirts of moderate -width, and elbow sleeves will date our ' morning cotton frocks as being of this.'season's newest, eays a fashion writer; softly frilled and ruffled apron, or panel, wide ecarf -with its pendent ends and draped corsage must give the note of simple elegance for voile or cotton georgette; and for State occasions reserve your muslins and taffetas, all puffed and panniered with silken.sash or beaded girdle as best suits their style. Mrs Arnold Bloxhanv left by the Ruahine on Saturday for London. Mr Justice Hosting and Mrs iloskins are staying at Miss Malcolm's:-until their own. house is finished; _ ■ Miss Laurenson has returned from a .visit to Duhedin, and i* staying with "Mrs Buxton at the Hutt. Miss Knox Anderson, -who has been spending a short time at the Hutt, is in Christchurch, and returns to Dunedin this week.

Miss Peat, Wanganui, Is visiting Wellington. Mr and.3Xrs R. Parksr are at present in Christchurch..-., .-v. v. -!v: ,-,;:■&■..-'■

The usual monthly- meeting of the Mothers' Help Division W.N.R. was held in the rooms, Courtenay place, yesterday. The reports of the visiting helpers showed that they had spent a very busy month, in spite of which many requests for ' help could not bo complied -with, proving how Inany lady helps ot this kind are needed. Many letters of appreciation have been • received. Duringr the month • 200 mothers and children. have used the rest room, an_d r .34 children have been left in- charge -of .-the?,matron fcr varying pericHs. Gifts of clothing . for the -wardrobe were thankfully' received from Mesdames Baldwin, Kirk, Ansted, Roberts, and. Blackburn, Miss Barnicoat, and the Mothers' Thought Guild. The committee regrets that a good deal of confusion exists over the various movements for the help *>f mothers and children, and calls attention to the fact lhat its only activities are the existing rest room for mothers and children, and the visiting helpers, both.of.wh.icU.have been £n operation- no* for-more'than a year. Many people -will very deep regret of the death of Mrs Garfield Crawford, of Tnvercorgill. Mrs Crawford, who before'her marriage -was _Miss Myra Shirtclifi, was "a very energetic and popular war worker, and did a great deal in connection with Lowry Bay ' Convales-' cent Home for Soldiers. Her untimely death- will be a' great shock to a very' wide Circle of friends in Wellington, and much sympathy will be felt for her Mr David McKee Wright, of Sydney, of the "Bulletin" staff, has'been awarded the Rupert Brooke literary prize of 25 guineas, -which was instituted last year by the Old Collegians' Association of the Presbyterian Ladies' College. Melbourne, in commemoration of peace. Mr Wright is of Irish birth, but has long i-esided in Australia, and .previously in New Zealand, where he was a clergyman filling the- Presbyterian and Congregational pulpits.. The final of the, Nanier ladies' golf championship was won .by, Mies Bell who defeated Miss Dixon i and 3. At All Saints' Church, Nelson, recently. Miss- Louisa Seaton, only daughter of Mi- and Mrs Herbert Seaton, formerly of Brunner, was married to Mr Charles Flanagan, of Nelson, the Rev. Pi-ing' Bowe officiating. Mr and Mrs George Ellwood havo left Christchurch for Sydney, where Mr Ellwood will take up an appointment as a 'cello instructor at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. At St. Matthew's. Church, Masterton, on Thursday afternoon, Mr. JU'ric Clifton Fowler, of the staff of Dalgety and Co., Ltd., and only son of Mr and Mrs Hilton Fowler, of Palmorston North, -was married to Miss Irene Taylor, tnly\ daughter of Mr Thomas Taylor, of "Beaumaris," Whareama.

PUBLIC SPIRITED CITIZENS,

The Maycfr of Hastings (Mr G. Ebbett), on behalf of himself and Mrs Garnett, as trustees, has forwarded a letter to the Hastings Borough Council, with reference to the erection of a Mothers' Rest in Hastings, from which the following is an extract:—"Tour councillors will be aware of the fact that certain donations have been made for this purpose (i.e., the erection of a Mothers' Best) subject to the consent of the coun-' cil that the buildings shall be erected tin the council's property in Eastbourne street. We thought that .£2OOO at least was necessary before commencing, and we have been blocked for several weeks for the .want of the last .£350, but I mentioned it to Mr A. B. Knight and I have now received a letter from him to say that his family will be pleased to provide tho JJ3SO necessary. The moneys received have been banked to the credit of myself and Mrs Garnett as trustees." Where can I go to get some really nice hairwork? Tell mo quickly, quietly, and confidentially. Yes, the latest designs of the world can be seen at Milsom'e. Good hairwork is like good goods from an established firm. Orders aro continuous; and so it is with the 20-y Car establishment conducted by Mies Milsom. Call or write; send pattern of hair. Miss Milsom, 94, Willis street, 'Phone 814 —Advt.

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY,

STUDY AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS,

Yesterday was the commencement of the third term at Victoria University, lhe last term is reported to have 'been most and the social side, • beyond all comparison, and culminated successfully in a conversazione. Con-siderable-excitement prevails in connection w-ith the return of the Sydney University College Rugby team to Wellington and it is expected that the ball in honour of the occasion to be held on Wednesday will bo an entire success. After the excitement of tho visitors has died down, students will settle-down-to another term, and it is to.be hoped that the progress made will be as satisfactory as the preceding term.

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

MONTHLY. MEETING.

