The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-01-25
THE ASYLUM.
dollar.

dDOul IlS CSSt&oS W NS' - -~O-
ming on the asylum, but have about
concluded to let it pass for the pres
ent We will say, however. that all
the things that GoTernor Manning and
his expert say should be done that
are worth while have been recommend
ed bv DR.. Babcock and previous boards
Of regents, and yet you would conclude
from the message Of Governor Man
ming that until ne came in Office the
moor unfortunates had been most out
rageously treated. They have been en-
pIoyed and given such work as they
could do. We do not know that they
were required to scrub floors and such
like but they have been employed on
the farm and such work as would be
beneficial, and one of the purposes OF
nurcnasing the land in the country, as
we understood it, was to give the pa
tients employment on the farm and IN
sncb outdoor work as would be help
full.
One thing We do want to say, how
ever. is that either the Ansel admins
tration made a grave mistake, and the
commission he appointed, in buying all
that land in the country and starting
tne DEVELOPMENT of the plant in the
country or the present administration
is wasting the public money in making
improvements that are beink made IN
the city.
We understood it to be the policy OF
the state eventually to move the plant
to the country, and we know that tne
commission that had charge Of the de-
yelopment in the country stated in sew
eral reports that it understood that 10
be the policy of the state, and the de-
velonment was made with that idea
in view. Now if the commission was
5o,c+ondino tho DOllcV
of the state it seems to us great
waste of the public money to spend
s15oOoO year in making permanent
improvements on the city property.
If a man owned a 1000 acre farm
within five of six miles of the city, and
wnere he intended eventually to move
his plant would he be wise to build a
$4,000 dairy on his town or city lot.
Uould he not rather build his dairy on
tho farm in the country. las we under
stand it the management the past year
has built a fine dairy on the city prop
erty.
We think the place for the asylum
is in the country, where that land mas
been purchased. And where the devel-
opment has been started. Then you
could find the right kind of employ
ment for the patients and employment
foat would really be beneficial. There
is no better location for an institution
of this character than the location Sc
lected. But if it is not the policy TO
develop this property then the state
better sell it. If it is the policy to
develop this country property then it
is very unwise to spend s15O,OOO
year on the city property. That is the
way it appears. And it also appears
to us tnat the governor could have
called attention to the need Of the i'm
provements, which every one who is at
all familiar with condition will
admit, without at least intimating
dereIiction of duty and indiffer-
ence on the part of all those
who have been connected with the in
stitution in the past. We take it tnat
they are just as patriotic and had as
much interest in the welfare Of those
unfortunate wards of the state as the
present administration and an exam I
ination of the records and of their rec
concentrations will bear out this state
ment.
No good can come by minifying their !
~