Semi-weekly herald., 1910-05-16

a S''h' many duu It-
forms in the city which stranger does
not recognize. but which old-timers
who have been here frequently in the
past will thoroughly appreciate. In
the first place. the streets are as clean
as those of any Swiss or German city,
and many nuisances which used to an
noy tourists and other visitors have
been abated During the last twenty
o. twenty-five years Naples acquired a
very bad reputation 1t was full of
swindlers and confidence men; the
hackmen and guides were dishonest
and often robbers; the streets swarm.
ed with beggars and peddlers, who
were as persistent as mosquitoes in
pursuing their victims, until it became
SO bad that thousands of travellers
We're either driven away after visit
of a day or two or kept away alto
gether
Realizing the injury which this repu-
tation was causing the city and the
loss of trade on that account, an Or
ganization called the "Pro-Napoli So
ciety" was formed among the mer-
chants, the hotelkeepers and the bet
ter class of people 10 bring about re
forms and make Naples more attractive
to strangers. This has been done to a
remarkable extent by the vice mayor,
Conte Giacomo Piscelli. former mill
nfHaar of
and courage. with the support and en-.
couragement of the society have
named.
The most important reforms are the
the filth and odorous accumulations
in the vacant lots, the flushing of the
sewers, the sweeping OF the streets.
the Introduction of sanitary regula-
tious in the tenement houses. the sup
preston of beggars and pickpockets
and the peddlers of obscene postal
cards and photographs. who were ac-
customed to thrust their wares under
the eyes OF strangers upon the most
frequeuted streets.
The push cart men, who peddle veg
etables, fruits. ice cream, chestnuts,
confectionery, wearing apparel and ev-
erythiug else you can think Of used
to drive nervous and sleepless people
distracted with their cries, but all
clamor of that kind. even that of the
newsboys, has been suppressed and
dwellers in the hotels along the shore
OF the bay are no longer awakened at
daylight by hucksters yelling under
their windows. There was a vigorous
protest against this reform, and pro.
cession of several thousand hucksiers,
accompanied by their weeping wives
and wailing children, marched through
complain that they were being driven
to starvation. but this manifestation
was of no avail, and a few months
experience demonstrated that noise
was not necessary for the transaction
of their business.
And another even more important
reform is that which requires public
hackmen to use automatic registers
like those of taxicabs to Indicate the
fares No Neapolitan is ever salts
fed with the price he receives for any
Thing. even If he receives more than
he asks. and the most prolific source
of annoyance and trouble to strangers
in the city was the avarice of the hack.
men, who always demanded double the
fare they were entitled to, and often
used force TO obtain it, Not day
passed without fight between a Gus.
toner and cabman, and sometimes
a good many, but that has been stop.
ped by the introduction of taximeters,
which register the fare, although the
hackmen now demand pourboirs, an
extra gratuity, and are usually very
insistent until they get them.
These reforms have made Naples a
very agreeable place to visit, and WON
en- can come here now and enjoy
themselves without being imposed
upon.
MuHs new anu liilt DutlulHSS are Dt-
ing erected on sites which were for.
merly occupied by antiquated tene.
ment houses. and the parks have been
very much improved. The harbor ia.
cilities have been extended and there
are six large docks belonging to the
municipality at which the largest
steamers can land their passengers.
instead OF sending them ashore in
lighters, as was formerly the case.
The permanent American population
of Naples is very small. A few young
people come here to study music and
art because of the small cos, of living
and the low charges OF the teachers,
which are only onefourth or one-third
as much as those in Florence. Milan,
Paris and other places. Naples has
never been an art center. although the
museum is full of fine pictures. and
the coast south of the city Is probably
the most picturesque In Europe, and
is visited by thousands OF artists ev-
cry year. Elihu vedder, the famous
artist, who lives in Rome. has q villa
at Canri where h.a usuaIlv enapdo hfs