Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: March 3rd, 1917.

Food supplies had become an increasing concern during the war, not least with the threat to merchant shipping posed by German submarines. Prices of essential foodstuffs had risen steadily, and the nation had been given a warning by Food Controller Lord Devonport that unless the consumption of food was reduced voluntarily he would not hesitate to impose rationing.

By the beginning of March 1917, the Saturday Telegraph reported that there had been a pronounced shortage of both potatoes and sugar in Luton and, in lesser degree, of lard and cocoa.

As far as potatoes were concerned, the vendors of the much-prized comestibles have had in numerous instances had nothing beyond empty skeps and baskets to show appealing customers on most days this week. But there has been no apparent desire to exploit the scarcity by way of enhances prices beyond the officially allowable limit - 1½d per pound up to and including March 31st.

Meanwhile, an important order dealing with the sale and manufacture of bread was issued by the Food Controller on Monday. The effect of the order is that bread may not - on and after March 12th - be sold unless it is at least 12 hours old and must be in the shape of a one-piece oven-bottom loaf, or a tin loaf, or a roll, and no sugar may be used in making bread.

Further, it is provided that all bread shall be sold by weight, and the loaves must weigh either 1 lb or an even number of pounds, and loaves not weighing the prescribed amount may be cut up and sold by weight. Rolls must weigh 2 oz.

Bread may be weighed at any time within 30 hours of the completion of the baking by the Food Controller's officers, who are authorised to weigh bread exposed in shops or in course of delivery by bakers.

• At 8.30 pm last night, as tramcar No 1 was proceeding along George Street in the direction of the Town Hall. Motorman Meade, who was in charge of the car, discovered that the controller was on fire. With the assistance of another driver and a few buckets of water he managed to extinguish the fire, otherwise the whole car would soon have been enveloped in flames.

• There was an exciting scene at Wardown on Thursday morning about 11 o'clock. A young man was passing through the park when he saw an elderly lady sitting on the edge of the lake. He went on, but something in the posture of the old lady struck him as curious and he returned a few moments later and saw he in the water. He promptly got into the water and dragged her out, and with a few persons who gathered he rendered what aid he could. She was driven with all speed to the Infirmary at Union House, and within a few hours was out of danger.

• There is to be no sacrifice of efficiency for the sake of economy in regard to education in the Borough of Luton. The Education Committee met on Thursday evening and received upon estimates for next year which will mean another halfpenny on the rates. Estimated expenditure totalled £34,634 and the receipts £16,932, leaving £17,702 to be raised from the rates. Alderman Arnold said if increased expenditure was justified anywhere, it was for education.

• Millinery was included among a long list of "reserved" occupations issued on Thursday night by the Ministry of Munitions. The section of the Order made under the Defence of the Realm regulations which has the most direct bearing on the Luton trade is one designed to prevent employers who are losing male employees owing to the operations of the Military Service Act from filling their places even by men ineligible for military service, even if they are within the age limits for the National Service Scheme.

• The name of Pte Bert Lathwell, aged 24, of the Northants Regiment, and son of Mr and Mrs John Lathwell, of 3 Clifton Road, is another one to be added to Luton's roll of honour. He was killed by a sniper's bullet on February 17th,being shot just above the heart.

• There will be much satisfaction among the employees of Messrs Kent's at the news that Pte William Brown has won the Military Medal, for he was employed there before the war. He is the son of Mrs Walker, 86 Cromwell Road, by her first marriage, and he is a native of Luton.

• Last night a concert and dance in connection with the Vauxhall branch of the National Association of Women Workers was held at the Assembly Hall. There was only a fair attendance.

• The South Beds branch of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children investigated 16 cases of neglect and cruelty during January, affecting 67 children. Throughout England, Wales and Ireland during the same month, the Society proved 3,504 cases, affecting 10,989 children.

• Not from Luton, but an officer with a remarkable list of names is reported among the dead in the latest casualty list. Capt Leone Sextus Denys Oswolf Fraudati Filius Tollemache-Tollemache de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache (Leicestershire Regiment) was one of ten children of the late Rev Ralph William Lionel Tollemache, of Grantham.

• On recent form the Spurs are the crack side of the London Combination, but they did not appear at their best against Luton Town today. Indeed, but for the vagaries of the referee on penalty decisions they would have been defeated for the first time since November 11th. The result was a 3-2 win for Spurs after Luton had gone 2-0 ahead in the first half, both goals scored by Simms.