Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, January 31st, 1918.

The local food troubles reached a climax on Tuesday when the strength of the Trade Union movement in Luton was utilised for the purpose of bringing certain aspects of the matter prominently before the public and the public's representatives.

Practically the whole of the men engaged in the engineering trade made holiday for the purpose of presenting themselves en masse for the benefit of the town and the Food Committee in particular at the Town Hall. They met at 9am and, after a meeting on the Moor, they marched to the municipal headquarters.

On the Moor there was a crowd of approximately 7,000 people. A dray and a waggonette served as a platform, and it was significant that on the dray was written in chalk, "Eat less grub".

Mr J. H. Mabley, who organised the demonstration, presided, but while the tenour of the remarks was gathered, it is certain that the vast number of of the crowd heard no sequence of sentences in any one speech. The majority of the crowd were good humoured and reasonable, but there was here and there a firebrand.

In response to interruptions, Mr Mabley said the party wanted to be fair. They did not want to stir up industrial strife or to dominate the community, they wanted to be perfectly fair, square and above-board.

• A letter signed 'Observer' looked at the demonstration from another perspective. He wrote: "If one thing was more prominent than another in last Tuesday's demonstration at Luton, it was the large assemblage of your men of military age who should be donning khaki instead of holding up the nation's output of munitions. It was an eye-opener to scores of Lutonians to witness these hundreds of young fellows,idly perambulating the town, with no thought ot care whether their fathers or anyone else's, or whether the thrice-wounded soldier returned to the field of battle as long as their own precious skins were shielded. More than one group of lookers-on could have been heard voicing their opinions, that such a scene constituted a regrettable scandal upon Luton. Respecting the food demonstration itself, I wonder if it has ever struck any of the demonstrators that it the quantity of meat they have consumed at the various canteens during the day had been sold to their wives instead of to the canteen authorities they could have provided appetising and plentiful meals for the whole family, for it is common knowledge that some men have had three meat meals a day at some of these places and, as I heard a good housewife remark outside the Town Hall on Tuesday morning, come home expecting a hot meal supper. Of course, all are not tarred with the same brush, but one cannot help thinking that the canteen system has been responsible for a great deal of meat shortage in private homes."

• A decapitated body was found on the Midland Railway lines near to the Kimpton Road bridge on Sunday morning. It was later identified as that of James Brewer, of 28 King's Road, Luton, who was recently before the Assizes and bound over for attempting to kill himself by cutting his throat. The evidence at an inquest at the Court House on Tuesday showed that, despite his promise not to repeat the offence, he had lain down and put his head on the rails, fully determined to kill himself. The unfortunate man's mind was unhinged by worry and depression due to illness and loss of sleep,the inquest heard. A verdict of suicide whilst of unsound mind was returned.

• A serious accident occurred in Biscot Road, outside the Commer Car Works, on Thursday. It appears that two military horses attached to a vehicle became alarmed and dashed through the gates, knocking one of the doors down. Mr Percy Clarke, son of Mr Clarke, cashier for Mr C. H. Osborne, was passing and was knocked with great force on to a coping of one of the buildings. Two little boys were in the way, and but for the promptness of some men would probably have been killed. Mr Clarke was taken to the Bute Hospital, and is seriously ill from injuries to the base of the skull and shoulders.

• This morning about 1.30, while on night work at the Skefko Works, Lizzie Lowe, lodging at 122 Maple Road, was severely injured. Her right hand was caught in a machine and badly lacerated. First aid was rendered at the works, and she was taken to the Bute Hospital, where she remains an in-patient.

• A creditable action was performed on Friday when an R.F.A. soldier plunged into Wardown Lake to rescue a child who had fallen in near the boathouse. He succeeded in bringing the child to the bank, where first aid was rendered. The soldier was take to Wardown V.A.D. Hospital to dry and change his clothes.

• On Saturday morning the pilot of an aeroplane travelling in the direction of Bedford was forced to descend in Putteridge Park owing to engine trouble. Fortunately he made a safe landing and, after some hours work, was able to leave on Sunday morning.

• Last evening, about five o'clock, an alarming aeroplane smash occurred at Caddington, as a result of which a Royal Flying Corps officer lies in the Bute Hospital suffering from concussion. It appears that there were two aeroplanes passing over from one part of the country to another. One alighted safely in a meadow, but the other came down with considerable force when near the ground, and the result was a smash-up.

• Lutonians will be pleased to hear that, following upon a terrible experience in France, Capt R. D. Bell (R.A.M.C.), the well-known medical practitioner in Dunstable Road, Luton, has been awarded the Military Cross. On the night of December 24th, the brigade to which he was attached was severely bombarded, but he kept hard at work attending to the wounded, with gas shells bursting around. He attended many casualties and took off his gas mask to give better attention to a bleeding soldier. He was gassed before he could get it on again, and himself became a casualty. Dr Bell [pictured right] has been home for some time, and we are pleased to say that he is progressing excellently.

• Pte E. Bell, son of Mr and Mrs Bell, of 62 Cobden Street, Luton, had been mentioned in divisional routine orders for gallant conduct, and has been awarded the Military Medal for devotion to duty and courage displayed in active operations against the enemy on November 23rd, 24th and 25th, 1917. Pte Bell served in the Dardanelles, but was invalided home with enteric fever and dysentery. After recovering at Eddington Park, East Croydon, he was sent to France and, when serving with the field ambulance of the R.A.M.C., was gassed. Then he had enteric fever and was brought back to the same hospital, where he now lies. He is an old employee of Messrs J. C. Kershaw & Co, manufacturers, of George Street, Luton.

• Of the three sons of Mr C. G. Marsh, of 30 St Ann's Road, Luton, one - Cpl George Marsh - has been killed, the wounds of another have resulted in the amputation of his leg, whilst the third is seriously ill. The eldest son was wounded while serving in Egypt with the Norfolk Regiment, and news of his death was received on January 4th. The second son, Arthur, was in the Beds Regiment at the outbreak of war and was wounded soon after in France. The amputation of his leg was necessitated by another wound received last July. The third son, Albert, is in hospital suffering from tumour of the brain, and the father was discharged from the Army in August 1916 after being in hospital for some time with ear trouble. [Pte Albert Marsh died in hospital in Brighton on February 1st, 1918].

• After being missing nearly nine months, Pte John Cain (Essex Regiment), husband of Mrs Cain, of 116 Hartley Road, Luton, has now been officially notified as killed. Mrs Cain has received an official form saying that he went into an engagement on April 28th, and is missing from that time. Confirmation of her fear has now, unhappily arrived.

• The Y.M.C.A. Hut at Biscot was crowded on Tuesday night, when a farewell concert was given to Col C. H. and Mrs Alexander. Col Alexander has been appointed to a still more important command of the Royal Artillery. After accepting the gift of a piano for the Y.M.C.A. from the Waste Paper Scheme, Col Alexander was himself presented with a handsome edition inscribed Bible.