Evening star., 1899-03-21
IN SAGUA LA GRANDE
Salaries for Every One Running Be-
hind for Months.
STREETS tNLeHrED At NIGHTS
School Tsachsrs Unpaid and on
Verge Of Starvation.
FECTS OF THE WAR

Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn of the
| war Department made public today from
| official sources the following description of
conditions in the municipality of Sagua la
Grande, on the north coast of Cuba:
Sagua is a healthy place compared with
| the other cities of Cuba. The town is rarely
afflicted with a case of yellow fever. Dur
| ing the period of Recommendation the NOR
| tality was large. The streets paved
with stoLes covered with cargit and sand
from the river There are some sewers in
the principal streets, but the town is not
| in an ideal sanitary condition.
The municipality has population of 22,0S4,
Including the villages of Isabella, Siticcito
and Chincha. The council of the town
consists of twenty-five members, including
the mayor. All the Spaniards in the council
have withdrawn leaving eighteen Cubans
to represent the law-making power of the
municipality. So 49,
Sagua is on a bay. which is large and safe,
but not of much depth. 1t has only one
channel for large, vessels to come in, pro-
V1ded their draft is no more than 16 feet.
| There are good wooden warehouses for de-
posting sugar and other merchandise, and
a wharf for vessels not drawing over nine
or ten feet. The Sagua river is navigable
Tor tWenty-one miles UP, but can only be
utilized for boats and lighters. The river
is deep in general, but there are some shall
low places that ought to be dredged, which
would make the stream navigable for larger
vessels.
Teachers Unpaid for Months.
There are six public schools in the town
for boys and nine for girls The private
schools are two for boys and five for girls,
making total of twenty-five schools,
which are attended by 31s boys and 5I1
srir rlS he
$2,954 for houses leased for school purposes
and for stationery, books etc, 5000, maxi
ing, per annum a total cost of $l2,604.
Hitherto the taxes were collected by the
Spanish bank and handed over to the pro-
vincial board of public instruction. This
board dealt directly with the teachers IN
this and almost every other respect.
Inc discipline maintained by the teachers
has always been of a very lax character,
and in cases of violation of the law there
seemed to be no legal method of correcting
breaches of discipline. The teachers have
now owing them over nine months salary,
and some of them are in starving condi-
ton. G.,
The town has a hospital capable of car
ing for 256 people, This is controlled by
the provincial. board of public charitable
institutions. Ehe hospital has always been
badly managed and the local authorities
nave all resigned. The hospital is now in
the hands of the mayor as delegate from
the general government The expenses of
running this hospital for 1889 up to date
is $21 ,225.11 The Foutlays for the present
financial year are Calculated at S21 126. IL
The expenses of running this hospital have
always been paid by the towns of the ju
dicial district. M -'
Hospital Salaries Due.
The hospital owes about $4,000 to outsid-
ers and sixteen months salary to it's en-
pIoyes, amounting. in the aggregate. to
about $4,000. 20 '"1g- ..~s su -t a.
Since the United States government took
hold of the hospital laborers have been put
to work in order to place it in a perfect
hygenic condition, and il is intended to fur
| nish the hospital with proper clothing fur
nture and medical supplies if any funds
can 'be had for such extraordinary ex-
penses About 200 sick people are being
assisted at the hospital at present, at a
cost of 30 cents day each, exclusive of the
cost of employees and other indispensables
to keep the place in good condition. A
clinic for children has recently been estab-
lished, with nurses and doctors At present
there are about seventy children attending
the clinic.
Asylum Needs.
The town has three orphan asyiums, two
for girls and one for boys, and here some
800 children find food, shelter and educa-
tion. They are taught certain 1abors in
harmony with Their age and sex clga-
rette mandatory has been established in
the asylum. The older girls show the
younger ones how to manage this industry
They also teach the latter to make straw
goods, such as hat making, etc. The girls
do the housework and committee of la
dies supervise daily their instruction,
health, etc. The municipality bears part of
the expense. and a public subscription, to
which is added the sale of cigarettes does
the rest.
The amount received is not sufficient to
keep it in good condition, the state of
famine and Wretchedness in which the chill
dIen generally come demand special med
icines, nourishment and attention. These
aSylums were founded last May. The
American Red Cross Society and lately
r, preventative of the United States gov
ernment have aided the institutions ty al
lowing them some supplies and food An
appropriate building for an asylum - thH
character is strongly demanded.
Dispensary and Public Kitchen.
The town has also a dispensary which
has been running for over a year, for chill
dren whose parents are alive. These chill
dren are received from to IL am. and
get some little nourishment, such rs broth
and milk, with medical attendance and
medicines There are 500 children being
supported at this dispensary. The dispsn-
sary is supported by the municipality and
public subscription.
There is a public kitchen in the
town, which provides food for some 1000
people of both sexes of the destitute
classes. This institution has been running
for over a year, and good many lives
have been saved by virtue of it. The Red
Cross Association and also Mr.. Gould have
contributed to this work.
The city haschad within its limits a great
many cases of smallpox, but since the Iaz-
arctic was built the epidemic rapidly dis
appeared. All smallpox cases are confined
in the lazareete, which has been found to
be a very important factor in eliminas ting
the disease.
The only cemetery in the town is the
property of the Catholic Church. Poor
people are netalloWed to be buried in cof-
fins unless they pay heavy duty. The
mode of burial haa largely contributed to
making the toYn unhealthy. Great reform
is needed in private burials throughout the
Island of Cuba.
Market, Water and Lighting.
Sagua has q small but badly conducted
market. which brings the municipality an
income of S12100 a fear. In better times it
used to yield an income of $4,000. A new
building is baby nsfded. =
The slaughter house Is a magnificent
structure. II produces to the municipality
about S15, 900 yearly and in ordinary times,
when cattle were cheap and abundant the
income was over 100000 year.