THE SOCIAL ROUND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 170, 24 August 1914, Page 3

THE SOCIAL ROUND

NOTES AND NEWS.

Mrs Peache (Mt. Somers), who has 'been staying at the United Service foi -the past week, motored home yesterday. The Wairarapa ladies' hockey team is coming to Christchurch to play the 'Canterbury . team on the 29th of this month. Mrs Phillips-Turner left Wellington at the end of last week to stay in Auckland with her parents, Colonel and Mrs Pirie.

Colonel Braithwaite, Chief of Staff of the New Zealand Defence Forces, accompanied by Mrs Braithwaite, is at present visiting Auckland. Miss Daisy Jerome, accompanied by J.er mother,' Mrs Jerome, arrived in Christchurch yesterday. Miss Jerome's first appearance, at the Opera House tonight is being-anticipated with a good tleal of pleasurable interest. Mrs Harvey, Lower Hutt, Wellington, lias come down to Christ-church to see lier son, Mr Jack Harvev, "who is in •camp with the Expeditionary Force, which is to leave this week. Mrs Harvey is accompanied by her daughter. The annual social of the employees of Messrs Ward and Co. took place in the Jtidgely Hall on Friday evening. Progressive euchre occupied the fore part, of the evening, the prizes being won by Mrs T\ Wells and Miss Swittala, and Messrs T. Dawson and J. Oft'wood. Dancing followed, Wells's Band supplying the music, several songs and recitations being contributed at intervals. About fifty couples were present.

The crisis which confronts us at the present moment has killed the summer season before it began, says a Melbourne writer. AVe have more serious tasks ahead of us than that of planning Cup gowns. It may be safely prophesied that a wave of simplicity in dress will sweep over Europe. In England and Trance it will be considered bad form to devote much time and m6ney to dress when one's country has just x escaped from deadly, peril, and is staggering under an increased financial burden. °ln the years that followed the Franco-Prussian war the ostentation and extravagance of the Court of III. vanished never to return. Elegant ladies became severe and simple, and Frenchwomen in all grades of society were still more simply and iiiexpensivelj r dressed than English-speak-ing women of the same .class. Englishwomen, we may be sure, have already begun to do what Frenchwomen did forty-four years ago. And we, who copy the fashions of Paris and London, will be compelled, by the exigencies of the mode, if not by our own good taste, to be simple, unostentatious, and economical. Cottons will be more appropriate this summer than silks; straw Jiats trimmed with a simple bow of ribbon will suit the year of chaos and sorrow better than the most elaborate creations of the milliner's art. Mrs St. Clair Stobart, the head of the Women's Sick and Wounded Convoy Corps, which did such fine work in the Balkans last year, mentions as some of the special activities in which the Women's Municipal Party holds that women should actively participate, such matters as the following:—Supervision of bakehouses,' enquiries into food adulteration, care of parks, provision of pure milk for babies, inspection of dairies, and general inspection of workshops, labour bureaus, and housing. Most of these are matters into which Australasian women also would do well to enquire. The few women who do attempt to use wisely their power as municipal electors, find that councillors, at any rate, listen to them at election time, aiul sometimes are stirred up to effect siiglit reforms afterwards. And till we resolve to have a radical reform of municipal government, small reforms are better than none at all.

Education of the public in medical matters in order to prolong life is to be the supreme effort of the American Medical Association during' the coming year, according to a statement made by 3.>r'Vic-tor C. Vaughan, the nevvlv elected president, at the close of the congress. *' During the coming year," said 3>r Vaughan, " we shall spend our time and money in education. Conditions have changed. Once it was simply a matter of the physician's duty to his patient.' The field has broadened. The physician must now go to the public." I>r Vaughan said the association would spend large sums of money in preparing medical matter for newspapers and in spreading the propaganda of health.

A 'Paris, writer remarks: Exquisite in the extreme is the novel fancy of outliuiug a lace pattern witli fine aluminium thread. At the same time the cost of this production is considerable. This beautiful aluminiii.ni lace formed the corsage to a lovely gown of empire green messali ne, the latter a quite new silken fabric with a soft sheeny surface that drapes to perfection. The lace, after forming a deep square cape at the back of the bodice, terminated in little draped folds over the arms. The effect was singularly graceful and novel, the lace once again brought into evidence as a simulated petticoat peeping out from'the crossed draperies at the front of the skirt. Many artistic effects are wrought by original colour combinations. A soft shape of lupin blue finds attractive relief in the carnation pink, and with both lace and embroidered nets, white is scarcely seen at all, such tints as mushroom, biscuit, and a curious verdigris shade being in notable evidence. Now that flounces and tunics are such frequent choice, there should be a good display of models with aluminium-treated lace introduced. Wonderful results have been achieved in reforming boys and girls during the first, year of the Little Commonwealth in Dorset. The crimes which come before the youthful citizens' court are decreasing in number and in severity. A whole batch of criminals was indicted for feeding Billy Boy, and wariicd that they must desist. Billy Boy is aged eighteen months, and is the baby of the Commonwealth, and the boys—not the girls, curiously enough—bought sweets,

too many sweets, for Billy Boy. Being dirty is a crime with which the court lias dealt; being shabby also, the offender having in one case spent her money on sweets. Breaking birds' eggs, ill-treating the horses, speaking rudely to visitors, untidiness, not going to bed at ten, were other offences. The little community "polices" itself, and every citizen is policeman as well as legislator. Bovs aud girls are brought up together, the community being divided into various houses, each under a house mother. The superintendent believes strongly in co-education as a safeguard against the temptations of sex.