Writing On The Wall

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 7, 16 December 1947, Page 5

Writing On The Wall

Can Conveniences Be Cleaned Up ? She hesitated on the threshold, giving the impression of slight embarrassment. She was also obviously a woman with a purpose. She had that crusading look. “I’ve come,” she said, with just a slight tremor in the voice, “about the Writing On The Wall.” “Indeed?” We raised the editorial eyebrow, and retreated ■ into the shell somewhat, so to speak. This sounded like a new sort of religious mania. But she didn’t look like that. And it wasn’t.

It appears this writing was on the wall of the women’s public convenience at Ohope. And she said it was singularly filthy. We are prepared to believe it. We’ve seen the men’s.

The visitor was quite charming about it. As charming as one can be on such a subject. She said she hated having to discuss it, and the whole conference blushed. But she felt something should be done. We concur.

This woman said she was the mother of young children. Just learning to read. A stranger to the place, she had occasion to take one of the children to the place under discussion. She was astounded. She said she was also ashamed to think that any woman could have written and drawn the things she saw there. She refused to believe children could have done it.

Well, what she said about the women’s convenience goes for the men’s. It is a disgrace to an intelligent community. It will always be a puzzle to de-cent-minded people just why some take a delight in defacing public buildings with filth that cannot give them a great deal of satisfaction and is a constant offence to others. Just what can be done, apart from a coat of paint, one does not know. Nothing anyone could say would make much impression on that sort of mind.

Should the culprits be children, the impression might be made elsewhere. In any event, the woman who came to voice her indignation hopes someone will get busy with a paint pot.