Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: September 14th, 1918.

Dr Marion Phillips, perhaps the best known figure in the women's labour movement, was the chief speaker at a public meeting held at the Town Hall, Luton, on Tuesday evening, in furtherance of the local Labour Party's Parliamentary campaign.

Dr Phillips (pictured), at the outset, referred to the fact that women were now directly interested in politics. The future of the race, show said, depended to a large extent upon the part played by women, and she proposed to show why women's interests should lead them to the support of the Labour Party.

Labour had nothing for which to apologise in regard to its record on women's affairs. It was the one party which had consistently demanded sex equality in civil and political relations. It was accordingly dissatisfied with the present position, for the new Franchise Act placed women under 30 in an absurd position.

The Labour Party had always aimed at adult suffrage, and in a democratic community everything should be done to help people to get the vote and to teach them to exercise it wisely when once it was obtained. They believed that men and women alike should share in all the work of government – whether local or national – and should help together in the administration of the affairs of the community. The party differed from all other parties in that they had never admitted there was any political question in which men's and women's interests were not in fact co-related and interdependent.

Proceeding to argue the desirability and necessity of women being eligible for Parliamentary election, Dr Phillips said it was impossible that such an avenue for the expression of opinion as the House of Commons should be closed to the sex, and said the only real reason against an alteration appeared to be that it had never yet been done. She believed, however, that when the House resumed in October it would be unable to refuse an amendment of the law, in accordance with public opinion, to give women the right to sit in Parliament if elected by any constituency – with the voters of which, of course, the final choice would remain.

• An alarming incident occurred at the Luton Swimming Club's gala on Monday evening. During the club handicap C. Vrolick, getting out of his course, was accidentally kicked. The spectators watching the finish of the race did not notice that anything was wrong when the swimmer floated on the top. It appeared subsequently that he was unconscious, and when he sank to the bottom the audience failed to realise that he was in imminent danger of drowning. Seeing the bubbles, Mr Leverton, an old member of the club, jumped in fully dressed and helped to rescue the disabled man, who soon recovered when first aid was administered. It was a very plucky act, the Mr Leverton has done his bit in the trenches and has been many months in hospital with rheumatism and other troubles. He had been forbidden to enter the water and took a great risk.

• Yesterday a disastrous fire occurred at Copt Hall Farm, on the New Mill End road, a mile or two from Luton. The farm is tenanted by Mr J. Lyon, and four ricks were totally destroyed, the damage being estimated at £1,500. The motor engine was run into Luton Hoo Park and water was pumped from the lake through two deliveries of hose. The motor was working continuously for 11 hours.

• On Wednesday, John Frost, a local builder, was working on a scaffolding at High Town Picture Theatre when the scaffolding broke. He fell a distance of about 20 feet and sustained concussion and cuts to the head. He was taken to the Bute Hospital in an unconscious condition, sbut he is now progressing excellently.

• There has been rumour about for some days that Mr W. J. Mair JP has resigned from the County Appeals Tribunal. We are glad to know that the matter is being taken up in certain directions with a view to Mr Mair reconsidering his decision, which we under stand is a question of employment more than anything else. Mr Mair is by way of being the sanest of Labour men in the town, and while he holds very definite views and never hesitates about expressing them when occasion demands, he has learned to do it without being personally offensive. We sincerely hope that he will be able to remain in the position, for Luton purposes at any rate.

• Considerable surprise and regret has been experiences at Wellington Street Baptist Church at the resignation of the Rev C. Evelyn Charlesworth. He is taking up an important war position with the YMCA, with charge of four counties and headquarters at Bristol.

• On Wednesday a very happy time was spent at Luton Hoo by the members of the Luton divisional section of the Special Police Force. About 50 were present, including wives and lady friends, and Supt Panter was among the guests. The friends were conveyed home by wagonette, and unfortunately one or two mishaps occurred. Mr Mitchell crushed a finger when closing the gates, and later on there was another accident. The party dismounted and Mr E. Page sat in the wagonette to balance it, but the horse started unexpectedly and Mr Page was thrown out. His head was badly bruised and his ankles sprained.

• Yesterday Henry Bavister, of Grange Road [now Cumberland Avenue], Leagrave, was working a wood-cutting machine at the Omnia Works, Leagrave, when the thumb of his left hand was caught by one of the blades. It was injured so badly that it had to be amputated after he had been taken to the Bute Hospital by motor. He is progressing well.

• This afternoon Mr Rowland Prothero, President of the Board of Agriculture, and Mr Cecil Harmsworth MP visited Luton and opened an excellent show of produce at Wardown under the auspices of the Luton Federation of Allotment Holders. Mr Prothero gave figures dealing with the increase in allotments, and said that Luton was well over the average, for the increase was something like 260 per cent. Allotments were a blessing to the nation as well as the individual – to the nation because they meant an increase in essential food and helped to alleviate the strain on transport and coal supplies; to the individual because the allotment was something providing interest to his family and a counter-attraction to the temptation of his leisure.

• The Mayor (Councillor Charles Dillingham) grew reminiscent last Saturday when he opened the show of produce arranged by allotment holders in the East Ward. He recalled the days when he played in the fields now occupied by streets in the war, and contrasted those days with the present. “We used to have jolly good times when we were mere boys,” he said, “better, I believe, than they have nowadays, when all they seem to think about is fag smoking and getting into mischief. But then we could please ourselves whether we went to school or stayed at home, and I am afraid that we often chose to stay at home. I am sorry I did so, and did not make better use of the opportunities we had, even if they are not what boys have today.”

• The Royal Naval Depot team from Crystal Palace, easily the finest side that had visited Luton since the Town Club were reduced to friendly football, were the visitors this afternoon. There was a crowd of not more than 800 spectators for a most interesting and entertaining fixture, with Luton fielding a League standard forward line that included Ernie Simms and Sid Hoar available to play. The Navy Blues opened the scoring with a deflected shot that rebounded into the net off the upright before Simms equalised just before the interval. The visitors finally won an evenly balanced match with a second half goal that made the final score 1-2.