Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-02-06
VENICE.
The Modern City: It's Noises,
Its Art.
[ Written for The Age.l

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guide books tell you of its ancient
wars and commerce, and of the mag
nifcence of the fathers, of its build
ings and it's art, but not a word of
present social and economic and
political conditions. The book stalls
are filled with small and large works
by various passionate pilgrims or
loyal residents, on the lagoons, the
sunsets, the gondolas and all the
other things that will take the eye
and charm the senses Of the traveller.
But after time one wants to know
what kind of city Venice is. And
here he is up against a mystery at
least the visitor is. Venice has no
blue-book, It's various municipal
departments publish no reports.
With some difficulty one finds that
Venice is ruled by mayor who is
elected by Council, which in turn
is elected by the people. am told
that Venice is very rich city, the
richest in Italy that it is prosperous
and growing, and may have a popu-
lation of 100000 in few years. 1t
is 10000 now. Its politics are cleri-
cal, and the clericals hold it tight.
On the other hand the great financial
interests and the progressive activi-
ties / am assured are all in the
hands of Germans and Jews. There
is kind of hotel Trust here, and
also a real estate Trust which is ex-
plotting the Lido, while the Clerical
Trust exploits the city Offices.
The industries are certainly not
great or numerous measured by our
standards There is glass-making,
lace-making, a big brewery and
leather and horse shoes But it isn't
at all manufacturing town and it
has no great commerce or shipping,
though these are increasing. The
city seems to be, however, we'll ad-
ministered in a conservative way and
for the best interests first of the Wis
iting tourists who are its great asset.
The streets are clean, the water good,
there is no typhoid fever and the
death rate is about 18 per 1000,
ranking we'll with other Continental
cities.
The real estate is not held high,
but it is more or less under the con-
troll of the city. One can buy a palace
on the Grand Canal for $4,000, but
he cannot change the facade or make
any radical alterations, or sell any
valuable or historic work of art upon
it's walls. In one of the popular
hotels here there is a painting by
Veronesc on the ceiling 1t is worth
an enormous sum Of money, but it
must stay there and the guest can
hire the room for 20 francs and wake
every morning with Veronese to
stare at.
The Venetian himself is amiable,
indolent, groaning over his work, not
too honest, great drinker but not
quarrelsome. There is more alcohol
ism here than in any city of Italy,
| am told, but the percentage of
crimes Of violence is the lowest. AL
cohol makes the Venetian silly and
stupid, but not violent A visit to
the city insane asylum confirms this
view Of 5he drinking habit, for the
proportion of alcoholic insanity | was
told was very large in fact it was
the most important single cause of
insanity The percentage of lunacy
is also high.
The people seem well fed They
are very poor, many of them, but
they all seem to get enough to eat,
and the children on the streets are
plump and hearty looking urchins.
But they are not very bright.
The Noises.
The )ises of Venice are unique,
variegated, surprising there is moth
ing western in them, nor oriental,
not even Byzantine. The softest and
sweetest but stupidest sound is the
cooling of the doves which has vol
ume only on San Marco. There is
no song Of birds except these At
the other extreme come the scream
of the government siren, the boom
of the cannon three times a dav and