The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-18
THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA
V--Haoona's Creat Social Clubs
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

Havana January i7--Havana has the rest social clubs in the world The A@furiano Club has 2S.500 members. inc Clerks Club has 21,000 members ana the Callego Club roster shows A 900 names There are other small CT Clnbs, so that one-third Of the population of Havana is represenAed in club membership As only men are admitted to these clubs. ana as fwo thirds of the population must De women and children. 1t is apparent thsf almost ever yman in Havana is club man. The club exercises social influence in Havana among all classes of people which Is not 10 De found in any other city.
 The Clerks Club Is. perhaps. the most interesting organization. It's name in Spanish is Association de Dependientes del comercio de Ia Habana.' which means literally .he association of dependents upon the commercial institutions of Havana Every salesman in every shop in town. every waiter fin a cafe, every COOK. every cab driver. every bank presi- dent. every merchant, every politician fn the city belong In this club, or to one of the others.
 Each member pays his dues or S1.oo . aAmonth, in Spanish silver which IS Is about $1.25 in American money. Tn return for that he has the use Of naRnifcent club house with every facility for enjoyment. He has the privileges of the gymnasium. the baths, or the class of instruction whicn are held in the clubs school room. He may send his children to the club Kindergarten. its primary school, It's grammar school and its high school He may have his wife go to the cluo for expert instruction in sewing, cook ing and domestic science.
 fS he Is unfortunate enough to be- come ill he goes to the club hospitai There he has the attention of the best physicians in the city. he Is cared Tor ' by graduate nurses, he Is given the best of everything. IT the surgeon ls needed, there Is the best of operating rooms and the highest of surgical skill at his command.
 The club member goes to the club dentist to have his teeth cared for, to the club oculist for eye treatment or for Elasss. If he has tubercuiosis he is sent to the specially erected club hospital for the tubercular patti ents. If he Is stricken in the mind and becomes insane. he Is not herded with the patients in the state hospi- kaI but Is cared for in the clubs own private sanitarium for the insane.
 And for all this he pays $l.5o month in Spanish silver. Never any more When he pays his dues he gets ali these benefits, except that he must nay for the actual gold used by the dentist and must pay for the actual cost of glasses fitted by the oculist. But the hospital and the services of the physician and surgeon are free. All the other things are free. The club dues comprehend and embrace all these things.
 The benefits of such associations as shege to the community are apparent. The conditions in Havana are such as 10 make them even more beneficial than they would be in an American city. These institutions are a develop ment of the Spanish colonial days.
 Four centuries of union have not amaIgamated the peoples of the sev- aral ancient kingdoms of Spain. The Spanish immigrant to Cuba In the old days was loyal to his country. but he was more dtNoted to his parti- cuIar corner of that country. Pecuii- arity in customs, ideals, even in language, caused him to seek his own people in this new land. The majority of immigrants to Cuba came either from the ancient province of Auturias or from the ancient kingdam of Cali cia. The Asturianes and the Callegos sought their own kind on this side of j. titp atiahtAC- hC uCh~tO-oO atbChAPt~ ed to aid the poverty stricken. From small individual charities arose a concerted effect to help. Then the cooperative plan was decided upon and the Asturiano Club and the Gal lego Club were born. Their growth was slow. but with increasing mem- bership came increasing income. The benefits were extended until the pre- sent great system has evolved.
 Tv, Ia fH.n uk<n Ir above or behind his shop. He keeps his place of business open nearly all the time. The commercial business of Havana still remains in the hands of the Spaniards. Not Cubans with Spanish language and customs, but spaniards born in Spain who came here to make money and who in- tend to go back to Spain to die. These merchants bring their salesman from Spain. The apprentice clerk gets very little salary beyond his bare living He always lives with the family of his employer, always eats with them and always sleeps in the store. under or upon a counter. He works early and late. and he has few opportuni- lies for recreation.
 It was for these clubs that the Clerks Club was organized in 1880 with something less than 800 mem oers. The membership has grown to 27,00O and still is increasing. This club has entirely changed the life habits of these poor clerks, has opened 70 them opportunities for education and social advancement which they never could have had under the old order of things. The only objection ever urged against this club system came from Americans of the type who oppose the Young Mems Christian