The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, July 19, 1911, Image 3
WVERNOR S DEMAND REFUSED
l>t:\t.\M> TU \ l MONlKin Mil l.
BI-: VliOI.lSHH? ItKHM I) |i\
DIRECTORS.
No Right to \huu? Contract With
J M. Graham if Provision* Have
tV?n Violated hy StnU
ft
Columbia. July 14.?Disregarding
th?? demand? 'he governor. t*e
board of directors of the rotate pen?
itentiary yesterday morning rvfused
f? abolUh the hosiery mill, and the
entire controversy will he h ft with
the general assembly for a decision.
The contract la for five years and pro.
video for the employment of from 2')0
to SSO prisoners. J. M. Graham h dds
tp| contract with the State. A letter j
embracing the position of the board
was addressed In the governor. Tie
governor has on several occasions 1
stated that If the hosiery mill was not
abolished that he would pardon all
of the S#0 men and women employed
the mill. His attitude toward the
Ion of tne board has not been 1
learned.
The board rinds that J. M Graham
has observed every provision of the
contract.
That failure on the part of the'
ttsjue through its officers to perform
tts*dutles toward the convicts, if such
be the case, should not he allowed to '
work a hardship on J. M. Graham
nor Justify the St*?e in breaking the (
agreement with him.
That the hosle-y mill Is In a th >r- j
thly sanitary condition and the (
vtcts therein work under more .
favorable circumstances than cm
ployes In similar Industries conducted
by parties or corporations.
T% at deaths from tuberculosis In
the whole penitentiary, including the ^
Hosiery mill, ha* decreased from 5S
4hng the years between 1900 and
19eS to 12 during the years between
lief and Irl*.
That a greater number ad convicts
are brought to the penitentiary al- i
"ready afflicted with tuberculosis than
tfcoss contracting the disease within
!? prison walla
That as soon as s convict shows any
symptoms of tuberculosis he or she la
placed in one of the finest tuberculo?
sis hospitals In this section of the
country.
- That the board stands ready to
Wake any changes In the buildings
that may bo necessary to further
safeguard the health of the convicts,
whenever they ascertain through the
hoard of health and their own inves?
tigations the same la desirable.
That the board invites inspection by
^lvate clttaens of the State at any
time, of all the buildings within the
walls of the State p nit.-nttary.
The members of the board of di?
rectors of the State penltentlarv are
v K. Sanders, chairman; John G.
?obley. J. B. Deas. Jaaper at Sml:h J
rd W H Glenn.
The action of the board brings to1
an end a controversy of longstanding. '
There la much speculation as to what
course the governor will take. H>
has charged the hosiery mill with be?
ing a public nuisance, which the
A*ard denies. He has Instructed B*>
licit.? r robb to bring action to abase
the contract. The solicitor has made
no statement as to whnt seSarea he a* 111
pursue.
The following communication to
the governor of the State gives the
sdewe of the beSMfd and the decision.
m> Hi* K\ . ib-ti v 0a|| L. Rloase.
Governor of the State of South
Carolina.
Sir Tour communication of some
weeks ago demanding that this board
abolish the hosiery mill contract with
tM. Graham because of the alleged
satisfactory, unsanitary and un?
healthy condition in the hoalery mill
was duly received. In compliance
with your request, this hoard held a
meeting on the 21st of June to fully
consider the matter. but not being
^gble to secure the advice of the attor?
ney general at that time It was con
tlnued until the meeting of the hoard
held on yeaterday. July 12th. At
this meeting the attorney general and
the asalstsnt attorney general were
^fcoth present. Th*? rn i?t.r was ci.ndd
^red In all <>f Its phases and th. i in?
clusion of the board waa Anally
reached.
The board would call your attention
that on the 10th day of August. 1910.
a formal contract waa entered Into
by the board v?lth J. M. Graham to
^continue for a perl.d id five yanfl
beginning February 1. 1911. Pndtf
this contrsct. the board let to Mr.
