HITHER AND THITHER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 178, 31 July 1940, Page 8

HITHER AND THITHER

' Springvale-Mosston Red Cross Shop Day. • All kinds of produce will be on sale ’ on Friday next, August 2, at the shop day to be held by the Springvaie-Moss- , ton Red Cross sub-centre in the shop lately occupied by Stenberg’s. Home- j made chutney and preserves, including ■ s lemon honey, are among the many good things that will fill the stalls. Duchess of Kent in Uniform. According to overseas writers the Duchess of Kent is a fascinating figure in uniform. In New Zealand photo- ! graphs have been appearing in local papers of the Duchess in the uniform of an officer of the Order of St, John. As lady superintendent of the‘St. John Organisation in Wales, the .’ charming Duchess is more than a ’f figurehead, for when she undertook , leadership she studied St. John nurs- ’ ing methods and has since passed the nursing examination. At a recent nursing exhibition “somewhere in y England’’ she was was very interested . in a working replica of a reception e post at a military camp where cases . are received and kept for three days before being passed on to hospital. ’ Mother and Daughter Banquet, £ More than 100 attended the ,’ Y.W.C.A. Mother and Daughter Ban- , quet on Monday night in the Y.M.J Y.W.C.A. Lounge. Miss E. D. Graham, chairman of the Y.W.C.A., presided, and the guest of honour. Miss Ethel Law, national secretary of tne Y.W.C.A, of New Zealand, gave a talk in which she explained the purpose of the association and the benefits received from it by members. Toasts were honoured and members introduced their motners. A community sing was held, and Miss R. Ratcliff sang. Farewell choruses and "Auld Lang Syne” closed the gathers ing : Yesterday afternoon Miss Law ad--1 dressed the members of the Presby- ■ terian Women’s Missionary Union, at 4 a meeting held in St. Paul’s Hall, ana ' last night in the Y.M.C.A.-Y.W.C.A. she gave a talk to the Y.W.C.A. Asso- ” elate Members’ Group. j Importance of Plunket Work. A matter of much concern to the - Plunket Society is the falling off of support to this very important and highly patriotic work. This is consldi ered due to the increasing calls for 3 immediately visible patriotic work. l- Stressing tne importance of the Plunket Society’s work and its patriotic - nature, Mrs. P. Fraser, the wife of the Prime Minister, said at the annual 1 meeting of the society's branch in ? Wellington: “The war must not be al- > lowed to interfere with the work of i the society. When this struggle for i freedom is over, women everywhere - will be called on to do their part in 4 making the world a happier and healthier place and that was the work being carried on by the society ; at all times. It was not only necesi sary to have a healthy body, but a healthy mind as well, if minds could be pictured as bodies were, people • would often be horrified at the twist- ; ed, stunted and distorted shapes they . saw.” Mrs. Fraser said she knew that the women belonging to the Plunket Society, along with others, would play . their part in helping the work of the i society, which was such an important > part of the war effort. There was urgent need in the Do- | million for adequate housing; not only l private homes, but institutions as well, 'such as plunket homes for mothers and babies, said Mr. Armstrong. As .Minister of Health, he intended to combine two jobs, supervision of national health with that of housing The preservation of the health of mothers and babies was never more vital than to-day, and babies were the greatest asset a country could have. Mr. Armstrong said he knew of no greater work in New Zealand than that done by the Plunket Soci/.ty; as a result of its teachings the Dominion possessed the lowest infant mortality rate in the world.