The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-07-26
HINTS At GRAFT
esE. Aease Thinks There is Too Much
Assey Behind Hosiery Mill.
re has not LOST HOPE
Yn Letter to the Governor Of Iowa
rs to the Pathological Conditions in
This State, B!ease Gives His Views
On Statement OF Penitentiary D,-
eectocS.


Governor Blease on Monday gave
his first impression upon the Peni-
tentiary situation since the directors
made public their letter informing
the Governor they purposed standing
By the hosiery mill contract. The
views of the governor were expressed
In a letter to Governor Carroll, Of
Iowa, replying to inquiries con-
ce-ning penalogical conditions in
South Carolina.
Prison labor is employed in part,
the letter says, on farms and roads,
but "in part, I regret very much to
say, in hosiery mill, located within
the walls Of the penitentiary, which
fni,ll is a common nuisance and a
death trap caused by tuberculosis.
I am now doing my best to get rid
OF the hosiery mill, but it seems there
Is too much money behind it, and !
am having hard fight.
However, have not lost hope and
have appealed to the solicitor Of this
circuit and asked him to bring suit to
abate the nuisance. Why the board
OF directors are figthig me, 1 am
unable to say, unless it is personal
political prejudice"
The Governor says that if this is
not the reason he would not care to
state what he land good many OF
the people" believe to be the reason;
but anyway their action is certainly
peculiar"
The letter follows:
His Excellency, B. F. Carroll, Gov
ernor Of the State of Iowa, Des
Mo,nes-Dear sir: Yocc letter OF
July "A received, in which you ask:
How many penitentiaries and refor-
matories have you in your State?"
In reply, beg to say that we have
one Penitentiary and connected
Herewith a 7eformatory for colored
Youths. We also have an industrial
school, or reformatory, for white
boys.
The Penitentiary is self-supporting
and last year turned something like
sS5,o00 over to the State in profits.
The reformatory for white boys is
In its infancy, and has not yet had a
fair chance to show what it can ac-
complish.
In reply to your question, 'How is
your prison labor employed?" On the
farms, on the roads, sometimes in
shops, and, regret very much to say,
in hosiery mill, located within the
walls Of the penitentiary, which is a
common nuisance and death trap
caused by tuberculosis, this having
been reported by the State board OF
health and condemned, by my having
called attention to it at the last meet
Ing OF our General Assembly, and
am now doing my best to get rid Of
the hosiery mill, but it seems there
Is too much money behind it and am
having a hard fight. However, I
have not lost hope and have appeal
ed to the solicitor Of this circuit and
asked him to bring suit to abate the
nuisance. Why the board of direc-
tors are fighting me on this matter
am unable to say, unless it is perso-
nal political prejudice. I would not
care to state, if this IS not the rea-
son, what and yood many of the
people believe is the reason, but, any
way, their action is certainly pecul-
lar, knowing, as they DO, that it is
death trap and a menace to our peo-
pie.
In reply to your last question,
What is your prison population"
cannot give you exact figures, but
suppose to be about ten or twelve
hundred. It would have been much
heavier, possibly, but in the last six
months have reduced it considerably
by exercising executive clemency, and
will reduce it some more now soon
along the same line.
Any other information which can
give you 7 will e'pleased to do so.
Very respectfully,
Cole l.. Blease,
Governor.