The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-07-26
CUBANS MUCH WROUGHT UP
They &re Uncertain Whether They Cam
Get Back to Cuba in Time to Save
Their Positions.
(Boston Transcript. }

(BOston Transcript
superintendent Frye had long process
sion of disturbed Cuban teachers await
ing him on his arrival at Brooks House
in Cambridge this morning, and all the
morning he was in conference with one
or another on the Varrona decree, which
would necessitate the early return to Gu
ba of many of the teachers if they can
get there.
Everybody is looking dubious over the
matter, and Superintendent Frye himself
is looking as near discouraged as a man
can who never for one instant gives up,
but yet comes to q full realization Of the
obstacles witch bar the way to success.
"No, ana not discouraged" he says,
tIt is only one of the thousand of things
which have come up in Cuba to obstruct
my work, AS for the teachers, they are
simply stunned; that word exactly ex-
presses it They do not know what to
think or to say, for out of clear sky the
thunderbolt has come. There are all sorts
of rumors adoat about the teachers MAX
ing aSwild stampede for Cuba, but as TO
this, can say that one and all they Will
abide by what say, and no decided ac-
tion of any kind win be taken Without
my advice. I cannot say now what will
be done for it is too early. The teachers
all blame Secretary Varrona, but he did
not write that law Tt is not to be won
dered at that the teachers all feel hurt
They argue that they have come to Cam
bridge in order to make themselves bst-
ter teachers, and yet no sooner did they
leave their land than laws were passed
which make it impossible for many OF
them to retain their positions there, and
all are regretting a cutdOwn in salary
I cannot say more than that / am sure
the teachers will do just what 1 ask them
to do
Considerable depression is in evidence
through the whole assembly Of teachers.
The men are disconnected and inclined to
be sullen; the women are almost heart
broken and ready to weep. The men re-
gard this as the turning of the thumb
screws on the Cuban, and one bold
speaker said: sit is exactly as they
treated the Filipinos. They took their
liberty from them and then ground them
down until they had to turn and light;
and that is what the Cubans Will Go, 1t
seems.
There is q rumOr widely reported in
Cuban circles that fifteen Of the men are
going to return tomorrow and Will pay
their own expenses. These fifteen hope
to be able to reach there in time to take
the examinations, and so hold their po-
sitions. Superintendent Frye says: II
think they will not go without consult
ing me. do know that q strong prO6es6
is being drawn up by the teachers
1t is also said that superintendent Frye
has cabled to Cuba and telegraphed
Washington, but he himself Will not
make any statement until he has heard
something definite
The Cuban view of past and present
times is interesting. They say that in
the rule of Spain in Cuba before the
troubles, that best paid teachers not only
had a salary OF $50 o month, but home
in the schOolhouse; and light and water
The home, light and water saved them
about $40 a month 10 be sure, the Sala-
~ was paid about three times a year, but
they declare they got it, Now with the
changed conditions under the rule of the
United States the salaries are $40 and 500
month, and no other privileges are
granted. This makes great difference,
and now that the new reduction has
been ordered, they have little heart for
school teaching
News of the Varrona decree came yes
terday, when the mail from Havana
brought copies of the Garceta de Ia Ha-
bana, a government publication, contain
ing Information of the Varrona decree,
cOuntersigned by General Leonard Wood,
military governor of Cuba. Briefly
stated, the edict embraces these five
points: A reduction is TO be made in the
number of professors and instructors; an
average cut Of SO month is to be made
in the salaries OF those who secure posi-
tiOns; with the exception Of thirty three
of the professors now serving, all Others
they viii be even eligible to appointment
or reappOintment; these examinations
are to be held from August 10 to 20, and
in order to attend them those OF the pro-
fessOrs now at Cambridge must cut their
studies short and return to Cuba; and
the daily school session has been
heightened from five to six hours, and in
some cases two or more schools are to be
combined and one supervisor is to be
given practically twice the amount of
work he previously had to do Superin
tendent Frye is much distressed by the
news, which is as much a shock TO him
as to the teachers.
In spite of the general depression in
spirits, the ball given last night in honor
of the Cubans at the CambridgepOrt
Gymnasium by the Church of st.
Mary OF the Annuncjation was
largely attended. In regard to the
Porto Rican teachers, President Eliot
has decided that as they came on their
own responsibility, they must pay their