New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-08
POINTS OF TRAVEL
Comforts and Discomforts of Continental
Journey in Europe.
Copyright, 1912, by g. W. smalley,
London, November 8.


will offer you sundry particulars Of
travel less agreeable, but no less i'm
portant. They relate to details which
10 the philosophic mind may seem triv-
ial But they affect the comfort OF the
thousands Of Americans who yearly
journey in all directions over the con-
tinent: not all Of them with much
knowledge Of what they are TO meet.
The American naturally supposes' FOR
example. that a service advertised as
the Calais Paris Simplon Express from
London to Venice is really an express
service But he Will find that this ex-
press ceases to be an express beyond
the French frontier. Through Switzer-
land and Italy II becomes an accommo-
dalton train; of moderate speed and
with frequent stops.
Whether there is on any of the Swiss
roads or State Railways in Italy a real
express train do not know; any more
than / know whether the travellers
luggage is habitually held up at juno
tion. even though registered, as twice
| happened 10 mine, first between Venice
and s. Vito and then between s. Vito
and Venice. In the latter case there
may be a reason, since Italian travel
seems to be organized on trade-union
| principles with a view TO providing
work and wages for everybody. When
| was last in New York the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad considerably announced
to its Long Island passengers that
while an effort would be made to con-
/ vey baggage by the same train as its
owners, this could not be guaranteed;
nor was 1t, in my experience, actually
carried by the same train. The ltal-
| ians do not give themselves away by
such a warning beforehand. They just
take your baggage, give you a receipt
for IL, and deliver il when most con-
venient to themselves. The delay is the
less excusable since no baggage is car
ried free, but you pay fixed tariff OF
three cents for every pound.
The delay. moreover. offers an extra
chance for those luggage thefts which
have dong been a scandal on italian
railways and in railway stations. l
lost nothing but l heard Of losses from
friends, themselves Italians, and was
advised never to leave anything in a
station. even though receipted for at
the left-luggage office. This holds true
even of the station in so important a
city as Milan. But whether you lose
anything or not, you pay a fine on
delayed luggage in the shape Of double
fees TO your hotel for recovering IL and
bringing 1t 10 you Thus is the in
dustry Of porters. cabs, gondolas, and
especially Of hotel agents at stations
and hotel concierges (mostly million
aires. who do not really need it,. en-
couraged.
AS between station agents and gon-
doliers and also between gondoliers and
concierges Of all degrees-and there
are many-there seems to be brother
hood or a partnership, the various
members Of which divide the sums ex-
torted from the traveller. If you are
unused 10 the ways OF these gentry and
innocent enough 10 ask the gilt-laced
functionary at the door what you ought
to pay, double fare is named. or, per-
haps, more. If you happen 10 know
the tariff and tender your gondoler
the proper sum plus reasonable tip,
il is accepted and he goes his way
cheerfully, but the looks on the faces
OF the gentlemen i'm gilt lace are black.
That YOU must learn TO endure.
If you do not know, and very likely
If YOU do. you will be victimized, but
YOU will be sustained by the thought
that a certain portion Of the riches
which Mr.. Lloyd George would dis
tribute more equally among all classes
is in fact redistributed at your expense
among those cleverer than you. The
concierge In gilt lace is one Of the
chief instruments i'm this redistribu-
ton. lie Is a Progressive, or would
be if he were in America. lie con-
siders himself an agent Of the Almighty
for the purposes OF this redivision OF
property. Try him with telegram.
He viii tell you that the cost of dis
Matching an inland telegram OF eight
words is 81 cents; which almost makes
Won think the Western Union rate at
home cheap. If you suggest that tele-
graphing in Italy Is dear he Will ex-
plajn-truly or otherwise-that 10 cents
is for the messenger who takes the dis
match from the hotel TO the telegraph
office. quite ten minutes away lie
omits 10 add that of the remaining II
cents II are for the government, which
has fixed the tariff at that sum for 10
words: and 8 for himself and his
trouble in sending il Off. In short.
your telegram would have cost you IL
cents II YOU had handed It in at the
telegraph office next door and the
extra 10 cents are the perquiste OF
the hotel and it's redundant and ever
hungry staff. The gilt lace and the
magnificent manner Of the concierge
are certainly cheap at the price.
/ am afraid il must be admitted that
the Italian hotels have bad name I'm
this matter Of overcharges and petty
extortions. II may be a comfort to
the traveller in these days to know