Stories from The Luton News: Thursday, September 14th, 1916.

The Mayor (Alderman J. H. Staddon) made a pleasing announcement at the sitting of Luton Tribunal yesterday afternoon in connection with the medical examinations now taking place at Bedford.

In company with the Town Clerk [Mr William Smith] he had attended an interview with Recruiting Officer Col Henderson at which this question had been gone into very thoroughly, he said, and he wished to report most definitely that a considerable improvement had been made by the military authorities with regard to the work of the Medical Board.

The facts put forward by members of the Tribunal had been considered, and the Mayor said he could assure the Tribunal that he was convinced that already there had been a considerable improvement affected. There had been better treatment and more consideration shown to the examined.

He had every reason to believe that the position that the position as now presented was very much better than it had been, and that a very great improvement with regard to the examination of applicants and the treatment they received had been brought about. He thought, in fact, that the position was not very satisfactory, and they as a Tribunal could proceed with greater confidence, fully appreciating the requirements of the Army and realising that applicants unfitted for general service would be placed in the proper category for duties for which they were really fitted.

They had been requested, should any further cases arise with which the Tribunal was dissatisfied, to immediately communicate with Col Henderson.

• We deeply regret to record the sad fact that one of the first Lutonians to gain the Distinguished Conduct Medal has been killed in action on August 18th. The Hero was Sgt William Ellingham, of the Northumberland Fusiliers, and son of Mr Arthur Ellingham, of 8 Jubilee Street, Luton. Sgt Ellingham's wife, who lives at Castleford [Yorks], has written to her husband's parents following the War Office notification.

• No information has been procured from any source over the fate of Pte Ernest Groom, of the Bedfordshire Regiment, reported missing after the battle of Trones Wood on July 11th. He was aged 21, single, and son of Mr and Mrs Groom, of Marsh Road, Leagrave.

• On a happier note, Miss Madelein Collings Wells, younger daughter of Mr and Mrs A. Collings-Wells, of Caddington Hall, is pictured at her wedding to Lieut Francis W. Watson, 2nd Midland Brigade R.F.A., of Leek, Staffs, at St John's Church, Markyate, on Tuesday.

• By kind permission of Col C. H. Alexander, who was also present along with with Major V. F. Fitch (presiding) and a large number of officers, another most enjoyable concert was given by the 3/3 London Brigade R.F.A. at the Town Hall on Wednesday evening, and such is the great popularity attained by this pierrot troupe that the Council Chamber was crowded to its utmost capacity. The troupe is now composed of Sgt Rowson, Cpl J. Weedon, Cpl L. E. Withers, Gunners G. E. Willson and E. E. Jeffs, Saddler J. Owen, Driver W. J. Vallins and pianist Sgt H. Royston.

• Teachers seeking an increase in salary owing to the increased cost of living were told it was a very undesirable time to to go in for a new pay scale. However, the Education Committee recommended a war bonus of five per cent in certain cases from October 1st and for the period of the war. The increase would go to married male teacher not in the Forces and whose total salary would not exceed £160 and to women teachers having less than £70 a year provided they were not married or living with relatives. Councillor R. F. Briggs dismissed the scheme as ill-considered and devoid of justice and proposed an all-round increase of £5. His amendment did not receive a seconder.

• A cook in the officers' mess at Biscot Camp was bound over in the sum of £5 and ordered to come up for judgement if called upon when she made a second court appearance on Wednesday charged with stealing tea and sugar from the camp between February 19th and September 6th. Minnie Daniels, of 27 Crawley Green Road, Luton, was ordered to pay £1 3s 6d costs, return the tea and sugar to the camp and to keep away from anything of the kind again in future.

• One member of the Town Council had an eye opener on Thursday afternoon, when most of the members of the Corporation visited the sewerage farm on the hill overlooking Kimpton Road and the pumping station in Windmill Road. The primary object was an inspection of the new hydrolytic tank, completed at a cost of about £2,000 and with a capacity of 250,000 gallons. The party was given a good deal of interesting insight into a scheme which has wrought a revolution in the borough's sewage. Alderman Wilkinson said he thought it was a veritable garden of Eden.