Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-10-26
Governor General Woods Re-
port on Island Affairs.
WONDERFUL IMPROVEMENTS MADE.
Hospitals Opened. Prisons Repaired,
Courts tcmOdcIcd, schools Estnb-
Iished-Amcricnn Troops Not
Used During the Year.


Jscd During the Year.
WASHINGTON. Oct 23.-Major Cen
cral Leonard Wood has made the follow
ing statement as to the contents of his
civil report rs governor general of Cuba
",ihc civil report of tn, island will not
be published until the end of the present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
pitfalls and charities it will be found that
every town of consequence in the island
has been provided with hospital we'll
equipped with all necessary supplies and
appliances. This condition exists, com
mcnCing with Havana, i'll practically all
the more important towns throughout the
island. The largest hospital, which IS ut
Havana, is capable of accommodating
1000 patients and is now serving as
general municipal hospital for that city.
"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.
"The prisons have been ovcrhauled 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 investi-
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, as had
awaited trial for q period as long or lon
ger than they would have been sentenced
had they been found guilty. This work
was done in the months of January and
February of this year. Courts have been
stimulated and urged to Il prompt per-
Torrance of their duty, and the result
! has been that many prisons have been
practically empty and n very great i'm
provement has been made in the conduct
Of criminal cases. A special inspector of
prisons has been appointed, whose func-
tons are to inspect at least once i'll every
three months each prison on the island
and to examine every prisoner therein.
correctional courts have been estab-
| lished throughout the larger cities, where
the trial is oral and summary, as in our
police courts. The writ of habcas corpus
has been published, to take effect on Dec.
l of this year.
During the present year over 5000
public schools have been established.
Thuy-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 100000 children in school. The lar
gcst number at school under the Spanish
rule was between 10000 and 10000 The
salaries paid the teachers are all high eX-
cceding 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 LOO teachers
to Cambridge was most beneficial, and
attempts will be made to repeat ii next
year.
The United States troops have not
been used during the present year foi
the maintenance of order. The police
work in the rural districts is done by
the rural guard, which amounts to about
1.2O0 men for the entire island of Cuba
These men and their officers are all Gu
bans.
"A complete overland telegraph ha:
been established throughout the island
Troops are in good health and are wei
located in suitable barracks, The con
dition of the equipment and instruction
is excellent. The troops have absolutely
no connection with the civil officials. ant
their presence is a guarantee of good or
der.
1.-THE financial condition of the countr.
is excellent. The government is entirel.
| Ia Nd tl,, a-ttpx hos
unincumbered balance of $1,000, O00
municipalities are gradually assuming
their Obligations.
"The condition of the people of tn
island, to the best of my knowledge an
, belief, is one of content, and they real
, ize that wonderful progress has bee
, made, and they feel as people kindl
, toward and have faith in the people o
? the United States"