The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-10-25
IRANSFOR Ming CUBA
Governor General Woods Re-
port on Island Affairs.
WONDERFUL IMPROVEMENTS MADE.
Hospitals Opened, Prisons Repaired.
Courts RcmodeIcd. Schools Estab-
Iishcd--Americnn Troops Not
Used During the Ycnr.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23.- jor Cen
eral Leonard Wood has made the follow
ing statement as to the contents of his
civil report as governor general of Cuba;
'"Thc civil report of the island will not
be published until the end of the present
calendar year. 1t will cover in detail the
work under the various civil departments
of the military government during the en-
tire present year. Under the head Of hos
pitals and charities it will be found that
every town of consequence in the island
has been provided with hospital well
equipped with all necessary supplies and
appliances.
"Asylums for orphan children have
been established wherever necessary.
The number of these institutions has
been greatly reduced during the past few
months owing TO the great improvement
in the general conditions existing in Gu
ba, children being taken back to their
families or their friends.
"Thc prisons have been ovcrhaulcd and
repaired from one end of the island TO the
other and the sanitary conditions vastly
improved. The military government has
had its agents go over the island invcSti-
eating every case under detention, and
many hundreds of prisoners who had
been detained for long periods of time
awaiting trial have been released. only
such being released, however. rs had
awaited trial for period as long or lon
ger than they would have been sentenced
had they been found guilty.
"Corrcctioual courts have been estab-
hshed throughout the larger cities, where
the trial is oral and summary, as in our
police courts. The writ of habeas corpus
has been published, to take effect on Dec.
l of this year.
'During the present year over 5000
public schools have been established.
Thirty-siX hundred teachers are employ
ed in them. and 100000 children are in
the schools. This number is constantly
increasing. and by the end of the present
school year it is believed that we shall
have 25O, 900 children in school. The lar
gest number at school under the Spanish
rule was between 10000 aud 10000. The
salaries paid the teachers are all high, ex-
ceeding any paid in the United States in
corresponding grades, with the exception
of three of our larger cities. School desks
and supplies for 100000 children have
been purchased, sent to the island and
put up. Enthusiasm for public education
is great. The trip of the 1900 teachers
to Cambridge was most beneficial, and
attempts will be made to repeat it next
year.
''The United States troops have not
been used during the present year for
the maintenance of order. The police
work in the rural districts is done by
the rural guard, which amounts to about
1,200 men for the entire island of Cuba.
These men and their officers are all Gu
bans.
~The financial condition of the country
is excellent. The government is entirely
self supporting, and the treasury has ar
anincumbered balance of $1,000 900.
Municipalities are gradually assuming
their obligations.
''The condition OF the people of the
island, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, is one of content and they real
ize that wonderful progress has been
made, and they feel as people kindly
toward and have faith in the people of
the United States"