Digest of stories from The Luton News: Thursday, February 21st, 1918.

• Leagrave in 1906

A remarkable situation has arisen at Leagrave whereby tenants of long standing have had notices to leave their homes. The matter was brought before the Luton Rural District Council on Monday.

Mr W. Dean wrote asking for the Council's aid. His house was required by the owner, who had bought it over his head, and he could not get a house anywhere. He had lived in the district all his life and asked that his family should be saved from ejectment.

Mr Lovat wrote pointing out the unsatisfactory state of things which had arisen in the district through the selling of houses. Six he knew of had been sold and the tenants given notice, some being threatened with ejectment orders. Those tenants were on important work and no houses were being built. This method of dealing with tenants was causing uneasiness and hardship.

The Clerk (Mr William Austin) said he had replied recommending Mr Lovat to write to the magistrates as the matter was out of the Council's jurisdiction. They could, however, deal with the question of the building of cottages, which was a very urgent matter.

The position described, he thought, arose from the fear of air raids rather than there being too excessive a population. The pressure had arisen since the raids became pronounced, and he knew of people who had come from London and bought houses away from the city. They were able then to be within the law, as an owner could have a house for his own residence.

Of course, the magistrates could use their own discretion, and in Luton they had absolutely refused in certain cases to grant ejectment orders, even when the owner wanted the house for his own residence.

Mr R. Sear described the turning out of old tenants in this way as shameful, and the Rev W. C. Griffiths, while sympathising with refugees from the raids, said it was serious for residents in the district to be turned on to the streets.

An inspector who came to the district a year ago agreed as to the urgent need of cottages, and yet nothing had been done. It was agreed to write to the Local Government Board for emergency powers.

• The death occurred on February 1st at Shoreham-on-Sea Military Hospital of Pte Horace Leaney (Beds Yeomanry), whose home was at Oak Road, Leagrave. He was the husband of Mrs Leaney, and four little children are left. Trooper Leaney was wounded in action last May and has been in hospital since, pneumonia unhappily setting in, and this combined with the wounds proved fatal. The funeral rook place at Biscot Churchyard.

• After a useful though humble Army career, Pte Arthur Catlin, husband of Mrs Catlin, of 34 Malvern Road, Luton, died on Thursday in a Norwich hospital. He joined a Provisional Battalion in June 1916 and was transferred into the agricultural Labour Corps and did good work on the land. Unhappily, however, he contracted a serious illness and te end came suddenly. His body was brought to Luton and interrest at the General Cemetery on Tuesday.

• A former resident of Luton and employee of the British Gelatine Co, Pte John Rayner, husband of Mrs Rayner, who now lives in East Street, Leighton Buzzard, has been killed in France. He formerly resided at 64 Russell Street, Luton, and had been with the Colours since 1914, He leaves a widow and two little children.

• Refleman Joseph Cogans (King's Royal Rifles), formerly of 27 Dorset Street, Luton, has just been reported missing since November 30th, 1917. Before moving to Wales he was employed by Vauxhall Motors Ltd.

• The varied military activities of L-Cpl Peter Stewart (60095, 9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers), son of Mrs J. Stewart, of 25 John Street, Luton, have been checked by his falling to the enemy's hands. His mother had received news in December 1917 that her son was missing, presumed killed, but a month later a card arrived from him to say he had been captured on November 30th. The former Diamond Foundry employee had been wounded on the Western Front and returned home to recuperate. He had returned to action just three weeks before he was captured.

• Driver Wilfred Taylor (Royal Field Artillery), whose home is at 21 Althorp Road, Luton, is in hospital in France after being gassed in January. He joined the R.F.A. at Biscot on April 4th, 1916, and was drafted to France on December 10th, 1916. Before joining up he was employed as a clerk in the offices of Messrs T. Lye & Sons, New Bedford Road, Luton.

• Among those who attended the investiture by the King at Buckingham Palace on Saturday was Second-Lieut Arthur Blomfield (Royal Fusiliers), who was recently awarded the Military Cross. He received the decoration at the hands of His Majesty, and subsequently spent the weekend with friends in Luton. Before joining the Army, Mr Blomfield was a Corporation official employed in the Luton Town Clerk's department.

• At about midday on Tuesday, a man named Charles Betts, 43, of 162 Wellington Street, was working with a power wood-plane at the Vauxhall Motor Works, when his left hand slipped, and the tips of two fingers were severed. First aid was rendered and he was taken to the Bute Hospital, where he is progressing.

• There was a very large attendance of Luton women at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, when a demonstration was given by Mrs W. H. Knight, a travelling instructor to the Food Production Department of the Board of Agriculture. Mrs Knight's homely talk was most useful, and her methods admirable in their simplicity. She imparted most valuable information on the making of potato flour, starch, meal and butter substitute, thing we formerly imported. She gave a splendid variety of demonstrations of the uses of the potato, vegetables and fruits, and her advice should prove a boon to all who attended.

• Last night, at a meeting of the Luton Friendly Societies Council, strong protests were made against the proposal by the Gas Company to close the public path adjoining the works. The meeting heard that the path had not been open since the beginning of the war. The Gas Company had wanted to close it for a number of years but had always been vetoed. Its closure as a great inconvenience to the people in the neighbourhood, and it was suggested that protest be sent to the Town Council.

• A verdict of accidental death was recorded by a jury at a resumed inquest yesterday on plumber Arthur Dorban, aged 47, of 16 Frederic Street, Luton, who died instantly and horrifically in an accident at Hayward Tyler & Co's works last Thursday. His clothing had caught in a moulding shaft going at a rate of 150 revolutions a minute as he was fitting a tray beneath. The inquest was told the job should not have been attempted while the machinery was operating.

• On Monday, the marriage took place at Union Chapel, Castle Street, of Petty Officer W. Mitchell (HMS Brilliant), elest son of Mr and Mrs W. J. Mitchell, of Wellingborough, and May, youngest daughter of Cpl and Mrs Hooker, of St Paul's Road, Luton.

• Mr William James Mair, who has been appointed a Justice of the Peace for Luton Borough, is the first Labour member on the Borough Bench. Born in Glasgow, he has been in Luton about 35 years, and his homes address is 82 Ashton Road. He commenced work at High Town Foundry, and later went to the Langley Foundry before it was amalgamated with he Davis Gas Stove Co at the Diamond Foundry, where he has been since.

• An illustration of the patriotic spirit which permeates British blood has just come to notice in Luton. Two brothers named Henry and Ernest Albert Gilbert presented themselves some days ago at the National Service Office for enlistment in the British Army. Lieut Gardner was naturally interested in the voluntary appearance of young men of 21 and 19 respectively, and he was delighted to find that they had come all the way from Chile, a distance of 7,000 miles, to fulfil their obligations to the old country. In Chile they had been engaged on plantation work as labourers, but they have friends in Luton.