The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-01-25

t.,..1, and endorse .iuorilies on t..t
t4tat-Delt Of insane patients, because
I am rot familiar 18th the author
Les ou lis subject.
(Signed) Geo. II. Bates,
For the Senate.
II making his :2l4 tigation one
particular branch Of the institution
under consideration mas been in our
judgment admirably conducted. We
commend the results obtained from
the operation Of the farm. Though
overcroWded with the several du-
ties Of steward, treasurer I'D t*rn
manager, Mr.. Bunch has developed
unpromising acres so that they al
tod large syields. Lands that at
first yielded about ten bushels of
corn now yield Is to 80 bushels.
The vegetables furnished a;c
abundant and Of good quality. liz
their inspection Of other institutions
your committee did not find a herd
superior to that which now furnish
es the milk and beef for our hospital.
Though embarrassed by lack Of
proper equipment this department
has enabled the management to give
much more for the per capita appro-
priated by the legislature than
would have been possible without it
or with a. less successful farm.
Burial Of the Dead.
. Regarding the disposition Of the
bodies Of patients who die at the
hospital, the following facts have
been ascertained:>
The hospital has for years owned
and used lot at Elmwood cemetery
for interment Of patients whose re-
mains we're not sent to their homes.
When the space for burial in this
lot was exhausted, the contractors
were ordered by the hospital au-
thorities to bury between the graves,
thus going over the lot a second
time. The space thus indicated: was
found too small, the graves on either
side being dug into. Finally, the
grave digger simply dug down into
the old grave instead Of digging be-
tween the two, the remains of the
person buried were thrown out and
left on top Of the ground. This
state Of affairs continued for at
least a year until finally upon COM
plant of relatives Of the deceased
and by the cemetery authorities, a
new burial ground was. selected. (See
testimony, pages l73-21o-211)
The present condition of the lot
at Elmwood is a disgrace to the
State. It is overgrown with weeds
and bushes to the height Of mans
head, the graves are sunken and the
wooden headpieces have rotted down
and are gone. (See illustration 2.)
The present burial ground for
white people is in a pine thicket at
the rear of the Soldiers home. In
speeted by members Of your COM
mittee, it was found to be in a neg
! lected condition, no attempt being
made to keep: it properly. 1t is To-
Gated on steep hillside in a corner
of one Of the lots in which the hos
pitfalls hogs are kept, with no fence
separating it from the rest of the
lot. (See illustration 3.
Responsibility of Subordinates.
In connection with the criticisms
of the lack of system and equipment
in the several Offices Of the institu-
tion it should be said that the treas
urer and assistant physicians can
not be held altogether accountable
therefor. A proper system Of ae-
counting and reporting requires the
cooperation Of the several depart
ments, and the head Of any single
department can accomplish but little
alone. The administrative methods
Of the board Of regents and Of the
superintendent would have to be rad
ically changed to accomplish the de-
sired results ip this line as in others.
In our judgment much Of the inefh-
cheney Of the institution is due to
lack of system and proper admins
tration.
Your committee has not found that
any Of the officials Of this institution
have in any way profted by misuse
| of the funds or the property Of the
State. There has evidently been a
| a41,- Lo.,oc4 n S,,o ~ c4r f;o, of 4b;,