The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-07-20

the -convicts are given plenty OF air
space. In fact in so far as concerns
the health of the laborers, the condl-
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
dicated. The hosiery mill is a brick
building constructed few years ago.
It has large windows close together
on each side, kept open at top and
bottom for the 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 brush can
keep them.
tuberculosis cases.
We believe it is a fact as said by a
member of the board that the build
ing could not be made more sanitary,
if the present floors were taken up
and new ones put in, if the walls
were 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 sani-
tary, then every building within the
walls should be torn down and the
institution destroyed. Instead of
tuberculosis being on the increase,
the condition with reference to this
disease has steadily improved. This
is true as to the deaths from this
disease among those employed in
the hosiery mill as we'll as in other
departments within the walls. From
1900 to 1905, inclusive, there were
So deaths from tuberculosis among
the employees of the mill, while from
1906 to 1910, inclusive, after the
tuberculosis hospital had been estab-
lished, the fatality of this disease
was reduced to total Of %. During
this period there have been from 200
to $50 convicts employed regularly
in the mill. 1t must be remembered
that many of the unfortunates con-
tracted this disease before coming to
the penitentiary, and it is a common
occurrence for the county chaingang
to send in prisoners because they
have the disease. A great many also
come from the county jails.
The tuberculosis hospital, which
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 i'm
mediately placed in this hospital and
given the best treatment that medi-
cal science can devise. In their re-
cent inspection of the prisoners, the
board of health, in an examination
of 70 prisoners, found only one case,
in, which a psychological examina-
ton confirmed tubercule bacilli.
Health Conditions Better.
The great improvement in the
health of the inmates of this institute
has no doubt been largely due to the
new cell building and sleeping quar-
ters completed in 1902. The old
building was damp and unheated but
even the board of health makes no
complaint as to the new one, except
ing to recommend certain changes,
especially in the. toilet arrangement
which will be adopted. During the
last year from the prisoners employ
ed in the hosiery mill, which aver
aged from 800 $3.50, there were three
who died of tuberculosis. Of course,
it is impossible to say whether
these unfortunates contracted 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 only objections to the hosiery
mill offered by the board of health in
their recent inspection was that the
work of the employees is confining,
outdoor work being preferable. The
board did not find fault with the sani-
tary 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
hosiery mill work on an average of
10 hours a day, and while the work
of some of them requires close at
tention-attention to the knitting
machine-it is no more detrimental
to their health than is similar work
done by thousands of free white peo-