Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-09

superstition which, without such direct
evidence, would not be believed to be pos
sible The people there had been already
rendered anxious by the recent census;
they looked on the outbreak OF choiera as
a deliberate attempt to reduce the excess
of population which it had disclosed, and
they believed that every public official
carried poisonous powder for that
purpose Terror sent half Of them in
headlong flight to the hills; fury drove
the remainder to set fire to the town hall
and murder brutally and horribly tne
communal secretary. The mayor had
fed, and a government of1claI sent 10
make inquiries died of sheer fright ana
not only the utter powerlessness of the
municipal and health authorities to deal
with any emergency that may arise (and
that in spite of the reorganization OF the
Luzzatti last autumn), but general con-
ditions of life which are d1scredit TO
the Italian people.
Verbicaro has railway station, at a
distance of fourteen kilometers, but its
only means of access Is a mule track, as
the road promised many years ago. has
not yet been built. It's water supply is
an open aqueduct which became contaml-
mated. necessitating journey of three
kilometers to the hill springs. 1t has no
drains Of any sort, refuse Is thrown from
the windows into the narrow. dark lanes
which constitute its streets, and its people
share their habitations with the chickens,
pigs and whatever animals they possess
ed, as the work of even the youngest
child Is needed in the fields, and the COM
munal budget, exhausted by the bartst
needs of the town, is powerless to cope
with any emergency. The percentage OF
illiteracy is 49, superstition is rife. Trou-
BILE, such as the present outbreak OF
cholera, is regarded as either q visitation
of Heaven or the work of the govern
ment, of whose existence the tax collector
u.s. as rule the only evidence. The peo-
ple. seeing that cholera attacks the poor
only and spares those better OF, draw the
preposterous inference that the well-to dc
are in league to kill them OF.
Remedy in Education.
The remedy for this state of things is
acknowledged to lie in education. The
difficulty is, first. the lack of funds, and
second. the inability of any administra-
tive measure to emerge from the sea OF
political controversy and bureaucratic de-
lay in Rome. The present prime minis
ter, Signor Giolitti. who Is also minister
for the interior. Is an astute politician
but has given little evids nce of construc-
tive craftsmanship during the many years
he has controlled the fortunes of the
country. The remedy prop by Signol
Fera Is typical of .ne direction which dis.
cussion of the incident of Verbicaro will
take The Calabrian deputy's r'n,edy
for all the troubles Of the south is the
immediate passing Of the universal suf'
frage bill.
One of the principal objects of an e1u
cation bill passed last year was TO put
the poorer communes in a position tt
cope successfully with the school Difficult
ty, and Signor Luzzattis excellent rsgr'
lations for the reorganization Of che med
| ical services of the state and the teach
| ing of elementary principles of iy2iens
| in the schools only await putting into &C
| ton. In the people of her southern prov
inces italy possesses magnificent mate
rial. uncultivated perhaps, but nard
working and extraordinarily clever. Ths
| real remedy will be found end futur,
prosperity assured by judicious expen
diture of public money coupled with
prompt and impartial administration. Blu
administrative ability is not the mos
| prominent feature in the political life u
| Italy from Rome southwark