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BOARD REFUSES TO CLOSE HOSIERY MILL1 WILL LOOK TO LEGISLATURE FOR INSTRUCTIONS. Asserts That Health Conditions Are Excellent, Contradicting Oft Re peated Charges. Columbia, J::ly 13.-Assuming full responsibility for conditions existing in the hosiery mill and maintaining that these conditions are as sanitary, di.an and healthful as it is possible to {-nake them; declaring that convicts employed in the plant actually under go less menace to health than thous ands of free citizens working in cot ton mills; asserting that the contract with Lessee Graham was entered into with the consent of the legislature and is in the opinion of the directors binding, both in morals and in law, the board of directors of the South Carolina penitentiary transmitted to Governor Blease to-I 'L.ght a formal communication, the re 6ult of sessions held here yesterday and today, in which they say they must stand by the Graham contract, but will call the matter to the atten tion of the general assembly, and will, of course, follow that body's instruc tions. Letter to Governor. The letter follows: "His Excellency, . Cole L. Blease, Governor--Sir: Your communication of some weeks ago demanding that this board abolish the hosiery mill -contract with Mr. J. M. Graham, be cause of the alleged unsatisfactory, unsanitary and unhealthful condition in the hosiery mill, was duly received. In compliance with your request, this board held a ,meeting on the 21st of June to fully consider the matter, but not being able to secure the advice..of the attorney general at that time it 'was continued until the meeting of the board held on yesterday, July 12. At this meeting the attorney general and the assistant attorney general were both present, as were all members of 'the board. The matter was considered in all of its phases and the conclusion -of the board was finally reached. "The board would call it to your at . tention, that on the 10th day of August, 1910, a formal contract was enteredI into by the board with Mr. J. M. Gra-' ham, to continue for a period of five years, beginning February 1, 1911. Un 'der this contract, the board let to Mr. .Grahafi, the h 1 or and* services of! Trom 200 to 350 convicts to be used by Mr. Graham in the manufacture of 'hosiery and other knitted goods of cot ton .and wool and in the manufacture of the necessary cases and bales for shipping the same. Beuuirements of Contract. '"The contract specifies that these convicts are to be under the guard and control of the board of directors, and' the building in which they are employ edi, which belongs to, and is within the walls of the penitentiary, under the same contract, is to be kept in re-' 'pairs by the board of directors. In other words, the ecn tract is onie whereby the board of directors agrees to have convicts do certain work, they 'being under the exclusive control andI ~supervision of the board of directors, and the place in which they work be * ing likewise under the exclusive con 2.rol .and supervision of the board of s irectors. "Ilt is clear, therefore, that if any -'msanitary conditions exist in the hos - iery mill it is the fault of the board of diretTors, and not of Mr. Graham as the ~board of directors assumes the duty of supervising the mill and keep ing it in repair, as well as contrcllinyg thercon-its that work therein. "It 'has 'never been claimed that Mr. Arha his in any wise fail'ed to strictly comply with his part of the, :sgeemnent, and the communicatio:i 'from your excellency indicates 'your1 -opinion :that we should rescind theI 'contract because of the unsatisfactory anid unsanitary condition supposed to exist in the mill, chargable to this board, and not to Mr. Graham. Sanitary oCndition. '"Strictly in reply to your sugges Yon, we would respectfully call to your attention that the conditions in ~and around the hosiery mill, as well .as those in all other departments of th)ie 'penitentiary, are sanitary, clean 'and as healthful as is possible to malte them. In so far as concerns the hosiery mill, all portions of the build-1 ing itself are kept perfectly clean, the toilet arrangements are sanitary and the conviets are given plenty of air -space. In fact, in so far as concerns the health of the laborers, the condi tions in the hosiery mill are as good, if not better, than those of any knit -ting mill or cotton mill in this State or section. So true is this that the board of health itself, in their recent' inspection, not only found no fault with these conditions, but declared '-that they were as good as we had in-! 3Icated The hosiery mill is a brick building, constructed a few years ago It has large windows close togethei on each side, kept open at top an( bottom for the passage of air througi the whole building. The woodwork i! kept well painted, the brick walls aro regularly whitewashed and the floor: and steps kept as clean as soap an< water and scrubbing brush can keel them. Tuberculosis Cases. "We believe it is a fact as said by member of the board that the build ing could not be made more sanitary if the- present loors were taken ul and new ones put in, if the walls wer washed with carbolic acid or if the entire building made anew. If it is necessary that the hosiery mill bE abolished because it is not sanitary then every building within the wall should be torn down and the institu tion destroyed. Instead of tubercu losis