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Belgian refugees among rates defaulters

Submitted by Deejaya on

 

Several Belgian refugees were among defaulters in respect of Poor rates to be dealt with at the Borough Sessions on March 29th, 1916.

A letter was received in the case of an elderly couple stating that their income for the past six months was only £42, out of which they had to live, pay rent, fuel and light. Their age prevented them from obtaining work and, although they had tried very hard, they had failed to get a lower rented house. If they had the money they would pay and, as they had not, excusal would be a charitable act.

MP: Negligible number of 'single slackers'

Submitted by Deejaya on

 

Questions of women, married men and single men considered deliberate slackers were dealt with by local MP Mr Cecil Harmsworth (pictured) at the annual meeting of the South Beds Liberal Association on Wednesday, March 22nd, 1916.

He paid a tribute to the women of the land who had altered the whole attitude of men to their position in the State. There had been some talk about the conscription of women for war service, but he did not think that would be in the least necessary.

'Insulted' fruiterer loses exemption

Submitted by Deejaya on

 

Being granted a conditional exemption by a Tribunal under the Military Service Act was no guarantee that life would simply continue as before. Take the instance of a fruiterer whose case was reopened on the application of the military representative - and the insults he had had to suffer in the meantime that would produce an angry response from Mayor Alderman John Staddon (pictured), who chaired the hearing.

Diary: 'Injustice to attested married men'

Submitted by Deejaya on

 

Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: March 18th, 1916.

In view of the meeting of attested married men called for Monday evening next at the Castle Street Hall to emphasise the necessity of the "Single Men First" pledge being honoured to the full, the announcement that the Luton Advisory Committee have passed a resolution on the subject, which is to be forwarded to the Munitions Minister and to the Tribunals.

A conscientious objector dressed in khaki

Submitted by Deejaya on

 

The most novel case of a conscientious objection there has been so far in this district cropped up at the Luton Rural District Tribunal on Tuesday [March 14th, 1916] when a young man of 21 appeared in khaki. He was wearing a sergeant's stripes, and it turned out that he is acting as a signalling instructor to the Royal Engineers and is attached to the Dunstable Signal Depot at Houghton Regis.

Submarine chase drama

Submitted by Deejaya on

 

Pte S. Bartle, who belongs to the 4th Bedfords but has gone out with a draft to join the 1/5th Bedfords in Egypt, has written to his parents, Mr and Mrs J. Bartle, of 69 Victoria Street, Dunstable, to say that he has arrived safe and sound, and has met several fellows from Dunstable and Luton. But he gives an exciting account of an incident on the voyage. He writes:

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