New Political Hostesses Make Their Bow

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 714, 13 July 1929, Page 1

New Political Hostesses Make Their Bow

First Big Session Under United Government Sees Many New Faces In Official Social Circles

(Written for THE SUN by

Photographs of Mesdames Wood , Sidey, Forbes and Stall-worthy by S. P. Andrew; of Mrs. Ransom by Arcadia Studios, Danuevirkc; of Mrs Taverner by Pattillo, Dunedin; and of Mrs. Cobbe by Hobday.

G. A. O.)

w-il HB °W ballroom in Parliament . . | Buildings takes on a little of its i gg§|B§gf i | Bunting drapes tlie walls; . .rgsggß . i music, when it is not drowned ~~ - - 1 } by the babble of conversation, " J - Z r‘- Jr^ ll "l| comes from behind a wall of palms; there are bowls of brilliant flowers everywhere and the clatter of tea cups. His Excellency the Governor-General and his lady are present. Smartly frocked women predominate. Several of the more sombrely-attired men are in frock coats. It is the opening of a Parliamentary session and legislators and their wives and numberless guests are taking tea. Bast week Mrs. B. B. Wood, daughter of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, received hundreds of guests after the session was opened by his Excellency the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson. Since the death of Lady Ward—herself a charming and popular hostess —Mrs. Wood has received her father’s guests, and now that Sir Joseph is again Prime Minister her duties take her to all parts of New Zealand and to functions of every kind. • • • Entertaining by political hostesses In New Zealand is not done on any elaborate scale, but behind the scenes the wives of Ministers of the Crown are all assisting their husbands in arduous duty. In England, of course, it is different. Wives of Cabinet Ministers frequently hold large receptions and, if we are to beleive the social chatter which frequently appears in memoirs, a good deal of influence is wielded by the fair sex. Perhaps the English women in those circles take their politics more seriously than their New Zealand sisters. Circumstances may demand that they do. Then again there are important overseas visitors to be entertained when they visit London. Here, again, the political situation may wield its influence. Dusky potentates, European and American ’financiers, celebrated folk from all corners of the globe must be given attention and entertainment, according to their importance in the social and political scheme. Think of the dinners and dances, lunches and teas which were given in honour of the recently deposed King Amanullah of Afghanistan, and his Queen. These affairs, according to first-hand scribblers, were intensely political in effect. But New Zealand is not visited by dusky Royalty, and even when members of our own Royal Family visit the Dominion most of the entertaining is done by the Government or Committees. Certainly, as the years go by, entertaining bypolitical hostesses, even in England, seems to be losing something of the intrigue which gave it spice in the days of the 17th and ISth centuries. At least les3 of it is known today. Perhaps our descendants may learn, however, tttat the 20th century wives of politicians pulled just as many strings. Who knows ? But to get back to the wives of our New Zealand Ministers of the Crown. They, too, have used their influence—always with charming tact. During election campaigns there is much to be done. Meetings must be attended, calls must be made. Sometimes women’s meetings are addressed and an afternoon tea party given for staunch workers. Mrs. Bernard Wood, who must take first place among the political hostesses of the Dominion, has seen a good deal of political life. She has lived in an atmosphere of politics since her youth and she has accompanied Sir Joseph abroad on more occasions than one. Since Sir Joseph has taken over the reins of Government once more Mrs. Wood has moved from Christchurch to Heretaunga and she now resides at her father’s charming home near the famous golf

links. Now that the House is in session Sir Joseph occupies a suite in the old Parliamentary Buildings while his daughter occupies a flat in close proximity to the House. There are always many visitors to the Prime Minister’s Heretaunga home. Mrs. Wood, however, is equal to the task of entertaining her father’s friends and acquaintances. She must accompany him to Government House on formal occasions and partner him during his thousand and one excursions to public and private functions. Not an easy task this.

Perhaps the most arduous day of the Prime Minister’s hostess is her reception following the opening of a session of Parliament. It is one of the social functions of the year in Wellington and is attended by people from every part of New Zealand. Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Council and their wives are always present. Mrs. Sidey, wife of the Hon. T. K. Sidey, Attorney General and Leader of the Legislative Council, has led a most active lifesyand has no doubt been a great help to her husband during his many years in politics. She holds many important positions at present. She is president of the St. Clair Ladies’ Golf Club, president of the Caversham Croquet Club, vice-presi-dent of the Otago University Women’s Association, president of the Free Kindergarten Union of New Zealand, vice-president of the Central Council of the Royal (N.Z.) Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society), of which she was a member for 21 years; convener of the International Standing Committee for Emigration and Immigration of the National Council of Women for New Zealand, of which she was for some years vice-president of the Dunedin branch. For 22 years Mrs. Sidey was a member of the Council of the Dunedin Free Kindergarten Association, for which she has done some very fine work. Although Mrs. Sidey does not take any active part in election campaigns she has always been a keen follower of politics—particularly legislation concerning education, public health and the care of mental defectives and prison reform. As a girl she was a brilliant student. She was born in Dunedin, the daughter of the late Mr. David Baxter. Until nine years of age she was educated privately and then she attended the Otago Girls’ High School. At 16 she matriculated from that school and went to the University of Otago, where she studied science subjects, taking first-class prizes in chemistry (theoreti-

