The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-12-05
DECADENT VENICE
AND THE TOURIST
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE
TOURIST TRADE BECOMES THE
PRINCIPAL ONE.

Venice is par excellence the city of
tourists" says James ID. Mclnerny,
who has lately returned from a tour of
Europe, when he visited the principal
cities of Italy. 1T is a living example
of what bad effect too much tourist
can have on an already decadent ma
ton.
Venice, if you see it by night, when
the lights from the old palaces are
ripping across the grand canal and the
musicians are singing, while the tour
lists lie out on the stream in their gon-
dolas and watch the star beams or the
moonlight challenging the reflected
lights of the city, while listening to the
singing-Venice, if you see it under
those conditions and leave before dawn,
is still dream city but in the broad
light Of day it is a city of decay, dirt
and too often disease.
There is little ebb or flow in the in
ner canals and often you will See de-
caying animal matter floating in the
water, never shifting from the same
quarter until it literally dissolves
away, while in close proximity a wo-
man may be seen washing her face in
the green, dirty water
The place is overrun by beggars,
holding out their hats for a centime
and literally holding you back until
you contribute. OF course there are
the places associated with glorious
memories which still have the halo of
romance about them the Bridge of
Signs, the dungeons, the judgment han
of the Medicis, the Lion of st. Marks,
the church and the thousand pigeons,
but the dignity of these is marred by
the way everything is turned into a
raree show.
l.. ~.
industry of glass blowing remains in a
small furnace kept up, behind St.
Marks church, purely and solely for
tourists. There Is a small place where
they make Venetian point lace, but if
1t were not for the tourist no lace
would ever be made, and the tourists
have run 1t up to such big prices that
it would take a fortune to buy enough
to trim a dress. The same way with
the mosaics. Mosaic making is nova
days the only industry that still shows
signs OF life and of which the Italians
are still proud.
Every guide and every gondolier is
looking for his rake-Off however and If
you purchase anything your gondolier
gets his commission and the guide gets
his, all of which is of course added to
the price They are a race of beggars,
the Venetians. AS your gondolier
comes to the bank three or four will
assist you from the perfectly still boat
in the perfectly calm water to the shore
where they all hold out their hats for
centimes. When you return another
gang is waiting to help you back again.
A woman may be wandering along the
streets with her sucking child think
ing of anything but charity unless she
sees a tourist in sight. This is a stroke
Of 11N,lr ~ 60.
centime. Venice is a town support
ed by tourists who are themselves
greatly to blame for the annoyance and
eXtortion.
When 1 was there two big bells were
taken out of the ruins of the Campa-
nile and taken temporarily to the pal
ace of the Medicis. They are to be re-
hung as soon as the Campanile Is re-
stored. The floor of st. Marks rises
and fails in hollows between the piles
and the beautiful mosaics are cracked.
Mosaics are everywhere forming the
roofs walls and floors of the princi-
pal buildings"