Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: December 22nd, 1917.

• Members of Luton Volunteer Corps 1917.

The Luton Borough Tribunal on Wednesday evening had before them a list of exempted men who had sent letters giving reasons why they should not join the Volunteer Force. A large number of the cases were adjourned, but several relating to men connected with the building trade were dealt with

During the discussion, Alderman Arnold said that large numbers of men were exempted because they were on munitions. Hundreds had trade cards given by the Government, and there was no suggestion that they were to join the Volunteers, although many of them were youths of from 18 to 24. Yet the Tribunal imposed the condition on men with personal responsibilities who found it most difficult to get to the drills. Where a man could do it, he should do it, but these munition workers should be treated the same.

Military Representative Lieut Gardner said the matter was being brought to the notice of the munition workers by heads of departments and shops. Unfortunately these men could not be fetched at present.

The Town Clerk agreed that it was a sore point with the men in uniform to march along the streets and see large numbers of loose-limbed youths doing nothing but jostling one another on the pavement.

Lieut Gardner, who hoped that something would be done by the Government for the establishment of the Volunteer Force to be made up, handed the Tribunal another large list of names of exempted men who are not in the Force, and these will be dealt with later.

• The Saturday Telegraph made one more request to Luton's Food Committee to admit the Press to its meetings. "We do so very earnestly, and with a full sense of the position as it stands today, and we press the request because we are convinced that it is only by giving the public the fullest opportunities of knowing what is being done and the reasons for it that the authorities can hope to secure and retain the confidence of that public which they are appointed to serve. There is grave dissatisfaction over the present method of informing the public as to what is being done, and the whole Committee is responsible for it. We, therefore, again urge them to take the best and speediest means of allaying the unrest, and to open their doors to the Press."

• On Wednesday night it was officially announced that Lord Rhondda [Government Food Controller] had taken steps to relieve the difficulties of the meat situation. The Ministry for Food are as rapidly as possible completing arrangements for bring into operation a scheme for the fixing of maximum prices for the various grades of the meat supplies in this country. The scheme cannot be brought into operation until some time in January, and meanwhile an interim order limiting the prices for livestock will be in force. The price payable for any beast bought for slaughter must not exceed one shilling per lb. Lord Rhondda has further decided that from January 1st there shall be one meatless day per week upon which no meat, cooked or uncooked, may be sold.

• At Luton Court House yesterday afternoon the Deputy County Coroner Mr G. J. M. Whyley conducted an inquiry into a sad case of suicide in High Town which was discovered early on Wednesday morning. Hilda Annie Mary Long, the 16-year-old daughter of carpenter William John Long, aged 42, of 12 Cobden Street, found him kneeling at the foot of his bed with a piece of cord round his neck and fastened to the top rail of the bedpost. The deceased, a widower with four children, was discharged from the Royal Engineers two years earlier as medically unfit. He suffered from asthma and insomnia and while in the Army was upset a good deal by air raids. Since his discharge he had at times seemed strange in his manner. A jury returned a verdict that Mr Long committed suicide while temporarily insane.

• The Bishop of the Diocese conducted an ordination service at Christ Church yesterday. The candidates for ordination were John Sutcliffe Hay who, having been rejected for military service, will take up work at the Parish of St Mary, Luton, early in the new year; William Morgan is to work in Christ Church Parish from the first Sunday in January; and Mr F. Moores was ordained for the diocese of Canterbury.

• Owing to the demand for allotments, the Dallow Road Association has found it necessary to rent the remainder of the field in which the present gardens are situated. Beginning with 13 acres last March, the Association took another 14 acres at Michaelmas. This has been all let and there are still applicants for ground, so the committee have arranged to take over another seven acres.

• Although official intimation has not yet been received by Mrs Warner, of 6 Bolton Road, Luton, of the death of her husband, Sapper George Warner (Royal Engineers), a letter from his section sergeant stated that he was killed by a shell in the support trenches. No date is given.

• The death in action of Pte Richard John Comporo (Royal Sussex Regiment) is reported. He was 19 and his home was at 7 Windsor Street, Luton. He had returned to France only five months when he met his death on November 23rd.

• Pte Wallace James Oxborrow, of 315 Hitchin Road, Luton, is reported killed on November 12th. Previously rejected, he was drafted out to France in May, being then transferred from the Essex Regiment to the Middlesex. He carried on business in High Town Road.

• The War Office has notified Captain Sir Derrick Wernher that he has been awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Minister of War, and that the King has given him permission to receive and wear the decoration. Sir Derrick has rendered excellent service to that section of the Army Service Corps which is attached to the Royal Flying Corps.