Stories from the Luton News: Thursday, April 20th, 1916.

It is now lawful for any person duly authorised under the Defence of the Realm Acts by the Local Registration Authority (the Council) or the chief police officer, or any police constable, to visit any house and require the production of the certificates of registration of any male persons living in the house and who are or ought to have been registered.

One of the most important objects is to secure that the national register, particularly in regard to men, shall be kept up to date by due notification of changes of address and otherwise. Failure to produce a certificate would be punishable by heavy fine or imprisonment.

Town Clerk Mr William Smith said he had notified the police, and asked that calls should be made now and again at houses where they had reasonable grounds to suspect there were persons who had failed to register ot to notify change of address. As far as Luton is concerned, he knew of no particular case of anybody in the borough on August 15th failing to register.

• Full military honours were accorded at East Hyde Churchyard on Saturday at the funeral of Rifleman Augustus Tennyson Bruton, King's Royal Rifle Corps, who died from wounds accidentally sustained in France. His parents were able to spend the last sad hours with their son, who died on Monday at 8 pm in hospital in Warrington.

• The 'Hatters' Hut' at Folkestone is now open and in full use by Colonial Troops. The opening ceremony was performed by Princess Victoria, and the hut was formally handed over to the YMCA by the Mayor of Luton, Alderman J. H. Staddon. The Mayor had taken responsibility for raising the £1,500 for the Folkestone scheme. In Playdell Gardens, Folkestone, a magnificent YMCA centre has been provided. The building is equivalent to three large huts placed end on.

• News has been received that Pte Frank Whittemore, of the 20th Canadians and formerly of Stopsley, has been wounded in a recent engagement "somewhere in France". He is now in Queen Mary's Hospital at Southend-on-Sea after pieces of shrapnel inflicted wounds on his back and one of his legs.

• A London paper says Lady Wernher's third son, Alexander, has been appointed from the Bucks Yeomanry to the Welsh Guards. Mr Wernher, who was 19 in January, inherits a million pounds under the will of his father, the late Sir Julius Wernher, whose fortune amounted to about £11½ million. Lady Wernher, who has been most generous in these critical times, is one of the wealthiest women in the country. [Sec-Lieut Alexander Piggott Wernher was killed in action on the Somme on September 10th, 1916].

• The money necessary for the purchase of the two houses in Grove Road, Luton, for the extension of the Bute Hospital is now assured. It is only just over a fortnight ago that the Mayor undertook the responsibility of raising the necessary 700 guineas (£735) and £715 2s is already in hand with further contributions to come.

• A terrible accident occurred at the warehouse of Messrs J. C. Kershaw & Co, Upper George Street, on Monday evening, resulting in very serious injury to Mr Leon Manceaux, aged 32, of 61 Princess Street, manager of the H export department. He was about to go down in the lift and, thinking it was there, fell the depth of two floors, quite 25ft, after walking through the door space. He dropped with great force on to his legs and his left thigh was broken.

• On and after May 1st the postal service in Luton is to be still further curtailed. Already the public office at the General Post Office is closed at 8pm. The new arrangements provide that it shall be open for business on weekdays between 9 and 12 and 2 and 7, with a break of an hour at midday. Deliveries will also be reduced to two a day, the first commencing at 7am and the second at 3.45.