Graham the labor and servlcea of
from 200 to 350 convlcta to be u*fd
by Mr. Gruham In the manufacture
of hosiery and other knitted goods of
feotton and wool, and In th. aj ujHli
^ure of the nec***nry eases and bahn
for shipping the same. The contro i
specifies that these convicts are to
be under th?' guurd and ?aMStfai of the
hoard of dir? , tors, and th. building
In which they are employed, which
longs t?> u 1 n within the g <H < g|
he penltentlarv. under the name con?
tract. I.? to bg kept In fi pair bv
the board of directors. In other
worda. the control Is one wherchv
the I . I rd of .h ? ,rs ;,tcre.'S to ha\e
convicts do certain work, they being
under the exclusive control and super?
vision ( f the hoard of direi toi i and
the |. iif In which they work being
iUwrtH under the exclusive control
and supervision "f the hoard of di?
rei tors.
1* bl clear. * h?r ?1 'ore. that if any
unsanitar> conditions exist in the hos
ler\ mill, it is the fault of the hoard
dire, tors and not Mr. Graham, as
il>.' board of directors assumes the
duty of supervising the mill and keep?
ing It In repair, as well as controlling
fb.nvicts that work therein.
it has never been claimed that Mr.
ibnn has In anywise failed to
tri. tu comply with his part of the
agreement, and the communication
from your excellency indicates your
opinion that we should rescind the
? >ntra< t heraus.- of the unsatisfactory
and unsanitary condition supposed to
iXtgl in the mill, charegable to this
rd I not to Mr. Graham,
?trtotly In reply to your suggestions,
sr< would respectfully call your at?
tention that the condition.* in and
?round the hosiery mill, as well as
|g all other departments of the
penitentiaryi are sanitary, clean and
as healthful as Is possible to make
them. Insofar as concerns the hosiery
111, all portions of the building it
elf, are kept perfectly clean, the
toilet arrangements are sanitary and
the convicts are given plenty of air
pace. In fact, insofar as concerns
the health of the laborers, the condl
ns in the hosiery mill are as good.
If not better, than those of any knit?
ting mill or cotton mill in this State
or lection, BO true Is this, that the
board of health itself, in their recent
inspection, not only found no fault
with these ^andltlons. but declared
I hat they were as good as we had
Indicated. Th<? hosiery mill is a brick
building constructed a few years ago.
It has large windows, close together
on each side, kept open at top and
bottom for the free passage of air
through the whole building. The
woodwork Is kept well painted, the
brick walls are regularly whitewashed
and the floors and steps kept as clean
as soap and water and scrubbing can
keep them. We believe it Is a fact
as said by a member of the hoard
of health, that the building could not
be made more sanitary', if the present
floors were taken up and new ones
put In, if the walls were washed w 1th
carbolic acid or If the entire build?
ing made anew. If it is necessary
that the hosiery mill be abolished
because It is not sanitary, then every
building within, the walls should be
t..rn down and the institution de?
stroyed. Instead of tuberculosis be?
ing on the Increase, the condition.
? th reference to this disease, has
steadily improved. This is true as
to the deaths from this disease among
those employed in the hosiery mill
. > well as in other departments within
the wall*. From 1900 to 1905, in
OlustVS, there were 5S deaths from
tuberculosis among the employes of
the mill, while from lt?6 to Ii. 10, in?
clusive, alter the tubsTCUlosil hospital
had bOt)H SStabllshed, the fatality of
this disease was reduced to a total
<>f 22. During this period there have
heen from 200 to 3">0 convicts em
oloy. 1 regularly In the mill. It must
hi r?- nembered that many of these
Unfortunates contracted this disease
before coming to the penitentiary and
it is a common occurrence for the
count}' < haingang to send In prisoners
because they have the disease. A
great may also come from the county
jails.
