Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: October 28th, 1916.

Luton Town Hall, where Borough Tribunal hearings took place.

At the meeting of the Luton Borough Tribunal on Wednesday evening the Town Clerk (Mr William Smith) read the following draft of a proposed letter on the subject of single men in munition works. Copies were to be sent to the Man Power Distribution Board, the Ministry of Munitions and te Director-General of Recruiting.

"In the course of the investigation by the Luton Borough Tribunal of applications for exemption it has transpired that many young single men, some only of whom were originally medically rejected, had entered local munition works, and that a large proportion of them had had no training or experience appropriate to their work.

"Married men with families who have come before the Tribunal have complained that they should be required to serve whilst able-bodied single men are left in munition works. Now, however the position has become more acute, as married men originally medically rejected have been passed for various forms of service, and they urge that the single men of the class before mentioned employed in munition works, previously rejected and now passed for some sort of service, should be compelled to serve.

"The Local Tribunal fully recognises the great and urgent need for maintaining and increasing the the output of munitions, but they strongly feel that older men, and especially married men, can as easily learn to perform the requisite work as these single young men who had no technical knowledge or experience.

"They do not suggest the immediate removal of all these young men, as that might appreciably affect the supply of munitions, but they strongly urge that effective measures should be taken without further delay to release a large number, and thereby greatly minimise a legitimate, serious and insistent grievance of married men."

• The response to out solicitations on behalf of the fund for providing Xmas puddings for the men on active service had been so disappointing that we had almost decided that we should not be justified in starting a local fund. This morning, however, a Luton gentleman who is always ready to put his hand in his pocket for a good cause put quite a different complexion on the matter, the encouragement he gave us being such that we cannot do other than begin operations. We propose, therefore, to make a definite beginning next week, and shall be glad to receive donations and offers of help.

• After an engagement in France on September 15th, nothing further was heard of Pte Frederick Field, aged 37, single, fourth son of Mr and Mrs Field, of Heath Road, Bowling Alley, Harpenden. This week, however, official news was received that he was killed in action on September 15th. Before he joined the Army he was employed as packer with Messrs Smith and Small, straw hat manufacturers, Luton. [Pte Field, 27772, 8th Bedfords, is commemorated on the Luton Roll of Honour.]

• A startling discovery was made by a person passing a field at the top of Dallow Road about 4 pm on Thursday when a little girl was found lying with her head in a ditch. Police summoned Dr Robertson and steps were taken to make the child warm and comfortable. She was in an extremely dirty condition, and it transpired that her name is Rose Parker, aged 12, who belongs to a gipsy family at Toddington. She had lost her bearings and wandered about without food for a considerable time. She is now going on well at the infirmary.

• For gallantry and devotion to duty in the operations on the Somme, Pte Andrew Wood, aged 38 and son by her first marriage of Mrs Urquhart, of 32 Shirley Road, Luton, has been awarded the Military Medal. The former moulder at Ashton Road Foundry joined the Bedfords two years ago and was now wounded in hospital in Halifax.

• Over 150 wounded soldiers are being entertained at the Town Hall today by girl employees at Messrs Kent's works. The scheme was mooted some weeks ago and a committee of eight girls was formed. Wounded soldiers from Wardown, Biscot Camp, Napsbury, St Albans and Wheathampstead were accompanied by their nurses and played into the Town Hall for a splendid repast by the new band of the London R.F.A. from Biscot.

• News of the death of Pte Leonard John Rudd, of the Hertfordshire Regiment, attached to the Royal Berkshire Regiment has been received by his parents in St Albans. Prior to enlistment he was employed at Messrs Hayward Tyler and Co's Luton works. The 19-year-old was severely wounded in the abdomen and brought into a dressing station on October 4th but passed away in his sleep on October 8th. He was laid to rest in a French cemetery.

• Grand Primo Sydney Bennett, of the Metropolitan Lodge of of the Grand Lodge of England, consecrated the opening of the transferred Lord Ampthill Lodge of teh Ancient Order of Buffaloes to the Wheelwright's Arms, Guildford Street, Luton, on Wednesday evening. There was a full attendance of enthusiastic brothers.

• Luton-born Mr George Elliott K.C., who had stood as Unionist candidate for South Beds, passed away yesterday morning in a London nursing home at the comparatively early age of 56. In the election on October 11th, 1900, he was defeated in South Beds by just 103 votes by the Liberal candidate Mr T. Gair Ashton. Mr Elliott left a widow, two sons and three daughters.

• A couple of Lutonians - H. Griffen, grocer of 55 Cromwell Road, and F. W. Arnall, who was with Messrs Lawson and Sons, 19 Manchester Street - joined the Navy two days apart but had the good fortune to find themselves together in the barracks at Chatham and later to be drafted together to one of H.M. ships on which they are now happily serving.

• The Light Blues of Luton Town FC faced the Bright Blues of Portsmouth in a London Combination home match played under very slippery conditions after very heavy rain. The visitors took the lead after 10 minutes but Roe equalised for Luton before the interval. Brown gave the home side the lead in the second half only for Portsmouth to equalise five minutes from time in what had been a bad-tempered game marked by weak refereeing.