THE SOCIAL WORLD

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1460, 18 April 1918, Page 32

THE SOCIAL WORLD

C,I<,irNCSLL.X- -SMITH .

Announcements of engagements and contributions of interest relating to weddings and social gatherings should be sent to Lady Editor, “Sporting and Dramatic Review” Office, Auckland. In all cases the writer’s signature and address must be attached (not for publication). Photographs of wedding groups will be reproduced by arrangement.

Dr. Jessie Maddison, of Christchurch, who has been surgeon of the Warnecliffe War Hospital, Sheffield, for the past 18 months, is returning to New Zealand. * * * * Mrs. Thursby Pelham, England, and her daughter, Lady Walker, who is in residence at “Cargen,” Auckland, are on a visit to Wellington. * * * * Miss Jeanne Beauchamp has returned to Wellington after spending several months with friends in Sydney and the Blue Mountains. si: * * * Mrs. W. Carncross and Miss Carncross have returned to Eltham after a holiday in Rotorua. * * * * A Sydney cable states that the Gov-ernor-General presented Nurse M. Cameron, of the New Zealand nursing service, with the insignia of the Royal Red Cross (first class). * * * * The engagement is announced of Dr. Elizabeth MacDonald, Auckland, Medical Inspector of Schools, to Dr. Robert Bryson, Levin, Wellington. ft * * Mr. and Mrs. Cato, Napier, have been on a visit to Auckland, staying at the Grand Hotel. ❖ * Sister L. Brandon, N.Z.A.N.S., is acting-matron at the New Zealand Officers’ Convalescent Home at Brighton, England, Matron Brooke, who is in charge of the Home, having gone to France to take charge of the New Zealand Stationary Hospital. $ * * * News from England has been received of the marriage of Miss Gladys Merton, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Merton, to Mr. Fell, formerly of Christ’s College, now of the Royal Flying Corps. * * * * Miss J. N. Teape, who gained her diploma for massage at the Otago University, is proceeding shortly to the front on active service as a masseuse. ♦ * * * Miss Gether, secretary of the Otago Women’s Club, was farewelled at a gathering in Dunedin and presented with a purse of sovereigns. Miss Gether is going to South Africa to resume her work in wood-carving, leather and copper work in the interests of the South African troops. * * ft ft Miss Mary Geddes (Auckland), national secretary of the girls’ department of the Y.W.C.A. for Australasia, was the guest of honour at an “At Home” in Wellington, given by the Board of Directors of the Y.W.C.A. Mrs. R. Pearson (president of the association), Mrs. J. P. Luke (Mayoress) and Miss Birch (general secretary) acted as hostesses. Miss Geddes gave an interesting outline of the organisation and its various activities, stressing the importance of the girls’ department. Miss Birch and Mrs. Luke also made short speeches, and Her Excellency, the Countess of Liverpool, who was present, expressed her great interest in the work of the association. * * * * The wedding took place in Christchurch on April 6 of Miss Mary Rutherford, third daughter of the late Mr. Duncan Rutherford and Mrs. Rutherford, of Leslie Hills, Canterbury, to Mr. Percy Morse, a returned Anzac, formerly of the Main Body (Canterbury Mounted Rifles). The Rev. J. Campbell performed the ceremony, which owing to a family bereavement, was of a very quiet nature. # * * * The engagement is announced in Wellington papers of the Rev. F. M. Kempthorne, of St. Peter’s, Wellington, son of the Venerable Archdeacon and Mrs. Kempthorne, of Brightwater, Nelson, to Miss Gladys Danby, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. S. Danby, of Wellington.

After the formal opening of Parliament last week, Mrs. W. F. Massey entertained Her Excellency the Countess of Liverpool and the wives and daughters of Ministers and members of both Houses of Legislature at afternoon tea in the Cabinet room. Miss Massey assisted Mrs. Massey in the entertainment of her guests. Lady Liverpool was accompanied by Mrs. Thursby Pelham and Lady Walker, of Auckland, who were guests at Government House. * * Speaking in Wellington at a welcome given to Miss Geddes, Miss Birch, secretary of the Y.W.C.A., said in many ways the association tried to guard young girls. Those arriving in the city as strangers were met and were directed to the hostels or to some known boardinghouse. Last year they had had 1051 girls passing through the hostels, and so many applications had been made for entrance into them that they had been forced to make an age and a time limit. The association also tried to make girls save, and as a result of their endeavours they had had a savings account of £6OO for the last year, all saved by girls from their earnings, and by girls who had never saved before.