The monthly meeting of the Royal N.Z. Society for the Health of Women and .Children was held in the society's rooms, 8, Courtenay place, on Thursday last, when there were present—Mesdames Massey (in 'the. chair),. W. F. Ward, W. Nathan, S. .Kirkcaldie, W. Luke, Gibbs, Ponsonby, Leckie, Wilkie, Hosking, Corrigan, TVthe-Brown, .Lady Findlay,. Misses Kirkcaldie and. Baraett... Apologies . were received from Lady -Stout,- Mesv dames Chapman, Burd, and 'Gray. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, accounts passed for payment, and correspondence dealt with.

The committee passed a vote of sympathy with Mrs Douglas Cooke on the death, of her father, Mr McLellan. . The nurses' report was received and proved quite satisfactory, in spite of the fact that fewer visite had been paid to the rooms, and by the. nurses to, the homes than in July./ This -was .■una.TC.3cl-;: able on account ■of the had weather in" August, and the stoppage of the trams., _ The following subscriptions and "donations are gratefully acknowledged; —A Good- Friend, .£25; Mesdames J. A. Pike and Cecil Robinson, X2 2s each; Lady Chaytor, Lady Findlay, Mesdames Crawford, Maer, Morris, W. 3. Coleman. Lewis, Ladv Stout, Kirkcaldie and Stains, £1 Is each- Mesdames Faris, Simpson, Tingey, Ryalls, Duncan, and Monogan. £1 each; Mesdames: - Tyihe-Browtt -and Tully, 10s 6d ;: oauh-~M«stftfmes^ : H; Kirk-' caldie, McLeod, and Reid, 10s each; Mesdames Wallace, Browti; Misses Ooates and Taylor, 5s each; Mrs Coard, 2s fid. To tho. material fund—Mesdames Gibbb and Ponsonby, 5s each, and ' 3 knitted I jackets from Miss Richardson.

PRISON FARM FOR WOMEN

The Women Prisoners' WeHare Group have received some very interesting re* ports of the Reformatory Farm Colony tor women prisoner* estaiM.shed jji .giewJensey, U.S.A'i.-..- si Tho Clinton, Jarms.\as this establishment is-called.-was began in 1912. For several ,-vears before, a group of earnest men and: women collected statistics, which showed onlr too I plainly the lamentable neglect on the part of the State of the women who had broken the law and the disastrous result of this neglect.; La-the gaols the drunk and disorderly committed a score bf times were thrown in contact with the young girl sentenced for the -first j time.' No effort wis made at educational reform. 1 SrCommissipn iaadoJ a unanimous establishment of a reformatory for-wo-men "on the cottage plan in the country." A bill was passed in the Legislature and the next steo was to secure the necessary funds. • A farm of 3&> acres, situated in the hills of- Hunterdon County, was* secured, sufficient to accommodate 25' "iris.. and the institution was formally opened in January, 1913. Here the women are housed on .the cottage system and are taught.trades which will be of use to them,on their release'. The report :01-" the ,*.first >y.yjy*,, JWUStt 'r . "Amusements', must "form;. .an- ;;impp"rtant part of our curriculum. "~ Our ideal bevxs to develop and train the bodies, awaken the minds, hearts and conscience!? of all committed to us 'eo that ■ they mav know and follow the Truth, which alone can make them free,"

I The superintendent's report says: "The institution aims to return the women to a self-supporting life, better able to meet their difficulties . and responsibilities. This aim can best bo developed in an air of freedom, . for that, of • necessity throve the- responsibility of. the success of tbe.plac'e back- tOithej-womett-—where it so "truly belongs. :.'"'Tlio more normal we make the life here, the le.w apt the women will be to fail when placed back in an environment lcs6 protected. These women must be made to think and decide for themselves' or all our training will be in vain." The report of the second year showed that tbe women leave the farm better able to earn an honest living and with an improved mental equipment. , After the women the farm thev are on parole for some time, so that. the. superintendents know where" they are and what doing. This; is considered a necessary corollary to the reformative treatment. .

' The women are trained in all kinds of farm work, as woll as house work, laundry, cooking, diningroom work, sowing,, but if.a woman shows anv aptitude for a special subject she is trained in that. One woman showed great aptitude for dressmaking, and oh her release was able to support herself at that work. The honour system is in force and has been found to be the best means'of training tho wdmen,- and one report: eayß' -there had been no broach of, trust in a"whole year. , . . ■•:•■.. .'.±>:...•, -r, 1 -:-.-.:-.-■■-.•- - One important that a psychologist tests each woman committed, and those'who are either subnormal or abnormal are transferred to special institutions. ■ , ■

Ilia farm work is seemingly well done by. the women, for not only, is the institution supplied with- all-it needs of farm produce, but a. profits made on the sale. Th<J report *-ot 191? Rives the farm earnings for the year at 12,552 dollars,, and;appropriation, fit.Booo dollars, leaving a profit of .4552 dollars. | lhei report of tho same year gives a IODl 0D - ,"?t of fruit,and vegetables canned for future use. It is interesting to note among them 204 quarts of peas, and s<i3 gallons of tomatoes. • T ?\. e v . reports show great growth in the institution in its work and give evidence of the good which such a system does in reforming women who, have broken the law and returning _ them-to sooiety as respectable law-abiding citizens, which should be tne object of every court and prison, not, as it mostlv the case at present, of manufacturing criminals to prey upon society. lhe Womem Prisoners' Welfare Group have at heart the establishment of such a farm colony in New Zealand to help women malefactors to -return tea decent life. It is to, be hopedthat their efforts will be largely. supported bv all who have the gbod'of the community at heart. •