BLACK PAINT.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19312, 17 May 1928, Page 4

BLACK PAINT.

(By W.H.W.) Many years ago a large house was erected not many miles from Cathedral square, and although the specifications were very complete in most respects and bound the contractor down hard, so that he could not call his soul his own (this particular contractor was a recent arrival from the West Coast, where tarred roofs were common in his day), they were very irregular where the painting was specified. They called for three coats of paint, certaintly, but said nothing about the tints being to the proprietor's or architect's choice. Mr A. (the contractor), probably smarting under some real or imaginary grievances, gave the building three coats of paint, certainly, but said coat "black." He asked no questions and did not consult the owner as to his ideas. Of course, he got into no trouble as the paint was quite good paint. The worst feature was that when the proprietor tried to cover over the black with another colour, the black would persist in showing through. Another case of a somewhat similar nature is recorded where a house on the north railway line was painted black by the owners, who had recently had a bereavement in the family, and wanted to be thorough in their mourning. Not content with wearing the usual mourning garb, they gave their residence a coat of mourning too, and were in difficulties for years when the black would persist in showing through successive coats of lighter paint.