Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, June 27^th, 1918.

Last Sunday nearly all the employees of the Luton Tramways went on strike for the day. Only one car came out, and it made one journey.

The trouble arose on the question of wages, and more particularly on a demand for double pay for Sunday work. The employees decided to return to work on Monday pending the consideration of the question by the company.

Mr Wray, the General Manager, told our representative that he was away at the time and he knew nothing of the men's intention to cease work, the men not having approached him as on previous occasions. At present the matter is in abeyance while he goes into the position.

[The dispute was settled the following week when the tram workers accepted time-and-a-half rates and a special bonus for Sunday work.]

• At the sitting of the Luton Borough Tribunal last night the position of men of new age, and also 53 and 54, who had been called up this week was the subject of a special appeal from the Chairman (Alderman Staddon). Addressing Military representative Mr Gardner, Alderman Staddon asked if he could explain the reason for men over 51 receiving the calling-up notice for medical examination. Mr Gardner replied that the situation arose from the way in which the men had filled in their registration forms. The Town Clerk said the only thing was for the men concerned to write to Bedford, returning the papers and say they were over 51 on April 18^th.

• Luton is not behind other towns in its ill as well as good fortune, consequently it is not surprising that there area considerable number of victims of the new influenza – Spanish variety. Many children are away from school and doctors are very busy, but it is said to be scarcely so dangerous as the ordinary 'flu. Meanwhile, many parts of the country are still in the grip of the influenza epidemic. At Letchworth 600 cases in two factories were reported by the medical authorities to the Hitchin Rural Council on Tuesday.

• At dawn yesterday, residents of Wellington Street were awakened by an alarm of fire at the cycle shop of Mr W. A. C. Hull at No 88. Mr Hull and his assistant who were asleep in the building had to escape down the stackpipe at the rear of the house. Firemen managed to prevent the first spreading to adjoining properties, although the blaze just caught the rook of No 86, which is occupied by Mr Welch, newsagent. No 88 was extensively damaged.

• About 250 employees of Messrs Brown & Green, the Luton engineering firm, on Saturday had a day at Bricket Wood as jolly as circumstances would allow. They temporarily forget the shadow and gloom of the war, and the day in the country did them really good. It was also an opportunity for retiring managing director Mr T. D. Galer to introduce his successor, Mr Percy J. Hays, to the workforce. The Brown & Green iron foundry had been inaugurated in Windsor Street in 1840.

• Further honour has been conferred upon Second Lieut (Temp Capt) P. W. S. Bulman (RAF), son of the Rev T. Bulman, Vicar of St Paul's, Luton. The gallant officer (picture right) had previously been awarded the Military Cross for his valuable services, and a special supplement of the London Gazette on Saturday announced that he now has been granted a bar to that decoration. The Gazette recorded: “On four successive days, when on bombing patrol, out of a total of 16 bombs dropped on enemy troops and transports, he obtained eight direct hits and seven others with ten yards of his objective, inflicting the most severe casualties on the enemy.”

• Mrs A. G. Rainsford Hannay, daughter of Mr and Mrs William Austin, of Rye Hill, Luton, has received official news that her husband, Major Hannay DSO (Royal Engineers), of Kirkdale, Creetown, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, is a prisoner of war in Germany. She married him at Christ Church, Luton, only last October.

• A Bedfordshire lad named Harold Cooper joined the Army when only 15 years old. He has served in Ireland for two years in the Lancers, and his mother has at length, after repeated applications, succeeded in obtaining the release of her now 17-year-old son.

• A little girl, scarcely more than a baby, had a narrow escape from death about noon on Saturday in an accident at the corner of Reginald Street and Old Bedford Road, Luton. Playing, apparently, in the road, the child did not notice the approach of a coal cart, and when it was quite close to her, a sudden movement brought her practically under the wheel.. At the critical moment, however, a passer-by sprang to the rescue and dragged the frightened girl away. The driver did his best to pull up the horses, but would have been unable to pull up in time to avert a serious accident. More frightened than the hurt, the child was able to proceed to her home in Reginald Street.

• The Matron of the Bute Hospital held her annual Pound Day on Monday, and she is delighted with the results, the number of gifts bigger than ever. Miss Poulton disclosed that a purse containing £1 in 3d pieces was received as well as 1lb of pennies. Altogether, the excellent sum of £50 was received in money, but only 22½lbs of sugar and a few boxes of matches were received this year. The most unusual gift was 1lb of red paint.

• The Mayor informs us that his appeal for £500 to defray the cost the purchase of new and up-to-date X-ray equipment for the Bute Hospital is progressing splendidly, and he hopes to receive a few substantial donations this week.

• Teachers and boys at Chapel Street Schools have this year surpassed all previous efforts in the cultivation of their flower garden. Considerably extended in area this season, it is pleasingly arranged on the side of the building facing south in Russell Street, and, well-tilled and fertilised during the dormant months, now presents a wealth of bloom and beauty which is a credit to the scholars and all concerned.

• A brass tablet has been placed in St Andrew's Church, Woodside, by the Misses Crawley in memory of George Alcock, for 30 years blacksmith on the Crawley Estate. He died last February.

• A complaint from Stopsley Parish Council was received at a meeting of the Luton Rural District Council on Monday as to the foul state of the pond in the centre of the village being a danger to the public. The Surveyor said the pond was periodically a source of trouble to the Parish Council, but he could do nothing at present due to the labour shortage.