People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20541, 16 February 1935, Page 10

People and Their Doings .

A Women’s Legion, led by ex-Wat Workers, is being formed in England : Why Hitler retains Herr Streicher : More about the Steamer Edina.

JJR GEORGE R. FAIL, of Christchurch, was interested in the “ Star ” interview with Mr C. Dickson Gregory, of Melbourne, who was in Lyttelton the other day in search of information concerning the steamer Edina, credited with being the oldest steamer afloat. Mr Fail has written to Mr Gregory, stating that he knew the steamer well, and tried to get a job on her 53 years ago. Mr Fail says that “at the age of 16, a new arrival from London, with no friends or relatives, I was out of work in Melbourne. During those hard times, I had to beg sixpence for a bed at nights and got my meals from the sailors on ships at the wharves I had already spent three years at sea—l was out in China at the age of 13—so I knew I could get a feed from the class of men I used to work with. One afternoon I was alongside the old Edina as she was loading to get away at 4 p.m. How well I remember the bustle, of getting the cargo on. 1 tried to get a job on the Edina as a steward, but there was no vacancy. Anyhow, what I had to go through was the making of me, and it is a pity the trouble-makers in Melbourne haven’t had to go through the same experience.”

QNE OF THE PROBLEMS of Nazi Germany which puzzles many observers is how Herr Julius Streicher, the leader in Franconia and editor of the anti-Semitic weekly, “ Der Sturmer,” succeeds in maintaining his position despite the contempt which many of his have aroused. Herr Hitler recently confided the reason to one of the Conservative members of his Government. The Chancellor related how, many years ago, when the Nazi movement was in its infancy, Herr Streicher had saved his life. They were sitting together in a beerhouse, when a man threw a heavy beer mug at Hitler’s head. Streicher moved quickly and took the blow on his own forehead. He was badly injured and had to be removed to hospital.

WOMEN’S LEGION of women trained to act in any emergency is mooted at Home, and a small committee has been formed. Lady Londonderry, who founded the ■war-time Women’s Legion to supplement the Army’ ssupply of cooks and motordrivers, is the president. Dame Helen Gwynne Vaughan is chairman. During the war she was in charge of the W.A.A.C.s in France before she became Commandant of the Women’s Royal Air Force. All the others on the committee were very active in war work. Mrs Johnston was with the W.A.A.C.s, Dame Rachel Crowdy with the British Red Cross, and Mrs Laughton Matthews and Lady Cholmondeley were with the Women’s Royal Naval Service. Lady Hailsham was with the Field Ambulance Nursing Yeomanry Service in France and Lady Rosebery was a motor-driver. During the last year training has been given to members of the St John Ambulance Brigade in London, in the duties of the defence of the civilian population against gas, but the organisation of a firstaid station in London and other cities requires more trained helpers than the St John Ambulance can provide. The Women’s Legion is beginning its activities enrolling volunteers for this work. 9 ® 9 CIXTY YEARS AGO (from the "Star” of February 16, 1875) : Emigration Lectures in London.—The Society of Arts, London, has given the use of its lecture hall for a .series of lectures on emigration, to be delivered during the winter months by various colonial celebrities. Greymouth. February 15.—Greymouth had a narrow escape from destruction on Saturday last. Five hundredweight of powder was left in an outhouse in the most populous part of the town. A fire was lit in the building, and the bags containing the powder were scorched before their removal •"‘■‘uld be effected.

THE picture of the Orient liner Ormonde, dressed for her role of flagship at the Anniversary Day regatta on the Sydney Harbour, which appeared in the “ Star ” on Thursday, was of more than usual interest to the family of Mr George Evans, of 121, Moorhouse Avenue. Thirteen years ago, when Mr and Mrs Evans were making a trip on the ship, their daughter was born. As the happy shipboard event took place in May, the child was christened May Ormonde & sS? Si? THE TOWN OF ZINOVIEVSK, in the Ukraine, began to look for a new name when the Soviet Press started linking its famous son and namesake with the Kiroff assassination case. Originally caller! Elisabethgrad after its founder, Peter the Great’s daughter, the Empress Elisabeth—the town was renamed in 1924 in honour of Zinovieff, then President of the Third International. Zinovieff was born and brought up in the local ghetto. The town’s name was changed immediately after the anti-Zinovieff campaign abroad, in connection with the “ Red Letter.” Zinovievsk has 70.000 inhabitants, mainlv Jews Pogroms occurred there in 1881. 1905 and thrice during the Russian civil war Si? Si? Si? FOUR-dAY SALE of one of the most elaborate wardrobes ever assembled by one woman took place in a New York hotel recently. Included in it were more than 1000 pairs of unworn French stockings and 1500 pairs of gloves of every form and colour. The collection was the property of the late Mrs Elbert Gary, widow of the former chairman of the United States Steel Corporation, and the original value placed at £70,000. though it was not expected that more than £IO,OOO would be realised Society women presided over the counters. The proceeds were to go to the Association for the Improvement of the Condition of the Poor for use in connection with tuberculosis relief work, in accordance with a wish expressed in Mrs Gary’s will.