The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-26
THE CUBANS RHASSURHD
Visiting Teachers Not to Have
Their Salaries Cut.
= Mistake Made i'm TrnnscrIbing the
Luw-InsuIar officials Blamed for
the Error-Consternntio Among
the Attendants ut the Cambridge
Summer school Soon DisPcIIed.

| CAMBRIDGE. July 25.-The disturbance
among the Cuban teachers over the new
educational law providing for reduction OF
| salaries has been relieved by a despatch
! from Governor-GeneraI Wood stating that
the salaries would not be cut down; that
| that part of the law was an error in print.
! This considerably relieved the situation.
Last night Governor General Wood ar
rived N Boston and Immediately sum
moned Mr.. Frye for consultation, and there
is prospect that the Cuban colony may be
spared the stampede threatened yester-
day.
The CONSERVATION was general, and yes
terday morning several Of the teachers ex-
pressed an intention Of returning to Cuba
today at their own expense. This, accord
ing to the new decree, would be ne
cessity in order that they might pass the
examination for a certificate required by
the new edict. and so retain their positions.
Besides this dImculty. the promised reduc-
ton in salaries was such as to make it an
impozsibility for a large part of the
teachers here to continue with their work
in the fall.
The whole matter has had much the ap-
| pearance OF a trick on the CubaEs, for,
while the teachers had all come here that
they might better fit themselves for their
work, some of them leaving home, too at
considerable sacrifice they were no sooner
away from the island than these laws were
passed. It is little wonder that they were
discouraged and dismsyed- But in tee
midst OF these perpleXities the Cubans did
not for a moment lose confidence In Mir.
Frye. The presidents of several OF the
teachers societies met him to consult as
to what action they should take, ard when
he adv ised that they keep quiet they prom
ised 10 follow that course.
AS a further illustration OF their IN
shaken confidence a Characteristic ovation
was given him at dinner yesterday in Me
mortal Hall. He CHANGED to enter the din
ing room On business while the teachers
were there, and before he could leave 300 or
400 had surrounded him and cheered him
with wives"
Superintendent Frye was really quite as
much surprised ard disturbed over The Sit
uaJi9R IS the Cubans themselves, though he
did not give way to encouragement, for,
as he himself said, lit is only one OF the
thousand things which have come up TO OBJ
struCt my work in Cuba"
The teachers all blame Secretary
Varona, the Minister Of PI0iic Instruction,
for the new law. though, OF course, he did
not write it. The first news of the decree
came on Monday when the mail from Ha-
yana brought copies Of the "Ceceta de la
Hahana," a government publication. con-
TAXING information of the VaTona decree,
ccun,ersigned by Gen. Leonard Wood.
Military Governor of Cuba. Briefly stated,
the eCict embraces these five points:
4 reduction to be made in the number
of professors and instructors; an average
cut of so a month is 10 be made in the
salaries OF those who secUre positions; with
the exception of thirty-three OF the pro-
fessors now serving. all others must take
new examinations before they will be even
eligible to appointment or reeppOintment:
these examinations are to be held from Au-
gust Is to 20. and in order to attend them
these Of the professors now at Cambridge
must cut their studies short and return 10
Cuba: ard the daily school session has been
heightened from five to six hours. and in
scme cases two OF more schools are to be
combired and one supervisor is to be given
practically twice the amount Of work he
previously had TO do.
Il remains to be seen how much Of this
will remain intact.
One of the developments OF the disturb
ance which began on Monday was q tcle-
gram Of protest from Senator Hoar 10 Sec
rotary Root, urging that the salaries
should not be cut down. and that the date
of examinations be postponed until the
1st Of December next, while another tele-
gram WIS issued by Senator Hoar at the
same time to the Governor OF Massachu-
sets, asking him to make a similar pro-
test.
Concerning the Porto Rican teachers
whose sudden appearance and application
for admission TO the summer school was
such a surprise in Cambridge yesterday,
all doubt Is now removed. President Eliot
has granted them the privileges Of the
university in offering free tuition at the
summer school, but the matter OF provid-
ing board and lodging was doubtful until
Mr.. Frye himself came to the rescue with
the offer to defray expense He tele-
graphed this noon TO the men VINO we're
waiting in New York that they might come
on at once, and that every advantage would
be furnished them.