Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-23
PENITENrIARy CHAIR FACTORY
conviets to bs Employed Under Super.
i{rT ~ vision of Directors.

|8F 2a vision Of Directors.
Employment Of 500 odd convicts,
now at work in a hosiery mill, in a
chair and table factory to be estab-
iished In the prison walls under the
direct personal supervision Of the d.
rectors, the state to buy the material
and the machinery, manufacture the
tables and chairs, and making Of a
contract with A. d. Martin. Of Frank
fort. KY. to sell the product, was the
tentative decision reached by the board
OF directors Of the state penitentiary
and Governor Blease In long con-
ference today In the governors Of
nee, according to q Columbia special
Of Friday to the News and Courier.
Mr.. Martin will simply enter into
contract with the penitentiary to sell
the manufactured goods at profit,
which viii guarantee the state at
least so cents per day for each con-
yict employed. and to give bond for
this purpose. Details Of the propo-
tentiary board at session lasting
late into the afternoon.
II is estimated that Il will cost the
state about $4,000 to buy the neces-
sary machinery and material. Before
deciding what building within the
prison grounds to use for the new fac
tory, the state board Of health win
be consulted. The hosiery mill con-
tract expires November /, and II IL
the intention to rush the plans 60
complete the chair factory as soon as
possible. i.Jegr yi
Iovernor Blease late Friday after
noon gave out the following statement
on the disposal Of the convicts:
''The board Of directors had a very
pleasant meeting In my office this
morning. and I think one which will
result in good for the state, and will
be along proper lines In handling the
conyicts In humane and practical
manner. 4 49, N y
Il cannot give you the details, but
the Idea Is when the hosiery mill Is
abolished, for the state itself 20 begin
the manufacture OF chairs, tables, etc,
inside OF the prison. There is no man
ufacturing enterprise IN this state, or
nearer here than Pittsburgh, with
which this class OF work Will bring
the convtcts In conflict. The hours
OF labor VIII not be over eight or
week and q half days work on Sat
urday. EI xaa a,3
..Tne pay per convict will be more
than that now being received for the
hosiery mill contract, OF course, this
is only In the rough. The state board
Of health viii be consulted In regard
to the proposition 80 far as the health
Of the convicts Is concerned, and the
board Of directors themselves will 60
over the situation very closely before
they enter into any contract h.
II am pleased to say that we had an
exceptionally pleasant meeting, and
think the board OF directors and my
self more thoroughly understand each
other than we have ever heretofore,
and hope that there will not be the
slightest friction between as In the
future. sar, nj ~ "a M s
II am very glad to see that Judge
Shipp has started out on the right
road. In my recent interview said
I hoped the Judges would adopt this
plan and 1t would solve this convict
question. am pleased that Judge
Shipp is getting In line. and hope
the other judges will do likewise. y
I'm fact, Section 104, Volume Q, Of
case In which imprisonment Is pro-
yided for any crime, all able bodied
male convicts shall be sentenced to
hard labor on the public works Of the
county without regard to the length
Of the sentence ii,Ng tgSs .
This act was amended at the ses-
sion of 1912, page 554, by taking out
the county Of Camden from the ex-
ceptions, and that act now applies to
every county In South Carolina, except
the county OF Greenyille. Why, Il is
excepted, do not know. Therefore,
II the judges viii all follow the plain
written and printed law as laid down
In these two sections, convicts In the
future viii be placed on the public
works Of the county, provided the
don on the part Of the board Of di-
rectors or anybody else, and az this
act provides that, the judges shall ]
presume they will.
you might say It is a violent pre-
sumption, In view Of an interview
which ] gave out the other day, but
the circuit judges are generally not
so bold to convert shall into may as
are some Of our supreme court judges.
However, presume the judges
will exercise their discretion, as
think they should, under the proviso
as to special orders In certain cases,
because to place those convicted Of
certain offences on the chaingangs In
lllC uCi6hbOlhOO0 "hCAO tuO 0hLSAASC
was committed, would very likely
amount to the same as the death
sentence, as the white people OF the
neighborhood would hardly sanction
the presence Of the convict In their
midst. fs -
"Is Martins proposition to lease
the hands% Governor Blease was
asked; mo. positively not" was the
reply. 1.-THE hands win not be leased
to anybody, but will be under the abb
solute, direct control OF the board OF
directors themselves. The state
would own the machinery, buy the
material and manufacture the chairs,
tables, etc. The only thing that Mr..
Martin would have to do with 1t would
be to guarantee the sale Of the pro-
duct at price which win pay the
state profits which will be greater
per capita for the convicts than they