cal and practical). Later Mrs. Sidey spent six years at the Otago Medical School but she did not take her degrees as she was married in 1903. Mrs. Sidey studied painting and singing in her youth and today in her beautiful garden at "Corstorphine,” which rests on the hills above Caversham and St. Clair, she delights in working out colour schemes with her flo-wers. Auckland’s two principal political hostesses, Mrs. Donald, wife of the Hon. J. B. Donald, PostmasterGeneral, and Mrs. Stallworthy, wife of the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, Minister of Health, are new to the political atmosphere. Mrs. Donald was a great help to her husband during his election campaign and received an enthusiastic reception when she appeared at Scots Hall the evening before he was elected. Mrs. Stallworthy has also assisted her husband in the election battlefield. She lives in Albury Avenue, Epsom, though during the session she will spend a good deal of her time in Wellington. “The Hill” is a well-known home in Fielding. It is the home of Mrs. Cobbe, wife of the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister of Marine, Industries and Commerce and Immigration, and here in a lovely garden, she is often found tending the flowers she loves. Mrs. Cobbe was born in King’s County, in the heart of Ireland, but has lived in New Zealand for many years. She has several hobbies, including copperwork, carving and pottery. Mrs. Cobbe also takes a keen interest in the Jersey cattle which are bred by her husband. For many years Mrs. Forbes, wife of the Hon. G. W. Forbes, Minister of Lands and Agriculture, has watched her husband’s success in holding the Hurunui seat. She lives at Cheviot, in North Canterbury. Mrs. Forbes has always lived iu the country and her interests are with the women folk of her husband’s electorate. Mrs. Veitch, wife of the Hon. W. A. Veitch, Mini-

ster of Labour and Mines, was born at Greymouth but she has lived in Wanganui since childhood. For several years she has been a member of the Wanganui Technical College Board of Governors, and has always interested herself in secondary education. A good novel will always receive a welcome from Mrs. Veitch and there are few books on social welfare she has not read. *Her political interests, naturally, have been for the advancement of Liberalism and for her hobbies she has those of the real woman —the welfare of her children and her home. Denmark is the birthplace of Mrs. Ransom, wife of the Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Public Works. She arrived in New Zealand with her parents in 1574 and settled in the Dannevirke district. "My special interest is homemaking,” says Mrs. Ransom. Gardening and horticulture generally are her chief interests apart from that, and she is also a skilled needlewoman. During the whole of her life Mrs. Ransom has associated herself with the Liberal interest in politics. Her home is at "Rosecourt,” Queen Street, Dannevirke. At their charming home in Wellington Mrs. T. M. Wilford, wife of the Minister of Justice, has entertained her husband's political and personal friends for many years. Mr. Wilford was first elected to Parliament in 1596 and one might say that Mrs. Wilford's "political career” began then. Sire is very proud of her daughter, Miss Isobel Wilford, who has successfully captured the hearts of Londoners by her work on the stage. It will be remembered that Miss Wilford received flattering notices when she had to take Miss Tallulah Bankhead's place at the last minute in a West-End production. Since then she has not wanted for London engagements. Mrs. W. B. Taverner, wife of the Minister of Railways and Marine, in another newcomer to the political field. She made many friends in her recent tour of the Dominion. In Dunedin, her home, she has always taken an interest in the public affairs with which her husband was concerned. The welfare of the native race always had the sympathetic interest of Lady Ngata, wife of Sir Apirana Ngata, and her recent tragic death has evoked Dominion-wide sympathy from Pakeha and Maori alike. So our New Zealand political hostesses work in the interests of their party. They do not seek publicity and they work unobtrusively, but none the less effectively for that. There is no bitter party hostility manifested among the wives of politicians in Wellington. Here, in the Dominion, political women of all shades of thought meet over the tea cups on the most friendly terms and, if the truth be told, politics is usually the last subject of conversation. One can find few instances of political snubs, of women being cut off visiting lists because of associations with any one party. It has been whispered that the wife of one former Prime Minister—in the dim, dim past —felt rather strongly about the party led by her husband and on several occasions was ruder than she should have been to the wives of her husband’s opponents. But "we have changed all that,” as the French phrase it. Perhaps the members of the Cabinet in Wellington have already drawn up their rules for fireside conversation; a set of political commandments beginning "Thou shalt not interfere ” During the sessions of Parliament wives of Cabinet Ministers are called upon to spend a considerable amount of their time in Wellington and this necessitates frequent trips to and from the capital. Temporary homes have to be arranged, though some of the political hostesses find it more convenient to stay in hotels or flats. Houses are sometimes provided in Wellington for the Ministers and their wives and

here, in the session, entertaining can be arranged more comfortably than in hotels. Frequently, during the session. Ministers’ wives entertain in their husbands rooms in the House — pleasant little parties these, for the rooms are spacious and comfortable. Sometimes the entertainments take the form of supper parties during the adjournment of the House from 9.30 p.m. to 10. Sometimes there are afternoon tea parties in the Ministers’ suites and sometimes later parties when the House rises at the adjournment for the 'day.