The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-01-08

, III a resolution TcceNlS ptiooSu ~ NAN
council of national defense:
l. Upon a notice from the council OF
national defense stating that a war
emergency or that public welfare re-
! quires such suspension.
.. That such suspension should be
made only after public hearings had
been held, reasonable notice COT not less
than five days. of such hearings having
been sent to the State board Of concll-
iation and arbitration, to the plant, Or
garization and employees in the industry
affected, and to the public by approprl-
/ ate notice in the press.
; 3. That the particular provisions OF
/ the labor laws that are suspended and
the length of time Of suspension should
; be stated in a permit to be issued by
{ the governor.
4. That permits should be issued for
limited periods not to exceed six months
and to be renewed only upon rehearings.
S. That all permits should expire two
months after the close Of the war.
J 6. That the permits should be issued
! to individual plants and not to an entire
+. industry; Provided, however, that no
i suspension Of outstanding regulations or
orders, herein provided for, shall be con-
strued to apply to State laws requiring
/ installation Of protective devices.
! 7. That copies of all permits issued
%hoIld be posted in conspicuous places
in each factory or plaGt affected, o:r~
the proper official signature.
While these measures are radical de-
plltj.res from OR accustomed prccc3a~"
am confident that even after CURSOR
sT"dv Of the needs Of the nation YOU VII!
, agree with ne as to thei: necessity.
Each male person between the ages
! of IS and 90 should be either at school
, OF college, in the military or naval SER
| ice. or at work IA!crs and loafers should
not be permitted during the period Of
! the war.
Vice Legislation.
Another feature of the program Of
war legislation that | urge seeks to in
prove vice conditions. In no better way
! can we prove or loyalty to President
Wilson and to the federal government
, than to deal with the vice problem fear
lessly and fundamentally. Moreover,
! our earnest desire to serve the citizenry
Of Sonth Carolina in constructive fash
ion can find no better opportunity. Ac-
cordingly, I ask you to pass FIVE laws
! to rovide the legal and institutional
facilities row needed to combat this
evil.
| Q) In the life of many a prostitute
there was a time when reformation was
possible. The home ana neighborhood
| conditions were undermining character,
the first step may even have been taken
but had the State then helped her IN
J her need, she might have been saved.
But South Carolina, he it said TO our
| shame. has left the Girl to the tender
mercies of the county jail, only to reap
| harvest of degeneracy, disease and
| crime. \ reformatory 60: girls would,
! therefore, still further reduce the sup
ply of women available for immoral pur-
poses, and. consequently for the spread
, of venereal disease.
(2( Sooner or later, practically al
i prostitutes become diseased-sources Of
| infection for countless others, ultimate
| lv of MANY innocent wives and newborn
| babes. The confirmed prostitute is now
usually tried in South Carolina in mag
| istrates' and recorders courts. She
paws her small fine, or goes to jail to
rest, returning soon to ply her iniquitous
trade. To deal with such cases, l ask
you further to define vagrancy, making
| it triable in the sessions courts. This
is the simplest way we have Of protect
; ing our soldiers and civilians against the
depredations of venereally diseased wo-
men, confirmed prostitutes. Such pro-
lection is of urgent economic and mill
tarv Importance.
To illustrate:
(a) DR.. Williams reports that, to speak
conservatively, the patients in the State
Hospital for the Insane, whose insanity
was directly caused by venereal disease,
cost the State last year at least $4,000.
(b) Of the 2,01O conscripted men re-
iected from Camp Jackson after being
mustered into, service there, 144, or more
! than Z per cent, were rejected because
of venereal disease in acute form. In
! fact, General Barth writes from Camp
Jackson: "Fourteen per cent. of the
colored draft were infected at the time
of entrance, per cent. of the white
(c) In one of the camp cities of this
| State the provost marshal writes that OF
the 90 young women under arrest at one
time, all proved, on examination, to be
infected with venereal disease. "Thls
! alarming proportion of diseased women
among prostitutes under surveillance, y
he says, lis cause for grave concern to
the military authorities.
(d) DR.. NJ. J. Exner, who made spe-
cial study of Prostitution in its Rela-
tion to the Army on theMexican Bor-
DER" reports that "the extent OF the
practice of prostitution is in direct ratio
20 its. accessibility. The most serious
problem is in connection with the mobll-
ization camps and home barracks. In
the case of all the troops on the border,
a vastly larger proportion of venereal
disease was contracted before reaching
+ol fnr