being on the increase, the eondi tion with reference to this disease ha; steadily improved. This is true as t( the deaths from this disease amon those employed in the hosiery mill a: well as in other departments withir the walls. From 1900 to 1905, inclu sive, there were 58 -deaths from tuber culosis among the employees of the mill, while from 1906 to 1910, inclu sive, after the tuberculosis hospita had been established, the fatality o this disease was reduced to a total of 22. During this period there hav been 200 to 350 convicts employee regularly in the mill. It must be re membered that many of the unfortu nates contracted this disease beforE coming to the penitentiary, and it is a common occurrence for the count3 chaingang to send in prisoners be cause they have the disease. A greal many also come from the county jails "The Tuberculosis hospital, whiil was highly commended by the board of health is as perfect as could be de sired. The convicts suffering from or threatened with tuberculosis are im mediately placed in this hospital and given the best treatment that medical science can devise. In their recent in spection of the prisoners, the board of health, in an examination of seven ty prisoners, fouid only one case, in which a bacteriological examination :onfirmed tubercle bacilli. Health Conditions Better. "The great improvement in the realth of the inmates, of this institute as no doubt been largely due to the ~iew cell building and sleeping quar ers completed in 1902. The old build ng was damp and unheated, but even ~he board of health makes no com laint as to the new one, excepting to 'ecommend certain changes, especial y in the toilet arrangement which will e adopted. During the last year from he prisoners employed in the hosiery nill, which averaged from 200 to 350, here were three who died of tubercu osis. Of course, it is impossible to ay whether these unfortunates con racted the disease while working in he mill or elsewhere, and it is equally infair to charge their deaths up gainst the condition existing in the losiery mill. The only objections to he hosiery mill offered by the board f health in their recent inspection was that the work of the employees is :onfining, outdoor work being prefer ble. The board did not find fault with the sanitary or other arrangements in the mill, but merely concluded that the work required of the convicts in the mill was too confining. Work Hours for Convicts. "The convicts employed in the hos ery mill work on an average of ten ours a day, and while the work of ome of them requires a close atten ion-attention to the knitting Ir.a ~hine-it is no more detrimental to heir health than is similar work done y thousands of free white people in :he numerous cotton and knitting nills throughtout the State, and in Ihis section; in fact we are confident that the sanitary condition and the su ervision of the health of the convicts vorking in this mill is much better than that enjoyed by employees in private industries of similar character and that the danger to their health is :orrespondingly less. "We therefore, respectfully submit that in nowise can the hosiey mill be onsidered a public nuisance and in 20wise can it be considered dangerous o the health of its employees, other prisoners confined in the penitentiary r the public at large. Contract Binding. "The contract with Mr. Graham was entered into by this board under the express authorization of the general assembly of this State, and in their last report to the general assembly the legislative committee on' penal and charitable institutions expressly found that the price paid by Mr. Graham for the services of the convicts, was a just and reasonable one, and there is nc reason for the State to make com plaint upon this ground. The attor ney general and assistant attorney general were both with the board yes terday, and advised us fully as to the law involved in this matter. The board's conclusion has been reached by applying the law so given it to thE facts as it knows them to exist. "After the most careful considera l tion the board of directors unanimous ly conclude that the contract is bind {Ing upon it, both in morals and in law, and that it is its duty to stand by the contract according to its terms. It will, however, call the matter to the attention of the general assembly when it next convenes and request that body to instruct the board with references thereto, which instructions will, of course, be followed by the board. Looks to Legislature. "In conclusion the board calls at tention to the fact that citizens are al lowed to visit this institution unan i nounced and inspect all departments, including the hosiery mill. The board encourages such inspection and feels confident that it has and will convince all who make it that this institution is sanitary, clean and he-1lthful in all of its departments, that the prisoners are treated humanely in .ery respect and that in every pa~rticular the insti tution is a model one for the accom plishments of the purpose of its crea tion and existence. "We are most respectfully, A. K. Sanders, Chairman, W. H. Glenn, J. B. Deas, John G. Mobley, Jasper M. Smith, "Board of Directors of the South Carolina Penitentiary." For sumer diarrhoea in children al ways give Chamberlain's colic, cholera and diarrhoea remedy and castor oil, and a speedy cure is certain. 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