Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: November 4th, 1916.

Writing in the Hatters Gazette on the increasing demands of the military authorities for men, the local correspondent says it is probably true that many works in St Albans and Luton will have to be closed, when it is remembered that so many hat factories are of the small domestic order.

These factories, in the majority of cases, consist of father, mother, son or sons and daughter or daughters, and, where of sufficient importance, relatives are employed.

To these smaller makers the removal of the more youthful male element means practical extinction, for in the local trade one department is entirely dependent of the others. Thus the father or mother is the designer of the models to be subsequently worked up as hats. If it is the mother, then the father generally does the stiffening of the hats with gelatine, the sons do the blocking into shape and the daughters either sew the hats of finish and trim them when blocked.

Cases where the father is of military age, with a young family, are very frequent. To these the breaking up of the business is the inevitable result. It remains for the future to show how much damage this industrial displacement will do to the financial structure.

• A rather serious accident occurred at the Chaul End works on Thursday, resulting in severe injury to Harry Hillyard, a machine operator living at 42 Shirley Road, Luton. The accident was of such a nature that he lost several fingers on the left hand and sustained cuts and other injuries to the other hand and the face. First aid was rendered at the works, and he was taken to the Bute Hospital, where he is progressing satisfactorily.

• Three weeks after he was reported missing on September 27th, a letter from a soldier in the Cheshire Regiment reported finding a body identified as Pte James Mimms in a Somme trench. The sad news was sent to parents William and Sarah Mimms, of 11 Peach Street, Luton.

• A communication from the British Red Cross Society said two reports had been received that Pte John Marlow (pictured right), Bedfordshire Regiment, was among 10 men, including Major Rickard, taken prisoner by the Germans during a bombing raid at Ypres on April 19th. The name of Pte Marlow, of 30 Spring Place, Luton, had not yet appeared on the official list of prisoners, leaving anxiety still for his mother.

• It has been decided to go ahead with the war savings scheme in Luton, for the efforts already made in the town show that the interest in war savings movement is very enthusiastic and wide. The resuscitated Luton War Savings Committee met for the second time at the Town Hall on Thursday evening, at which it was stated that various leaflets had been sent to 200 firms and societies in the town and several replies had already intimated a willingness to form savings associations.

• At a meeting of the Beds County Council yesterday the question of combating venereal disease came up. In a report, the Medical Officer suggested the county might introduce a small scheme at first and that it might be well toe provide one small treatment centre, if possible at Luton. A special sub-committee had been appointed to frame a scheme.

• Further local men added to the roll of honour included: Pte Archibald Odell (London Regiment), Pte Harry Waller (Beds Regiment), Pte Samuel Carter (Beds Regiment), Pte Henry Pugh (Brooks) (London Regiment) and Pte Bert Spalding (Beds Regiment).

• A crowd of around 6,000 at New Cross saw home side Millwall beat Luton Town 2-1 in their London Combination match today. Millwall had a 1-0 advantage at half time after Luton had two strong penalty claims turned down. Luton did equalise from the penalty spot through Wileman but the home side claimed the win five minutes from time.