The grand grievance of travellers in Italy, the incessant thefts
upon the railways, will not, it appears, be remedied jest yet. It has now risen to such a height that all luggage is searched in transit, all valuables extracted, and the boxes then reclosed, the officials, when complaints are made, of course promising the strictest inquiry but doing nothing. The Government, according to the Times' correspondent, quite acknowledges the evil, but considers that the entire responsibility attaches to the railways, whose "service," the Ministry plead, is ill-paid and badly organised. That is probably true, but civilised Governments usually hold it part of their duty to punish theft, especially when committed by officials, and the Italian refusal almost puts the State outside the civilised category. For this winter intending tourists to the South will do well to avoid Italy, or to take with them nothing of value except bills of exchange, which they can hide upon their persons, as they would in Morocco or Central Asia. The Italian authorities may not be able to put down brigandage in Sicily, though even that confession is disgrace- ful to them, but they can surely send a few guards and porters to Pantellaria.
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