Stories from The Luton News: Thursday, March 9th, 1916.

Pte Arthur Percy Burnet, son of Mr and Mrs Arthur Burnet, of Conway Road, Luton, and of the 20th King's Liverpool Regiment, had had the misfortune after braving many dangers to be wounded as the result of an accident in the trenches. His injuries are very severe.

At the front he has been a sniper, and naturally he has been in some tight corners at times. He had just finished 23 consecutive days in the trenches when he was unfortunately injured by a shot from the gun of one of his comrades. There are four serious wounds in one of his legs, and the bone just above the ankle was badly fractured.

He was brought to England on Monday week, and is now in the Chatham military hospital, where he is progressing favourably and is having the best attention. His parents have been to see him.

Before leaving Luton, Pte Burnet (pictured right) was well known in the Swimming Club, having won several prizes. He enlisted at Liverpool soon after war broke out, and was in training for 12 months and went to France in October last.

• Between 40 and 50 appeals were heard by the Luton Rural Tribunal on Tuesday. Many of the cases which were heard provided further evidence of the shortage of labour in the villages, and especially on the farms, where employees are so few that farmers thought it would be difficult to carry on if any more were taken for military service. The question of employing women for farm work was brought forward, particularly in the case of a farmer who said emphatically that it it came to relying on women for all the work, especially in the winter, he would rather give up his farm. As a contrast, there was a case where a farmer said his daughter drove a five-horse double plough.

• Cpl Alfred Alexander Burt, 1st Battalion the Hertfordshire Regiment (Territorials), who was awarded the Victoria Cross for most conspicuous gallantry at Cuinchy on September 27th, 1915, attended Buckingham Palace on Saturday for the purpose of receiving his decoration from the King. Cpl Burt is a son of Mr Tommy Burt, who lives at 11 Cross Street, Luton, and is a night watchman at the Great Northern Station.

• A further 15 occupiers of factories, warehouses, shop and private houses were fined from 10 shillings to 40 shillings for infringements of the Lighting Regulations. Among the defendants was a Captain of the 3/7th London Royal Field Artillery following a light showing through a window without blinds at a house occupied by the Brigade in High Town Road.

• Mary Rhoda Staddon, eldest daughter of Mr Frank E. Percival, of Luton, and the widow of Arthur Staddon (wed 1900) married Lieut Charles Humphrey Humphreys, E.A.R.E., by licence at Bulcamp, Suffolk, on March 1st. Lieut Humphreys, who was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry at Givenchy on February 20th, 1915, was before the war the head draughtsman at Commercial Cars Ltd in Luton, and was a prominent member of Luton Amateur Dramatic Society, with which his bride was also closely associated.

• It does credit to Luton that the premier designs for the town proposed new secondary school proved to be both by local architects. The honours of first place fell to Messrs J. R. Brown & Son, of Castle Street, and Messrs Franklin and Deacon, of Market Hill, were next in point of merit. The buildings are to occupy a prominent position on the site adjoining Marlborough Road, the ground on the west and south sides being reserved for tennis courts and a hockey ground. The main building is two storeys in height and provides 12 classrooms each to accommodate 25 pupils, with a large assembly hall on the ground floor, which is also to be used as a gymnasium. Separate rooms are arranged for chemistry, physics and botany. The building of the school is, of course, postponed as the result of prevailing war conditions.

• Luton and District Retail Newsagents Association complained to the Town Council's Library Committee that they did not consider it fair to request retail newsagents to tender to supply newspapers and magazines to the library without disclosing that they were in competition with a London wholesale business. A tender from W. H. Smith and Son to supply newspapers at 12½ per cent discount and magazines at 10 per cent discount was accepted.

• Plans passed by the Town Council included additions to the Messrs George Kent Ltd premises in Biscot Road; to Vauxhall Motors Ltd, Kimpton Road; a motor garage and showrooms for Bates' Motor Works Ltd, Dunstable Road; and extensions and two chimneys at the works of Thermo-Electric Ore Reduction Corporation Ltd, York Street.

• In connection with the Salvation Army General Booth's 'Widows Counsellors' scheme for assisting widows and orphans, we are informed that Mr Sydney Hunter, 111 Stuart Street, Luton, has been appointed a local counsellor. The aim of the scheme is to place at the disposal of all who need it, irrespective of creed, the disinterested and practical assistance of sympathetic advisers who will be able to help them with their affairs and guide them in the difficulties and perplexities.

• Last night was quite a red-letter night at the Luton No 1 Salvation Army Temple, Park Street. It was the occasion of a music festival of the North London Division, and the large hall was filled, for there was the novelty of the playing by massed bands. The proceeds are in aid of the Self-Denial Fund which provides for a new ambulance unit of five cars to be sent to the Front immediately. There are already 11 cars in France and six in Egypt. Five were sent to Russia last week.

• A mysterious affair has been reported to the Coroner by the police arising out of the discovery yesterday of the body of a baby. It appears that the body was found in the River Lea near the Sewage Pumping Station. There is a grating across the river to prevent rubbish choking the channel, and this is cleaned frequently. It was cleaned out about 10 o'clock yesterday morning, but there was no sign of the body. The second cleaning was in the afternoon, and it was then that the discovery was made by the workmen. The body is stated to be that of a very young female child, and it was devoid of any clothing whatever. An inquest will be held in due course.

• Before the war there were 24 medical practitioners in Luton. Now, although the work of the medical profession increases year by year, there are only 12 to cope with it, and the medical authorities are pressing for the services of still more medical men in the field, according to the annual report presented to the Governors of the Bute Hospital held at the Town Hall on Monday evening. Nevertheless, it was reported that doctors were making time to do an even greater amount of work than before at the hospital.