The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-24
GREATEST CITY CLUB IN WORLD
 IS IN HAVANA
Whether Hod Carriers or Sugar Barons Men Belong
 to Social Clubs

One of the most striking features of the general social life of the Gu ban capital. Havana, is the develop ment of it's clubs. The city mas a population of about 350,00o, and acc cording to recent statistics at least 125,000, or over one-third of the entire number are members of some club. Furthermore, there is one club that has membership of 45,0o0. In other words, practically every man in the city of Havana is a member of club, be he millionaire sugar baron or 8 hodcarrier. This rather unusual state of affairs is largely due to cer- tain features that are peculiar to number of these organizations, usually known as centres. These were or iginally organized by Spanish resi- dents of the city for the purpose of uniting in social organizations those of their compatriots who came from the same section of Spain. Thus, the Centro Gallego was organized primar- fly for the benefit of the Galicians, the Centro Asturiano for natives of Asturias, etc.
 An interesting account of these "centros' appears in the current num- Der of the Bulletin of the Pan Ameri- can Union, Washington, D. C., from which the following facts relative to these remarkable institutions are taken. The three leading clubs of this character are the "Gallegos," the "Asturiano.' and the "Dependientes'" or Clerks club, all being organized along about the same lines and hav- ing practically the same features. Their memberships, in the order named, are 45,000; 37,000, and 25,000. They have all of the social and recreative features of the great so- cial clubs of other large cities; are housed in palatial club buildings which have very large reception rooms, parlors, libraries, reading rooms, ball rooms, dining rooms bil- Hard halls. gymnasiums, swimming pools, etc. In addition to these social and recreative features, however. they have certain mutual benefit and aid departments that make them uni- que and offer the greatest incentive for men of limited means to become members. Among, these may be mentioned the following:
 They maintain free night schools for their members. including courses in shorthand. bookkeeping, and other commercial subjects; they main tain kindergartens for the benefit of the members small children; gram mar ana IhEA SCaOOlS lOT Ln6 01uSI children; domestic science classes for the wives and daughters; they employ their own staff of physicians, sur- geons oculists and dentists, who att tend to the wants of members free of Iany charge-except for material used in filling teeth or the lenses prescrib- ed to correct and aid sight-and they each maintain their own hospitals,
 sanitariums, and aSylums for the in- sane.
 Especially notable are their general hospitals, known as "quintas,, which have their own medical corps and are as thoroughly and efficiently equip ped as are the most modern of such
 institutions in any of the great world cities. Each has its own pharma- ceutical department, carrying full lines of medicines and druggist sum dries for the "quinta.''
 i As an instance of the work of these hospitals may be cited the quinta be-. 1 longing to the "Centro Gallego", which treats over 12,o00 patients a year, not counting those who merely visit the doctors office, or receive treatment at home. When treated at
 the "quinta" the room, meals and
 medicines prescribed are furnish he'd
 without extra charge, and in the
 event of the death of the patient the
 club provides for a suitable burial iu
 cases where tie family o- .-- --- ceased is unable to bear the expense.
 The club dues are not over s1.50 per
 month for regular members.
 It is these features that have made tthe "centros.' of Havana so popular.
 and account for the tremendous mem- bership. Some of these, like the
 '.Balear'' and "Castellano" also ad- init women to membership. In ad-
 dition to the "centros' there are a
 great number of social clubs of the
 character usually found in large cit
 ies, including a fine country club. ten
 his clubs the famous Yacht club, various women's clubs. and a number
 of professional club. hat taken altogether Havana may justly claim ;, to be the greatest club city in the
 world