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20
to the eye or to the inhabitants, they are the
least wanted, but in the busier districts where
they are the most needed, they cannot be done
at all, and the Local Authorities are always
compelled to assert their abstract right in the
defence of public decency to maintain those they
have. But little has been done during the past
twelve months towards these most necessary places
of retirement; some slight improvements have been
made and every care taken of those that do exist,
but no new ones have been added. Whatever is
the cause of this, there is neither apathy
nor parsimony as far as the St. James's Vestry is
concerned; certainly some secluded situations might
be found for the purpose but they would only
be found by those who abuse and do not use them,
while the general public who require them would
be in perfect ignorance of their whereabouts.
It is necessary that it should be understood
"that they are abused. The idiotic mischief that
has been perpetrated in the Wells Street, and
Vine Street Urinals, is most deplorable to see and
that there is an amount of "method in the
madness" is clear from the evident use of a
diamond to score the glass, in order to render
the subsequent kick effective. I doubt if a glazier
who uses a diamond in his business would care
to stop out till such a time as the Urinals are
deserted, to use a diamond simply to make good for
trade. The white glazed tiles are now the objects