The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-12-05
ABOLISH HOSIERY MILL.
State Board OF Health VIII So Urge
In Report to Legislature.

Reiterating its former position that
the hosiery mill at the State peniten-
tiary is not proper place for the en-
ploy,nent of convicts and that the in
stitution is a nuisance, deleterious to
the health of those who work in it and
dangerous to the community into
which the convicts 80 after being dis
charged from their sentences, the
State board of health, at a meeting
held Friday afternoon and night,
adopted a report which will carry to
the general assembly Of 1912 the rec
ommendation that the hosiery mill be
abolished.
According to statement by State
Health Officer J. Adams Hayne, Satur-
day morning, the board made care
ful inspection Of the penitentiary Fri
day afternoon, and although the place
has been much improved by the car
rying out of the former sanitary sug-
gestions of the board, the board did
not see fit to withdraw from its for
mer position that the hosiery mill is
a nuisance.
A number of matters of more or less
routine Importance were transacted by
the board, including the hearing of re-
ports of the officers, and the letting of
some contracts for cne furnishing of
antitoxin for the coming year, and
other matters. Among otfer things,
the. board adopted a resolution carry
ing the opinion that the Great Branch
Fishery pond, at Oran geburg, was a
public nuisance, and should be put in
sanitary condition. This action was
taken after the consideration of peti-
tions from both sides of the question,
and upon the basis Of personal inspec-
tions which have been made by men,
bers Of the board in the recent past.
The Hosiery Mill.
The boards action on the hosiery
mill IS probably the matter Of most
public interest in connection with the
meeting Friday night. 1t will he re-
nlembered that Governor Blease de-
nouncei the hosiery mill as a nuis-;
ance. and declared that it should be
abolished, on the ground that it was
a breeding place for tuberculosis
germs. Following an inspection of the
penitentiary by the State board of
health, during the spring, a number
of recommendations were made byl
that body, as to improvements at this
penal institution.
A different view Of the matter was
taken by the. grand jury Of Richland
county, which made a personal inspect
ton of the penitentiary' and hosiery
mill recently, at the request Of the
presiding judge, and returned report
entirely favorable to the penitentiary
and the hosiery mill.
'tThe board made a careful inspec-
tion of the penitentiary yesterday af-
ternoon," said DR.. Hayne, secretary of
the board, Saturday morning, "and
found that many Of our suggestions as
to improvements have been complied
with. The place has been rendered
far more sanitary than at our for :ner
visit However, the board did not seei
fit to withdraw from it's former posi-:
ton that the hosiery mill is nuis-
ance, that it is not fit place for the
employment of convicts, that it is
deleterious to the health Of the con-
Ticts working in it, and that it is a
meuace 20 the communities into which
the convicts go after being discharged,
since they carry with them the germs
OF disease contracted there"
DR.. Hayne emphasized the fact that
tais action Of the board Friday night
was merely a restatement Of its for
xaer position with regard to the hos