THE CUBA R E \- I E W' 



13 



GENERAL NOTES 



ENGLISH IN CUBAN SCHOOLS 



American Minister John B. Jackson of 

 Havana has written a letter to the Isle of 

 Pines .-Ippcal recently which explains in 

 detail the exact status of the school situa- 

 tion. A careful perusal of Mr. Jackson"s 

 following letter, would indicate that in 

 reality, the situation is not much changed 

 since last year. He says : 



"The Cuban Congress did not pass a 

 bill eliminating the teaching of English in 

 the public schools. While the budget was 

 being considered, an amendment was in- 

 troduced in the Chamber of Representa- 

 tives and passed by that body (as had been 

 the case last year as well) to strike out 

 the appropriation for English instruction 

 in the primary schools, but no action was 

 taken by Congress upon the budget itself 

 and consequently this amendment was not 

 enacted. As the budget in force for 

 I!ai-12 is the same as that which was in 

 force for 1910-11. it is probable that in- 

 struction in English, in the Cuban 

 schools, will go on as heretofore. In any 

 event, the question of the teaching of Eng- 

 lish as a special study in all public pri- 

 mary- schools throughout the republic 

 should not be confounded with that of 

 general instruction in the English language 

 as now obtains in certain public schools, 

 maintained in whole or in part at public 

 expense, in certain American colonies."' 



Regarding' salary increases he sa^'S : 



"The Cuban Congress did pass a law 

 increasing the salaries of school teachers, 

 and this law affects all teachers of the 

 categories mentioned wd^o are emoloved 

 by the department of education, including 

 those who give instruction in English as 

 well as in all other branches. Congress 

 did not. however, make any aopropriation 

 to cover the increased expendit^ire author- 

 ized by this law. and the question is now 

 being studied by the Cuban authorities 

 as to the action which can be taken to pre- 

 A"ent a disappointment of the teachers. 



NEW TELEGRAPH AND POST-OFFICES 



The following new post-offices have re- 

 cently been established : 



In Santa Clara Province at ]^Iuiica. 

 Central Reforma and Seibado : in Pinar 

 del Rio at Barrio Palenque. 



A f^lesraph station has been established 

 at Sabanilla del Encomendador, INIatanzas 

 Province. 



HA\ ANA S CLUBS FOR EMPLOYEES 



Mr. Arthur von Briesen. president of the 

 Legal Aid Society, calls' attention in a re- 

 cent report to the admirable wage earners' 

 clubs in Havana as one form of activity 

 which Xew York and other large cities 

 of the United States should hasten to 

 study and perhaps copy. 



The three clubs, each owning a large 

 home and independent of the others, have 

 brought about unity and happiness without 

 any trace of politics or unionism, says ^Ir. 

 Briesen. They are social centres and 

 meetings are held in the auditoriums to 

 discuss matters aft'ecting the welfare of 

 the members. The associations have an 

 aggregate membership of 90,000 members, 

 in which are included the families of the 

 men who pay the dues. The club houses 

 are handsome structures and have all the 

 attractions and conveniences necessarj-. 



But they have more, declares Mr. Brie- 

 sen. There are hospitals for sick members 

 and their families, and there are schools 

 for their children, presumably in which 

 vocational instruction is chiefly given. He 

 who needs the services of a lawyer is 

 promtly aided by the legal department, 

 and when sickness comes to a member 

 without funds his wants are looked after. 



The savings bank department of one of 

 these clubs, the Centro Gallego, shows a 

 total of saA-ing during the year of $538,000, 

 and it has this year declared a 6 per cent 

 dividend on the members" savings. The 

 two other clubs, the Centro Asturiano and 

 the Centro de Dependientes, have also 

 opened savings departments. 



The frontispiece, showing the "Maine" 

 as the work has thus far progressed, is 

 published bj- courtesy of ^lagazine Section 

 of the Xezi' York Times. 



GEN. RI\-A I.MPRESSES NEW YORKERS 



Brigadier General Amando de J. Riva, 

 the "Beau Brummell" of Cuba, and gen- 

 erally conceded to be the best looking 

 man in the big island, arrived in Xew 

 York recently on his wa\- to Germany, 

 where he is to be present oiificially at the 

 army manceuvres. He is a well built 

 man of exceptionally pleasing personality, 

 says the Xe-w York Press, so that he at- 

 tracted attention in the hotel, and men 

 and women were heard to remark: "\Vhat 

 a handsome man I" He weighs about 100 

 pounds, was dressed in a gray suit, with 

 a dark blue necktie, patent leather shoes 

 with big silk bows and a big Panama hat. 

 He smiles constantly, and his skin is of 

 an olive hu^". w'th a tint of red in the 

 cheeks. . His EngHsh needs burnishing, 

 but his manners would make Harry Lehr 

 think and Chesterfield rise in a prayer of 

 thanks. 



