Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-02-14
CONDITIONS IN CUBA.
Excellent Openings on the Island
For Americans.
CORDIAL WELCOME FOB GEN. WOOD.

Hibbn-d's story of n Visit TO HR-
vana-EI-MnyOr OF Newton, Mass.
VIII Educate Young Cubans.
Mass. has recently returned from q
trip to Havana, during which he had
exceptional privileges Of intimate con-
| versatiOn with General Leonard Wood.
| the new governor general, who went
| down TO his new duties on the same
steamer with Mr.. Hibbard and who.
| in the course of the voyage. told, as Il
man tells his friend. how he proposed
| TO conduct the affairs of the island.
some of the first reforms he intended
40 inaugurate and his general ideas of
control and organization. Mr.. Hib-
bard consented TO talk with a reporter
for the Boston Herald on his trip and
especially on his interviews with Cen
eral Wood, for whom lie has conceived
great admiration.
General Wood" said Mr.. Hibbard.
.is the man that Cuba has been wait
ing for. and the beauty of the situation
is that the Cubans know and appreci-
ate his worth. The first thing he will
do. according 10 the statements he
and familiar talks on the trip down
Oh the steamer City of Mexico. is TO
uutangle the currency problem. In
Santiago province. where General
Wood has been in power. American
money is la circulation. exclusive of
everything else. and There has even
been n little premium on Spanish sill
yer on account of its scarcity. But in
~ ii.
tainty about money. American gold
is now at Il premium of % per cent.
and Spanish silver has Il premium OF
81 per cent over the paper currency OF
the island. When you pay for goods
purchased i'll American gold and re-
ceive change in Spanish silver, ii takes
a professor of mathematics to know
whether you are being cheated or not.
SO most people content themselves by
looking as wise as they can while the
counting is going on and pocket what
ever the merchant is pleased to give
them. / venture to say that within
three months American money will
have crowded out the rest in Havana.
as it has in Santiago. under the man
agemeut OF General Wood Another
matter to which the new governor gen
eral will devote his attention is the
reorganization of the courts. There
are said to be 600 men now in prison
in Havana about whose Incarceration
there is more or less mystery.
The educational system Of the is
land will also be thoroughly organized
so that all children shall have the OPP
Dortuuity to acquire at least the rudl-
mentS of learning / was furnished
With passes to all the government in
situations of Havana and visited sever
al schools. but found none worthy of
the name. In one of them. which was
located in series of rambling build
ingS around n central court. the head
master was making his rounds OF in
spcction to oversee the work being
done by his suborduates in the various
rooms This functionary was devoting
most of his attention to a plump young
pig. which he led about by Il string at
tached to one of the hind legs of the
quadrrped. When | asked him, through
my interpreter, what he was going TO
do with the animal. he replied that lie
expected TO eat him when Christmas
came and meantime wanted to he sure
that no one stole him. so kept him in
sight all the time. The students i'll this
school were about half of them negroes
and seemed to he doing very little work
rs far as could see.
Notwithstanding the miserable
schools of Havana. Il tremendous ca
gcrneSS TO learn English is now appear
ing The very boOtblacks will shine
your shoes for nothing but the privi-
lege Of getting Il chance TO talk with
YOU for few minutes. In response TO
this general demand there are numer
Gus private schools springing up which
advertise to teach the English language
promptly. But they are all managed
by CubanS. few OF whom can speak
English well themselves. In one pri-
vate school / visited. calling itself
college the lesson for the day was
written on the blackboard. II consist
ed of the word baby and its pronun-
citation. which was spelled babe. L
think there is fine opening for bright
American teachers. for any one can get
pupils at the rates given by the school
lust mentioned-SS.50 per month for
beginners. day only. and S31 so per
month for the boarding pupils. These
figures are for the rates reckoned in
American gold. |
"In speaking OF his intentions re-
garding the ofIiccholders of Havana, |
General Wood said. little grimly. that |
he intended to make officeholding a |
disagrccable business. so that there F,
might be fewer applications for
'plums' II seems that the business |
hours n the city end insular govern |
m"nt have been regulated according |
TO the leisurely Spanish notions. II an !
officer feels energetic. lie strolls Down |
TO his desk the middle OF the forenoon |
and goes 10 breakfast ut 10 o'clock. |
from which he returns n I. devotinS |
the time from that hour till > to labor. |
Sometimes they do not 60 10 the office !
1T all in the forenoon. but If they do |
there is seldom more than an hours l