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Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14153, 15 April 1916, Page 2

An old Balclutha boy, Mr. John Rooney, a son. of the late Sergeant iiconey, .stationed there in the early days, has from time io time displaced a strain, of inventiveness (says the "Press"). One of his latest' efforts was to produce a collapsible cover for motor car tyres, to -shield the perishable rubber from the sun and rain. It is on the umbrella principle, and is sr> workable in design and application that the wonder is such a contrivance to m-olong the life of the tyre has not been thought of before. _ Ar, a, recent meeting of the Dunedin City Council a member raised the question as to whether those who stayed at home were making corresponding^ sacrifteces with the men who went to the. front. IJ/; thought that a committee should be set up in osjcli town by the Gorernident- to report''upon'the 'financial and genera] position of every in« 'dividual in New Zealand. The 'Government should adopt some ' sehe'nW that would compel everyone to- make s-KTifir-es that would as nearly as possible correspond v. ith that 'made by the man who went to the front. With reference to men who have exemption badges, which they do not wear, "A Soldier's Mother" "writes as follows to the "Dominion" : 'By not wearing their badges they are posi:ig as shirkers. Then, why complain? A short time ago the cry was 'Why does not the Defence Department adopt some badge that we may wear to sliow that we are not shirkers?' . And. nowthat this is an accomplished fact, they, or many of them, won't wear the.ii, but hide them as they would something dishonourable. And why? Because they are ugly. The excuse is only worthy of a silly school girl. To Imy mind such men are only gettiiig what they are asking for when they are called shirkers. I shou'd like, the. Government to issue a badge to mothers whose boys have enlisted, to distinguish them from the mothers who ans .".Howing—perhaps encouraging—th?'v boys to hide behind their petticoats."