Winston Churchill's gripe against American toilet paper finally redressed after 108 years

In his mid-twenties, newly elected MP Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill visited the United States on a lecture tour. Asked by a reporter in New York City regarding his impressions about America, Churchill responded : “Newspapers too thick, lavatory paper too thin."

Churchill could not have known that his six word comment would be forever lodged in the Hall of Fame of witty remarks. But he knew what he was talking about, having observed the customs of many races all over the world, especially those he fought against. The Pashtuns with whom Churchill had crossed swords in Malakand and Swat preferred water, as did the Sudanese. But if H2O was not available, the Pashtuns made do with granite rocks and the Sudanese desert sand.

Sir Winston’s spirit would be glad to know that an American company Georgia Pacific of Wisconsin has finally addressed his criticism. The decision was not taken lightly but after careful and costly research by a team of the Georgia Pacific's Innovation Institute in Neenah. According to the New York Times, the company has come up with a three-ply version of its Quilted Northern product. Wow!

The company has boasted that the paper is ''ultra-soft'', but for some unexplained reason it says it plans to market the product to women 45 and older who view their bathroom as a ''sanctuary for quality time,'' whatever that is supposed to mean. If all this hype is meant to increase the price of a toilet roll inordinately, then one has to say for the record that Sir Winston would not be amused, the Innovation Institute’s elaborate research notwithstanding.