The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, January 23, 1969, Image 3
The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, January 23,1969—PAGE 3
Infant deaths
cut as result
of Clinics
At least 1,912 women in this
county need family planning
(birth control) services the S.
C. State Board of Health said
today. Figures released by the
Board show that 19,757 women
in South Carolina’s 46 counties
now attend family planning
clinics, but that over 140,000
more women need to.
Why do they? According to
Dr. Hilla Sheriff, Chief Bureau
of Personal Health Services, S.
C. has the highest rate of in
fant deaths of all but three
states, and highest rate of ma
ternal (mother at birth) deaths
of all states except Mississippi.
“Many of these infant and
mother deaths can be prevent
ed if the mothers will attend
our clinics and learn to prac
tice child spacing,” Dr. Sheriff
said. “Far too many die be
cause the mothers are having
children too often. They are not
healthy enough to endure the
burden of an additional preg
nancy. And the infants who live
suffer as a result of being
unwanted, being born into un
suitable environments, or to
mothers not physically able to
care for them.
“We now have at least one
family planning clinic per
month in each of our 46 county
health departments,” Dr. Sher
iff continued. “Any woman in
a low income group of child
bearing age can attend. These
women receive information a-
bout different contraceptives so
each can learn a method of
birth control acceptable to her.
“Before a woman receives
contraceptives she is given a
medical examination including
a hemoglobin test, and cervical
smear for cancer. The doctor
then recommends the method
he thinks will best suit the
particular woman. None of
these patients are denied con
traceptives or clinic service be
cause of lack of funds.
“One of our problems is
that many women miss appoint
ments denying other women a
chance for the service. Public
health nurses follow these pat
ients thru and set up future
appointments for them,” Dr.
Sheriff said.
“Out of the nearly 20,000
women on the program last
year there were only 365 preg
nancies. And this shows more
than anything, how much we
could do if the 140,000 women
who need the service would
come to the clinics. Most of the
365 said they had become preg
nant because they discontinued
using the contraceptives or had
used them inconsistently,” Dr.
Sheriff emphasized.
“We think that this low preg
nancy rate among the women
who attended the clinics is a
proud attainment. An even
more important score is that
6954 more women came to the
clinics last year than the year
before.”
Dr. Sheriff said that family
planning at the Board of Health
goes back to 1939 when the
State Medical Association and
Board of Health made birth
control one of its official ser
vices. The purpose was to re
duce the appalling toll of mo
ther and infant deaths, and
great strides have been made
in death reduction since then.
“But ignorance of the meth
ods of control available is still
widespread among the women
of the state,” she said.
“To be fully accepted by these
people who need it most, family
planning services must continue
to have the cooperation of doc
tors, nurses, social workers,
health educators and volunteers.
And this opportunity should be
extended to all South Carolina
women wanting it.
“Birth control will provide a
powerful tool to interrupt the
vicious circle of poverty and
disease for millions of people
in our country and thruout the
world. And it will contribute
greatly to decreasing the num
ber of maternal deaths in this
state.”
LEGION AUXILIARY
JANUARY MEETING
The American Legion Auxil
iary held its regular meeting on
Thursday, January 2 at the
home of Mrs. M. F. Bowler.
Associate hostesses were Mrs.
Huston Long, Mrs. F. Scott
Elliott and Mrs. Ida Martin.
After the usual ritualistic
service, members sang the
National Anthem. The corres
pondence was read by Mrs.
Harry Epting, recording sec
retary.
Mrs. W. Roy Anderson, child
welfare chairman, reported that
she had a call for clothing for
a needy family. She outfitted
clothing for six little girls.
Seven Gold Star mothers
were remembered at Christmas
with a card and a handker
chief. Mrs. Frank Sutton and
Mrs. Holland Sligh, patients at
J. F. Hawkins Nursing Home,
were also remembered with
gifts.
The Auxiliary voted a dona
tion to the State Historical
Society to help finance the out
door drama, “The Liberty
Tree.”
For the program, Mrs. An
derson, child welfare chairman
for the Department of South
Carolina, gave an informative
report of the Area C confer
ence held in Tuscaloosa, Ala.,
recently, where information
was given on handling of the
mentally ill and retarded. There
are five institutions of this
type in Tuscaloosa. The Amer
ican Legion and Auxiliary are
working together on this pro
ject. Mrs. Anderson was asked
to serve as Chaplain at the
meeting.
Following the program, de
licious refreshments were serv
ed.
Retires from
Highway Dept.
(The following article ap
peared in Carolina Highways,
the official publication of the
S. C. State Highway Depart
ment.)
One of the Highway Depart
ment’s veteran women employ
ees, Miss Helen Marguerite
Burns, ended almost 17 years
of service with the Department
December 1, and immediately
launched another career.
Miss Burns, a stenographer
In Public Relations, retired
from the Department with 16
years, 10 months, and 16 days
of employment behind her,
which included stints in several
sections.
Her first assignment with
the Department was January
16, 1952, when she began as a
clerk in the financial division.
In November of 1953 she trans
ferred to General Services Ad
ministration and one month la
ter, to Accident Records.
In April of 1954, Miss Burns
was transferred to Traffic &
Planning, where she worked
for eight years before being
transferred to Public Relations
September 16, 1962.
Miss Burns, with her sister,
Miss Evelyn Burns, lives at the
old family home, 706 Boundary
St., Newberry.
She was born September 5,
1904, at Newberry and attend
ed Newberry High School. She
later attended Furman Univer
sity at the old downtown cam
pus in Greenville, where she
received a B.M. in music.
Before entering the business
INCOME TAX RETURNS
Federal & All States
JAMES L. KOON
PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT
Rt. 3 Phone 276-1862
world she took a course at G.
A. B. Business College in Ma
con, Ga.
During World War II, Miss
Burns was employed in Jack
sonville, Fla. In the post war
years of 1947-51 she served as
a secretary for The American
Legion in Columbia.
In addition to her 17 years
of Highway Department em
ployment, she served as public
school teacher in Newberry
county ior some 16 years. For
much of the time she worked
with the Highway Department
in Columbia, she commuted
from Newberry every day.
In leaving State government
employment, Miss Bums has
joined her sister as a federal
employee. They are both em
ployed in Newberry with a soc
ial welfare agency.
Miss Bums was a well-known
figure around the Highway De
partment and she leaves a large
circle of friends and acquain
tances.
AUDITOR’S 1969 TAX
ASSESSMENT NOTICE
Returns of personal property, (vehicles, boats, motors,
trailers, mobile homes, farm machinery, livestock, etc.); also
real property, new buildings and real estate transfers, and
poll tax are to be made at the County Auditor’s Office be
ginning:
January 2nd,1969
THROUGH
February 28th, 1969
All able-bodied male citizens between the ages of twenty-
one and sixty are liable to $1.00 poll tax, unless in service,
or a student.
All returns are to be made by Tax Districts. Your failure
to make return calls for 10% penalty as prescribed by law.
The books will be closed for making returns after February
28, 1969.
JEANETTE K. HAMM
Auditor, Newberry County
PHILLIPS’ CAFE
1106 CALDWELL ST. NEWBERRY, S. C.
Thursday Morning
Salt Mackeral Breakfast
$1.00
Wednesday Night
FAMILY NIGHT
Shrimp Supper
6 Shrimp, Slaw, French Fries, Tartar Sauce
Hush Puppies, Tea or Coffee
$1.00
Friday Night
Roast Beef Supper
Rice and Gravy, Green Beans Corn
Tea or Coffee
$1.00
Talk about South Carolina...
and Santee-Cooper comes to mind!
SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC
AUTHORITY