The Wanganui Chronicle THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1925. WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER?

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19365, 23 July 1925, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1925. WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER?

Tt was quite seriously suggested in the. London press, a few weeks ago, that every individual should wear an-.identification disc or badge of some kind. This suggestion was the outcome of a series of eases in which the victims of accidents in the great metropolis had gone to thfir graves unidentified. That such a suggestion is not altogether fantastic was emphasised last evening, when a stranger to Wanganui was knocked down by a motor car and somewhat seriously injured. He was rendered unconscious. There was on him nothing by which bis name or home town could be traced. Therefore, until consciousness returns, which it is devoutly to be hoped will happen, the unfortunate man must remain an unknown person. Which proves that the wearing of identification dises would have value.

That it should be necessary for people to wear identification dises provokes an interesting train of thought. It points out very cruelly, but very honestly, what “small potatoes” men are as individual units. There are really very few of us who dare go into another town, let alone another country, without identification papers of some kind. In our family circle, or among our immediate friends, we may imagine we cut a very imposing spectacle, but once out of sight of family or friends, we become mere units mingling with a crowd of other units who neither recognise us nor wish to do so. It is rather humiliating to realise this, but the wretched truth forces itself upon us like an unrebuff able bore.

Some men are assured of identification no matter where they may live or die. But their number is comparatively small. They are the mountain peaks towering above the little hills. The insignificance of the individual who has not done anything really good or great is exemplified in that portion of Holy Writ which relates with wearisome repetition that “So-and-so lived and begat children and slept with his fathers.” A minister one morning read a long chapter which consisted of this reeital of names of men who had lived and died. A member of the congregation later remonstrated with the pastor, asking what purpose was served by such a monotonous recital. The pastor’s reply was very much to the point. “What more,” he asked,

“will the historian be able to say of you and me and thousands of our fellows? We’d better get to work and do something to warrant immortalisation. ’ ’

Truly, it makes a man feel small when he. realises that he needs to carry an identification disc.