To further stimulate recruiting for the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, a meeting was held outside the Luton Corn Exchange on Thursday evening. For some time before the commencement of the meeting a party of 11 pipers, drawn from the Highland Territorials now in training at Bedford, paraded the town accompanied by a party of Boy Scouts with bugles and drums, and the result was a very large crowd at the meeting.

The call to rally to the colours was very strongly urged, as also was the call of the Bedfordshire Regiment to Bedfordshire men. Afterwards, men were invited to enter the Corn Exchange and enrol themselves straight away.

• A public notice issued under The Intoxicating Liquor (Temporary Restriction) Act 1914 gives notice that the Licensing Justices for the Borough of Luton have made an order directing that on and from the 28th day of September, 1914, and until further notice, the sale of intoxicating liquors on the premises of any persons holding any retailer's licence in the Borough of Luton, and in all registered clubs, shall be suspended between the hours of 9 o'clock pm and 8 o'clock am on the following day, and I have further ordered that all licensed premises and all registered clubs in the said Borough shall be closed daily between the said hours of 9 pm and 8 am of the following day until further notice. By order, William Austin, Clerk to the Justices. [The restrictions were considerably modified within days to allow longer opening hours again.]

• Mr W.H. Jeffs, of 33 Manor Road, Luton, returned home late on Wednesday last week after being a prisoner in Germany for some weeks. According to an interview in The Sunday Times Mr Jeffs was arrested as a spy and badly handled by German soldiers, being struck in the eye by a German officer, on his way back from holiday. On one railway journey with other prisoners he had to go 17½ hours without food. He was imprisoned in some barracks, but on September 11th, as his health was failing, he was given a pass to go into Holland, where he was again arrested but released later the same day.

• Mr and Mrs Frederick Ansell, of Beechwood Road, Leagrave, have received no news yet of their only son Charles, who was serving as armourer on the Aboukir, one of three British cruisers sunk in the North Sea by German submarines on Tuesday. He has been in the Navy for three years and only recently celebrated his majority.

• A fair number of new members have joined Luton and District Rifle Club, and the number of civilians using the range has averaged between 55 and 60 per day, while at times the day's total has gone up to 75. During the past four weeks 30,000 rounds of ammunition, in addition to that supplied to the troops, have been used. Several members of the club who were already expert shots have joined the forces. An Old Lutonians Rifle Club has been formed and has been affiliated to the club on special terms. The Church Lads' Brigade attached to the Parish Church are also having the use of the range on special terms, and the Town football players are practicing regularly, while a movement is on foot to interest the lads of the district.

• As it is, the range at Dallow Road [near the Diamond Foundry], which provides for 14 men to fire at once, and gives distances of 25 and 50 yards, is the best equipped in the county. Now the resources of the club are over-taxed but arrangement are being made to extend the accommodation to 28 or 30 targets being in use at once.

• Quite a remarkable sight was presented at the Palace Theatre, Luton, on Thursday afternoon when over 1,000 women assembled to hear addresses upon the duty of women in regard to the war. The meeting was organised by the ladies' section of the Bedfordshire Territorial Recruiting Committee. Mrs Francis Crawley, of Stockwood Park, presided, appealing to the women to send their men out to fight for their King, their country, their homes and their women-kind. Patriotism was surely at the heart of every British woman and if they clearly understood what they could do by their influence and their example they were going to do it, and do it with all their might.

• Tickets are being sold in packets of one dozen to charitably disposed persons so that they can give them to poor people to get half-a-pound of first-class quality dripping per ticket.

• The new schools at Tennyson Road, Luton, will shortly be ready for use. On Tuesday afternoon, the Education Committee accordingly took steps to appoint the head teachers. Mr Walter Haith was appointed headmaster of the mixed school. He had been assistant master at Waller Street since 1901, was trained at St John's College, Battersea, and came to Luton from Moseley Road School, Birmingham. He is choirmaster at the Union Chapel. A decision on the post of headmistress of the infants school was deferred.

• Miss Ethel A. Phillips was appointed headmistress of Beech Hill Junior Mixed School. Since 1904 she was assistant mistress at Surrey Street Girls School. An outbreak of diphtheria had closed Beech Hill School.

• Four teachers at Beech Hill School, Luton were asked to tender their resignations after protesting at being asked to take lessons at other schools with vacancies while their own school was closed due to the diphtheria outbreak. Three of the teachers subsequently took up duties at the schools where the were required to work and asked to be allowed to withdraw their resignations, expressing regret at their action. The resignation of the fourth teacher was accepted by the Education Committee.

• Luton Industrial Co-operative Society Ltd advertised the opening of its new Dairy Department on Thursday, October 1st, 1914. "Members are requested to note that our Dairy is equipped with the very latest plant which will ensure them getting absolutely good, pure and clean milk. Tokens for milk can be bought at all shops, these to be handed to the roundsman for their value in milk. All our milk will be obtained from local farms of good standing."

• Five active cart horses, a three-year-old brown pony, 200 head of poultry and farm implements were advertised for sale by auction by Messrs J. Cumberland and Sons at Woodside Farm, near Luton, on Thursday, October 8th, by order of Mr Simeon Clark, who is leaving.

• Preparations to meet the probable development of the district between Dunstable Road and Dallow Road, Luton, have been going on for some time and on Tuesday morning a Local Government Board Inspector attended at the Town Hall to hear an application on behalf of the Town Council to borrow £2,100 for the purchase of seven acres of freehold land near Dunstable Road as the site of a recreation ground and, for £800, two acres of adjoining freehold land as a site for public elementary schools. Further funding was required in respect of the construction of a 40ft wide railway bridge under the Great Northern Railway for affording communication between Dunstable Road and Dallow Road, and for making up and improving an extended portion of Dallow Road.

• The estimate of the Luton Union poor rate expenditure for the half-year ending March 31st next was placed before the Board of Guardians at their meeting last Monday. In proposing its adoption, Mr J. Cook (Chairman of the Finance Committee) said that the estimated cost of in-maintenance was £2,000; out-relief, £1,000; and lunatic maintenance, £2,100. The estimate was somewhat higher than on the last occasion. The committee felt they had to do that to make provision for what might be expected during the coming winter in consequence of the war.

• The rateable value of the borough of Luton increased practically £10,000 in the 12 months to April 1st, 1913, compared with the previous year, and stood at £230,645 (£220,853 at April 1912). The rates levied for the year ended March 31st, 1914, were 7s 8d and the gross amount resulting was £33,526 10s.

• Donations to the Luton branch of the Prince of Wales' National Relief Fund stood at £1,800 18s 2d at September 19th, 1914. Included was a £1 1s gift from Luton Wednesday Football League, which had decided to suspend this season's programme owing to so many players having enlisted.