Nursing Sister Mildred Rees, formerly of Napier, who has been in the Imperial Army service in France since the outbreak of war, has recently been mentioned in despatches by Sir Douglas Haig for distinguished services at the front. * * * ft The war is rudely removing many picturesque London land marks, says the “Daily Mail.” The old apple woman, a feature of the itinerant street life of the City and the West End, browned by exposure to all weathers, has disappeared with the little go-cart on which her stock was arrayed. The times are out of joint for her trade. When apples, with well-polished skins, could be retailed at a penny each she flourished; even when, under the stress of war prices, they rose to l|d. and 2d. each there was a living for her. With apples now 4d., sd. and 6d. each, she has been forced to declare a moratorium, and her familiar haunts know her no longer. The orange woman has followed in the wake of the apple woman. There is no casual trade for oranges at from 3d. to 6d. each. The chocolate woman has given up, because chocolate is unprocurable; while the woman who sold penny-

worths of “lolli-pops” for errand boys has found her trade killed by the sugar shortage. * * ft * Speaking at a social gathering at the Thorndon (Wellington) car cleaning yards, the stationmaster, Mr. T. Dawson, mentioned that since the inception of the system of employment of women for the purpose of relieving men for active service just a year ago, the women had cleaned the interiors of 13,416 cars without a mishap, and the work had been undertaken with credit by the women concerned. * ft ft ft There was little or no brilliance of colour either in frocks or hats at the ceremony of opening Parliament, says a writer in the Wellington “Post,” and the sudden note of striking colour mentioned in English and Australian fashion notes is absent in New Zealand dressing. Black, white, grey and mauve shades prevailed almost entirely; in fact, the “tin hats” were perhaps the most effective people present. Her Excellency, the Countess of Liverpool, wore black chiffon taffetas, with -a closely-pleated skirt, and a wide white collar of georgette, finished with a narrow line of mauve.

Her hat was of black, with a mauveembroidered brim, and she also wore black fox furs, and carried the Speaker’s presentation bouquet of beautiful scarlet and white cactus dahlias, tied with streamers to match. Mrs. Massey wore a black corded silk coat and skirt, the white collar and vest being embroidered in mauve shades. Her hat was a close-fitting one of black miroir velvet, with a white silk cord round the crown. The bouquet presented to her was of large pale blue and white delphiniums and scarlet leaves, tied with satin streamers to match. Lady Ward was in a neat grey tweed coat and skirt, black furs, and a turban hat of the Belgian shape, finished with a wide black silk bow, and she carried a beautiful bouquet of mauve and white flowers, with sprays of maidenhair fern, and wide mauve streamers. ft ft ft * The following appeal “To Our Fellow Countrywomen” to practise economy is signed by, among others, Mrs. Lloyd George, the Duchess of Portland, Lady Londonderry, Lady Askwith, Lady Rhondda, Lady Carson, Lady Haig Lady Jellicoe, Lady Beatty, Mrs. Fawcett and Mrs. Humphry Ward; —“There are still far too many

men and women alike whose thoughtless spending is weakening the cause of the Allies. Needless expenditure on articles requiring labour and material at a time when both are scarce and all that can be spared are wanted for our fighting men is to sacrifice their lives in blind ingratitude. We earnestly appeal to well-to-do women to lead the way. The example of many is counteracted by the ostentatious display of a minority. This is especially true with regard to dress. Change of fashion implies serious waste of labour and material. We beg all women to deny themselves for the sake of victory and to support loyally all restrictions which the Government may impose for this end. The money saved should be lent to the State. Abstain from all unnecessary personal expenditure and set aside the monej 7 thus, saved and invest it week by week in National War Bonds or War Savings Certificates in order that every material help may be sent to the men at the front!” ❖ * * High boots for women are on their last legs—or will be in the course of the next few days, says the “Daily Mail,” of January 28. After Thurs-

day (January 1) it will be illegal to sell or buy without a permit from the Director of Raw Materials women’s boots with uppers exceeding 7in. in height if of leather or Sin. if of any other material, the height being measured from the seat of the heel to the topmost part of the upper. This order has been made by the Army Council to save material. To get rid of their stocks some shops are reducing the prices. One multiple shop firm announces a reduction of a penny in the shilling, which means that a pair of high boots ticketed at £2 2s. can be bought for 38s. 6d. “It is certain that there will be large supplies—probably tens of thousands of pairs—left on the hands of the dealers,” said Mr. Thomas Lilley, chairman of Messrs. Lilley and Skinner, to a “Daily Mail” representative. “The stocks may be valuable, seeing that the scarcity of boot leather looks like becoming more and more pronounced. The manufacture of highlegged boots did not cease until the last day permitted by the Government, January 1.” One firm is producing long lace-up gaiters of cloth, which produce practically the same effect as high-cloth-topped boots.

Lord Rhondda has set down the maximum amount of tea for each person at' one and a-half ounces per week. Of sugar he allows half a pound, and of margarine a quarter. An English paper raises the question: “Is tea a necessity?” and says that almost a mutiny arose in the Government offices, where thousands of women are employed, at the threat that the tea which has illuminated the afternoon’s weariness shall be abolished. “As a practical fact,” says the writer, “the brain works so much more freely and rapidly after a cup of tea that the time in taking it is by no means wasted.”