Ration cards work proceeds apace

Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: April 20th, 1918.

Panter butcher's shop in plentiful pre-war days

  • Panter's butcher shop, Park Square, in plentiful pre-war days.

There has been a good stock of food in the town this week. On Monday it was feared that the butchers would not receive nearly sufficient, but thing quickly improved and so matters turned out all right. Bacon, as well as meat, is fairly plentiful, and butter and margarine ample.

The Food Office has been working at top pressure throughout the week. The hardest work this week has been in connection with the supplementary ration cards and the exchanging of children's meat cards for adult cards, and on Thursday night there was a queue three or four deep from the Council Chamber to Upper George Street.

The distribution of the supplementary ration cards proceeds apace, and they can be issued at the rate of 600 per hour if the applicants conform to the instructions.

The Town Clerk has given licences to sell sausages into which meat has been inserted, rather than let it go to waste, but it is not likely that the quantity of meat available next month will afford any waste.

  • The present early closing order for shops (t6pm with 9pm on Saturdays) is to continue in force until September 30th. A large number of shops are voluntarily closing earlier, and the Home Secretary appeals to all shopkeepers to close as early as possible during the summer, thus allowing employees to take part in the cultivation of allotments, Volunteer training and other forms of war work and service.

  • At the annual meeting of the Leagrave Parish Council last evening, a letter was read from a soldier who had killed 230 rats on Mr Sanders' farm, asking if the Council could make the usual payment for them. The Clerk said he had forwarded the inquiry to Me William Austin, Clerk to the Luton Rural District Council, but had received no reply. After a long discussion as to whether the man was entitled to the money, it was decided by five votes to two that 10s be paid, but that the payment was not to be considered as a precedent.

  • On Thursday night a meeting of the Luton butchers unanimously decided to form a Butchers' Association, according to instructions received from the Ministry of Food. Mr H. Clarke was unanimously elected Chairman and Mr A, Lake, Secretary. Mr Clarke was also appointed buyer for the Association.

  • The Luton Special Constabulary will be pleased to hear that one of their party, Sgt Harry Wells, has been awarded the merit badge for his valiant conduct in holding a couple of runaway Army mules which dashed into a house in William Street last week. The Special's plucky deed was reported to the Watch Committee at their meeting on Monday, when he was thanked and the decision to award the badge of merit was unanimous. Special Sgt Wells carries on a hat manufacturing business at 54 Reginald Street.

  • We regret to say that Mr and Mrs Douglas Stratford, of Downs Road, last evening received an intimation from the War Office saying that their only son, 2nd Lieut Hubert Douglas Stratford (Grenadier Guards) was wounded and missing on April 13th. [Hubert Stratford was later confirmed killed in action at Nieppe Forest.]

  • Mrs G. Lambert, of 78 Frederic Street, Luton has just received news from hospital that her husband, Pte G. A. Lambert (South Lancs Regiment) has been badly wounded in the arm. He was home on leave on March 8th and had only been back in France about three weeks. He is the son of Mrs M. Lambert, of Collingdon Street, and before joining up worked for Messrs Vyse, Sons & Co, Bute Street.

  • In very much an end of season game, Luton Town defeated visitors Biscot Camp 2-0 this afternoon in a dull match. The Camp had to rely on an entirely new scratch team, while the Town fielded a scarcely recognisable forward line. 'Bullet' Jones scored the Blues' two goals in the first half.