Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: May 25^th, 1918.

On Thursday before his Honour Judge Scully, the sequel to a number of fatalities at the Chaul End Works of Messrs George Kent Ltd was heard in the shape of the allocation of several compensation awards.

In respect of the death on March 5^th of her daughter, Lilian Gertrude Harris, Mrs Harris, of 25 Bedford Road, Houghton Regis, was awarded £115. Mrs Harris applied for payment of a sum of £15 forthwith and 15 shillings a week from the invested balance. The application was granted.

“To pay my debt and get square,” said Stephen Constable, of 74 Aylesbury Road, Bletchley, in justifying his application for £50 forthwith and payment of the balance at £3 a month. He had been awarded £100 in respect of his daughter, Mary Emma, who died on March 7^th as the result of an accident at Chaul End Works. The application was granted.

An award of £60 has been made to Mrs Caroline Tompkins, widow, of Heath and Reach, in respect of the death of her daughter, Norah ('Kate'), which took place on March 3^rd as a result of injuries received while working at Chaul End. Mrs Tompkins asked for £15 forthwith and the remainder at the rate of £2 a month. He application was granted.

In other compensation cases, William Tearle, Chaul End village, was granted £15 out of a £225 balance of compensation awarded in respect of the loss of his left hand on December 16^th, 1916, while employed at Chaul End Works.

Jack Hopkins, of Newton Longville, Bletchley, was granted £25 out of the balance of £250 awarded him in respect of the loss of his left hand on May 9^th, 1917, while employed at Chaul End Works. He said he was now engaged on light work at Chaul End.

Payments were also agreed from awards made to Alec H. Phillips, of 22 Ferndale Road, Luton, in respect of the loss of fingers of the right hand while employed at the Diamond Foundry in 1911; and to Harold Charles Wood, of 71 Wimbourne Road, Luton, following an accident at the Diamond Foundry on October 9^th, 1917, in which he lost two fingers of his right hand.

• How a Luton family received a notice that a soldier son was missing in France while he was all the time at home, was told to the Luton Borough justices this morning when Pte Arthur Rodell admitted being an absentee from the Cheshire Regiment, now in France. Rodell said he had had an attack of bronchitis while on home leave that was extended from April 1^st to April 18^th on medical advice. He had failed to return after that period, although no longer under a doctor's care. Rodell was remanded to await an Army escort.

• Luton Food Control Committee supported a resolution calling for supplementary rations to apply to women involved in heavy manual labour as they were to men. Mr W. J. Mabley said it was not right to give a supplementary ration to one sex only on the same class of work. He was supported by other committee members, including the Chairman, who described the situation as “a farce”.

• The effect of the new Act of Parliament which prevents the purchaser of a house since September 30^th, 1917, obtaining possession save under certain conditions, is causing a good deal of heartburning among those who speculated, but considerable satisfaction to tenants. At Luton County Court on Thursday, Alfred John Tilcock, of 43 Dordans Road, Leagrave, sought possession of premises in the occupation of Edward Hudson, bootmaker, of Marsh Road, Leagrave. Hudson himself had bought a house that had sitting tenants. The case was adjourned until July with the Judge recommending the two men should try to come to some arrangement in the meantime.

• The list of Luton men now prisoners of war in Germany continued to grow. Five more identified in the Telegraph were: Pte James Stokes (Beds Regiment), of 10 Alfred Street, Luton; Pte A. Plater (Sherwood Foresters), 59 Chobham Street, Luton; Rifleman C. Smith (King's Royal Rifles), 22 Chase Street, Luton; Pte W. J. Wrighton, 92a Albert Road, Luton; and Pte H. J. Martin, of 29 Beech Road, Luton.