Tribunals and the Press

 

Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: January 20th, 1917.

At the conclusion of the ordinary business of the Luton Borough Tribunal on Wednesday evening, Mr Willet Ball, the well-known trades union official, made a statement which implied breaches of faith by the Saturday Telegraph, among others, in reference to the work of the Tribunal.

The paragraph in the Telegraph to which Mr Ball took exception referred to [unnamed] publicans of military age stating before the Tribunal that their takings had diminished little or nothing during the war.

Mr Ball said applicants before the Tribunal had always been told that whatever they said would be in strict confidence and that information they gave must not be used elsewhere. The Saturday Telegraph had used information obtained either at that or other Tribunals in connection with the publicans' business.

Not given a right of reply to Mr Ball at the time, the Saturday Telegraph responded in print by pointing out that the President of the Local Government Board had declared that a Tribunal was a public court, but locally it was mutually arranged that names, addresses and matters relating to private business should not be revealed. The Telegraph had endeavoured honourably to carry out that understanding, even though the Luton and Dunstable Tribunals were practically the only authorities where the anonymity of claimants was preserved.

The newspaper had a legal right to to use all particulars of Tribunals, including names, addresses and full financial details of claimants and might well have done so as hearings were open to the public.

"If Mr Ball's contention that general statements of the character of our paragraph should not be used, he is up against the liberty of the Press and he is filching from the public their undoubted rights."

  • A very human incident had taken place as a sequel to the December 28th tram accident. Several soldiers billeted in the town rendered great assistance at the time, and Mr and Mrs James Wooding, of High Town Road, made them a monetary gift to buy comforts in recognition of that service. Mrs Emma Wooding has now received a letter of thanks from the officers and NCOs of the Signal School (No 6 Reserve Brigade, R.F.A.). Cigarettes, pipes etc had been distributed to 19 men, on of whom (Driver Lauder) was by common consent given a little extra for personally helping Mrs Wooding.

  • The young wife of L-Cpl Tom Brown, who was 23 years of age and lived at 45 Hartley Road, Luton, has received the sad news that he has been killed in action. He was educated at Hitchin Road School and afterwards went into the Co-operative Stores and became manager of the boot department.

Park Square 1929

The narrow section of Park Street [Photo: W. H. Cox 1929]

  • The danger of the narrowness of Park Street, just outside Messrs Gibbons' premises [at the top of Market Hill], was demonstrated yesterday morning. About 10.30 a tramcar was about to proceed to the Town Hall, and a trolley was driven in the opposite direction by a man employed by Mr Connor, cardboard box manufacturer. The latter driver endeavoured to get the trolley between the edge of the footwalk and the tramcar but the road was too narrow and the tram caught the back wheel of the trolley, smashing the axle spring.

  • Several of many acknowledgements from Luton lads who are prisoners of war in Germany were placed before the Luton Prisoners of War Committee at the Town Hall yesterday by the Secretary, Town Clerk Mr William Smith. There is no room for doubt that but the parcels sent out from this country, the brave fellows would be starving, and of all war charities none is more deserving than this. The Committee received a further donation of £30 from the 'N.T.F.' journal yesterday.

  • Two boys were led crying from the Borough Court this morning to receive strokes of the birch for the theft of a box of sweets valued at three shillings from a shop in New Bedford Road. The Bench said said children being allowed out after dark was no credit to the parents. They gathered in groups and went into shops, took sweets and conveyed them to their friends.

  • It is announced that Lieut Frank D. Odell, who has been home at Toddington wounded from the Front, has practically recovered and has been appointed to command a signalling section at Frome and also appointed to a first lieutenancy. Lieut Odell, formerly a master at Leagrave Council School, has been mentioned in Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig's despatches of January 4th for "distinguished and gallant services".

  • For the second week in succession, Luton Town FC have had to make a long journey, this time for their London Combination game against Portsmouth at Fratton Park and again the team was a matter of considerable doubt. Simms gave Luton a 1-0 interval lead, and scored again near the end of the match after Butcher had netted twice to make the final score 4-0.