The tuberculosis hospital, which
was highly commended by the hoard
of health. .. as perfect as could be
desired. The convicts suffering from,
or threatened with, tuberculosis, are j
immediately placed in this hospital
and given the best treatment that j
modical science can devise. In their
recent Inspection of the prisoners, the'
board of health. In an examination of
TO prisoners, found only one case, In
which a bacteriological examination
confirm* d tubercle bacilli. The great
improvement in the health of the In?
mate! Of thll Institution has no doubt
been largely due to the new cell
building and sleeping quarters com-'
pleted in 1!?02. The old building was
damp and unheated, but even the ^
board of health makes no complaint
as to the new one, excepting to rec?
ommend Certain changes, especially in
the toil<-t arrangements, which will be
adopted. I'uring the last year, from'
the prisoners employed in the hosiery I
mill. Which averaged from 300 to 3:<e, !
there wer.- three who died of tuhercu- ,
losla <>f course, it is Impossible to
i
say whether these unfortunates con?
tracted the disease while working in ,
the mill or elsewhere, and it is
equally unfair to charge their deaths
up against the condition existing in
the hosiery mill. The onlv objection
to the hosiery mill offered by the
board of health in their recent inspec- :
tion was that the work of the em- '
ployos is confining, out-door work be
lag preferable. The board did not'
tlnd fault with the sanitary or other i
arrangements in the mill, but merely
concluded that the work required of
the convicts in the mill was too con?
fining.
The convicts employed in the ho?
siery mill work on an average of 10
hours a day, and while the work of
?ease of them requires a close atten- J
tion to the knitting machine It is no
more confining and no more detri?
mental to their health than Is similar
work done by thousands of free white
people in the numerous cotton and
knitting mills throughout thl3 State ;
and In this section. In fact we re
confident that the sanitary condition
and the supervision of the health of
the convicts working in this mill is
much better than that enjoyed by
employes in private Industries of sim?
ilar character, and that the danger to
their health la correspondingly loss.
We therefore respectfully submit that
in nowise can the i oslery mill be con?
sidered a public nuisance and in no?
wise can it be considered dangerous
to the health of Its employes, other
prisoners confined in the penitentiary
or the public at large.
Th" contract with Mr. Graham was
entered Into by this board under the
express authorisation of the general
assembly of this State, and in their
the legislative committee on penal
last report to the general assembly
and charitable institutions expressly
found that the price paid by Mr. Gra?
ham for the services of the convicts
was a just and reasonable one, and
there is no reason for the State to
make complaint upon this ground. '
The attorney general and assistant
attorney general were both with the
board yesterday and advised us ful- '
ly as to the law involved in this mat- j
tor. The board's conclusion has been
I
reached by applying the law so giv-,
en it to the facts as it knows them to
exist. j
After the most careful consideration j
the board of directors unanimously',
conclude that the contract is binding
upon it, both In morals and In law, j
and that it is its duty to stand by the
contract according to it- 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 hoard with
r? forence thereto, which instructions
wl'l, of course, he followed by the
bocrd.
In conclusion the board calls atten?
tion to the fact that citizens are al?
lowed to visit this institution unan?
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 healthful In all of
Its departments. that the prisoners
are treated humanely in every re?
spect, and that in every particular the
Institution is a model one for the ac
Parson's Poem A Gem.
From Rev. H. Stubenvoll, Allison,
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Pills.
"They're such a health necessity,
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If other kinds you've tried in vain,
USE DR. KING'S
And be well again. Only 25c at
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A pair of girls shot three holes in
or through a New York millonalre,
and it is likely that a jury will see
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Happiest Girl in Lincoln.
A Lilcoln, Neb., girl writes. "I had
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I began taking Chamberlain's Stom?
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complishment of the purpose of it
creation anil existence.
We are most respec fully,
A. K. Sanders,
< Shairman.
W. H. Glenn.
.1. B. Deas,
John G. Mobley,
Jasper M. Smith.
Board of directors of the South Cam
lina Penitentiary.
The naked truth is the only thing
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