[The Luton News: Thursday, July 31th, 1919]

The decision of the Ministry of Food to reimpose rationing so far as certain articles are concerned was referred to at a meeting of the Luton Borough Food Committee last evening [July 28th, 1919].

The Committee also received from the Town Clerk a request that he should be relieved of his duties as Executive Officer at the earliest possible moment, owing to the extremely heavy pressure of other duties.

Alderman J. H. Staddon presided, and the other members present were Mrs Staddon, Mrs Pym, Mrs Slatter, Alderman A. Wilkinson, Councillors W. J. Primett, A. B. Attwood, J. Bone and C. Yarrow, Messrs H. Inwood, W. Twort, H. Saunders, H. G. Ball and W. Ruckwood, with the Executive Officer (Mr W. Smith).

The minutes, the Executive Officer reported, had been destroyed in the fire at the Town Hall, as had every other scrap of paper relating to the Food Committee and the organisation which had been created.

The Committee authorised the Executive Officer to obtain such furniture and requisites as were essential for the discharge of the work of the office.

I regard to the re-introduction of rationing, the Executive Officer said he was afraid it must be looked for throughout the winter. The articles at present affected were meat, butter and sugar.

It was reported that only 50 per cent of the quantities of sugar asked for for preserving autumn fruits would now be allocated, the demand in relation to summer fruits having been so great.

STAFF PROBLEMS

In regard to the two lady members of the staff, the Executive Officer said they, like all other staffs, considered they were entitled to an increase in salary, and he fully agreed.

Councillor Bone raised the question whether it was wise and reasonable to continue the employment of ladies when so many capable men were out of employment.

The difficulties of the situation were greatly increased by a statement made by the Executive Officer, who asked that the Committee should release him from his position at the earliest possible moment. The pressure of work which would now fall upon his office, he said, was such that he could not continue to serve the Food Committee. His first duty, he thought, was to the town as a whole in the position he occupied as Town Clerk.

In these circumstances, it was generally agreed that the retention of the lady clerks, who were competent in the extreme and conversant with every detail – due to their long experience with an organisation which had been created step by step – was essential.

A DARK OUTLOOK

Alderman Staddon said it was unfortunate and distressing that the Food Committee had again to meet with such an outlook as lay before it. He claimed that from the beginning the Committee, the Executive Officer and the staff had possessed the confidence the public, and unless that complete confidence could be retained they were in for a bad time.

From every point of view the outlook for the winter was dark, and unless there was a competent staff left to carry on the work, he was afraid mistakes might soon be made, from the effects of which it would be difficult to recover. The work of the staff had been really magnificent, but the last thing which anyone desired was for the Executive Officer to relinquish his position.

The Chairman added that he fully realised that many men who had returned from service were in need of situations, and no one had greater admiration than he for the gallantry which the men had displayed; but in the prevailing circumstances it did seem to him a vital matter that the services of two ladies who were admittedly so thoroughly conversant with the matter should be retained.

Councillor Bone said he had not the least desire to see the ladies superseded, but he knew there was a strong feeling existent that ladies were still holding positions which men ought to fill. He agreed that, in the diffiult situation which the committee had now to deal with, it would be a pity to lose their present staff and be forced to replace them with others who had no knowledge of the work entailed.

Mr Ball said there was no more competent staff in any Food Office in the country than that at Luton. He had been into a good many, and that was the opinion he had formed.

The Town Clerk repeated his request. He said he had informed the Food Commissioner of his intention to ask the Committee for release, and for the reasons stated he wished it to be clearly understood that he could not go on with the additional duties a moment longer than was absolutely necessary.

DIFFICULTIES INCREASED

The Chairman said the statement made by the Executive Officer had placed the Committee in a most serious difficulty. For his own part, he did not know how they would get on without his aid.

This view was endorsed by the whole of the members, but the Town Clerk pointed out that he had had no real holiday during the five years of the war, and had been looking forward to a rest this year. He had decided (prior to the Ministry's decision to restore rationing) to further reduce his salary as from August 1st.

Eventually it was decided unanimously to increase the salary of the two lady clerks by 10 shillings each per week; and while the Chairman expressed the hope that the Executive Officer might still be able to find some way which would enable him to keep his hand on the reins, the question raised by the Town Clerk's statement was deferred until the next meeting.