Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-12-02

washington, NOV. ZI.-Reauy IuS
most interesting part Of the annual
report of the secretary Of war relates
to Cuba the vast and wholesome
changes occurring there. He favors
reciprocity. The government of the
island of Cuba during the past year
he says, has been peaceful and order
ly. There has been no occasion for
interference by the United States
forces with the ordinary administra,
ton of law. Following the plan OF
steadily training the people in per-
forming the duties of government, the
organization of the rural guard has
been perfected, and that body has been
placed under one head, and now in
Cludes 1 800 men and officers, armed
with modern carbines and we'll mount
ed. The municipal police, which dur
ing the formative stage were support
ed from the general fund, have been
placed finally upon the proper and in
tended footing of support by the mu-
inequalities themselves. In order that
upon the withdrawal of our troops the
island may not be without force com
petent to take charge of her coast for
tificatiOns, several companies Of Cuban
troops have been organized, which
while maintained at insular expense,
are ASSIGNED to our coast artillery
companies in the island as second pla-
ICONS for the purpose of instruction
and dicipline, and to fit them for the
duties Of coast defense.
A gradual reduction is being made
in the excessive number of municipali-
ties in the western provinces for the
purpose of tightening taxation and in
creasing efficiency, There has been
great reduction in the number of asy.
Iums and pauper institutions. Beg
CARS are practically unknown in tie
island. There are supported by the
state "a hospitals, containing 2,844
beds. Six training schools for female
nurses have been established under
the tuition of American trained nurses
with Cuban girls as pupils, with regu-
lar courses, examinations and degrees.
The government training schools for
boys and girls have been enlarged.
The bureau for placing INDECENT chill
dren, mentioned in my last report, ha,
y been thoroughly established, and has
during the year returned over 1900
children to their relatives and placed
437 in other families There are still
2.O10 orphans under the care and SUI
pervision of the state The lepers IF
the island have been gathered into two
institutions, and the total number I'M
der treatment is now 1874.
Six private institutions assisted by
the state contain 1862 aged poor. Elk
tensive improvements have been made
in the insane asylums, and they now
contain 835 mates. The prisons have
been repaired and improved, and eacl
Jail has been provided with physi.
clan and the necessary medicines
School instruction has been inaugural
ed in the larger pals. Extensive re
pairs of streets and sanitary work
have been done in Havana, Santiago
CienfuegOs, and Santa Clara. Sewer
age and paving plans for Havana have
been completed and advertised for
and the contract has been awarded
Plans have prepared for harbOr i'm
provements at Matanzas, and con-
tract for $550000 has been awarded
for the deepening Of the harbor at
Cardenas Important first-class lights
have been established at Colorado
Reefs and Bahia Honda on the north
coast of Cuba, and many harbors have
been buoyed and properly marked,
Public schools have increased in eff
cheney. The school law, Of which a.
opy was annexed to my last report, has
proved thoroughly successful. It's
democratic character and the local
control which it gives, combined with
efficient central supervision, are sat
isfactory
There are 121 boards of education
elected by the people, and as thes
boards become familiar with their dU
ties the administration of the school
law improves. The system has bee7
kept entirely out Of politics. The work
of changing the old barracks through
out the island into schoolhouses has
progressed, and $250,O00 have been
expended upon this work during the
year with good results. A thoroughly
modern school is now under construc
ton at Santiago to cost $4,000. One
in Havana has SO rooms, with mod
ern kindergarten, Misunderstanding
branch, 2 gymnasiums, and baths
Large schools have been established
by changes in government buildings
at Guines, Pirar del Rio, Matanzas
Ciego de Avila, and Colon. The first
exhibit of Cuban school work ever
made was at the pan-American expos
ton at Buffalo, where it received over
80 medals. There are now $685.
teachers employed, with an average
enrolment of 100000 and an average
attendance of 100000 scholars. The
teachers have improved. All are sub
jected to examination. and approx
mately 5000 persons have been ex-
amtned for teachers For six weeks
during the summer vacation 4.O0OI