The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-05-04
WILLIAMS TAKES
CHARGE AT ASYLUM
Will Receive Salary of $4,000
Per Year as Superintendent
STATEMENT BY GOVERNOR
Dr. strait, Retiring superintendent,
Says He Will Tell the Public
About Asylum.

ColumDla Special to Charleston
News and Courier, May 1.--D.. G.
Fred Williams today succeeded DR..
I. j. Strait as uperintendent of the
State Hospital for the Insane In i
statement announcing his appoint
ment OF DR. Williams. Governor
Manning said of the inmates of the
asylum Il regard the proper care
Cf these LOO unfortunates tho
largest work OF our state. Human
ity demands it,"
DR.. Williams will be paid a salary
of $4,000 year, SO 900 OF which T.,
provided for by appropriation and
the additional $4,000 is borrowed on
the personal endorsement OF The
governor. Il do not propose to dis
regard the constitution and the
laws; | stand for then," says the
governor, and if this increase OF
salary for service to be done is for
hidden l will pay it myself rather
than that these patients under the
care OF the state should not have the
The following is the governor $
statement in full:
Il have appointed DR.. C. Fred
Williams of Columbia as superin-
tendent OF the State Hospital for the
Insane for the term beginning Nav
i, 1915, to February 10, 1916. After
| found the appointment of DR.. Sar--
geht-a man skilled in mental trou-
hles-was against the spirit of the
constitution, | looked around for
physician skilled, younger, full of
energy and full of love for his fellow
man, and desiring tc be OF service to
them. With these considerations in
mind / consider DIR. Williams an
ideal choice. DR.. Williams had i'm
Columbia a lucrative practice and
his own home. To give up the prac.
tice for the salary allowed would
have entailed heavy sacrifice on the
part of DR.. Williams and his family
Having his own home, he desired
and agreed to forego the residence
"N pSifuiSiliSo lildt nave always
been allowed superintendent of the
State Hospital for the Insane. and
| then guaranteed personally TO him
the extra compensation.
Il regard the proper care of these
100 unfortunates the largest work
of our state. Humanity demands II
Money spent to give them the best
care and treatment will be we'll
spent. l do not propose to disregard
the constitution and the law:
stand for them, and If this increase
of salary for service to be done is
forbidden / will pay it myself rather
than that these patients under the
care of the state should not have the
best treatment that can be secured"
DIR. STRAIT TALKS.
Announcement that he would
probably enter the political arena
next year and tell the South Carolina
public fully of the details of opera
ton of the State Hospital for the In
sane at Columbia of what changes
and improvements were made by
him, and of the treatment accorded
him by the present state administra-
tion was made by DR.. T. j. Strai; of
Lancaster, recently removed super
intendent of the Asylum. shortly be-
fore he left yesterday afternoon for
his former home after being succeed
ed by DR.. G. Fred Williams of Co
lumbia.
DR.. Strait said his mind was not
fully made up as to what effort he
would make to carry to the public of
this state his views upon the situa-
ton at the Asylum, and upon the
action of the administration. Early
in the interview he forecast a politi-
cal upheaval in 1916 that would
have the Asylum as the center of
two vortex. DR.. Strait said he did
mot know whether ne would run
next summer for governor or lieu
tenant governor. or for Congress
from his district"
That some of the leading lawyers
of this state hold the opinion that a
superintendent of the Asylum can
not be summarily removed without
cause, and that such action without
cause would be illegal" was men
toned by the departing former SUI
perintendent during the interview.