The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-01-12

completed in the State Hospital for
the Insane, through your wisdom in
providing for them, fully justify your
action, which l am certain has the
approval and commentator OF ALL
The policy of the Board of Regents
and the Superintendent is working
steadily for the safety, health and
comforts of the patients and for the
treatment of their mental and physi-
lcal needs.
/ cannot too strongly urge the con-
tinuance of your wise and generous
cooperation in the care and treatment
Of the inmates, whose pitiful help
lessness entities them to the most
considerate and liberal charity of the
State.
may communicate with you on
this subject more fully at a later date
The Feble- Minded.
Last year the. house passed bill
to create State custodial training
school for the feeble e-minded. This
bill Is now on the calendar of the
senate, having been reported fayorab-
ly from the Finance Committee last
year. I earnestly hope the senate
will pass this bill early in its session.
for I believe, that body will not have
before it q measure Of greater i'm
portance.
In addition to the convincing hu-
manitarian and economic arguments
that are offered in support of this
measure, L urge your consideration
of an astounding fact just revealed
by careful analysis of the official
records of Camp Jackson.
Up to December 13, q total of 1S..
642 conscripted men had been mus,
tered into service there from North
Carolina, South Carolina, and Flor
ida. They had all passed the local
exemption boards. But on re-exam-
ination by the medical authorities at
Camp Jackson, 2.010, of these men
were subsequently rejected. of whom
271, or 1876 per cent. were rejected
as being mentally defective. In fact.
1t was found that IA out of every
thousand Of the 1852 men mustered
into service at Camp jackson from
these three States were rejected as
being mentally defective. or the
South Carolinaians I3 out Of every
1000 were thus rejected. Advocates
OF the institution for the feeble
minded have only claimed that three
persons out OF every 1000 OF the gen
eral population were feeble minded.
but these official records Indicate
proportion four times as great.
The State Board of Charities and
Corrections.
No more fundamental piece OF leg
islation has been enacted in the past
fifteen years than the creation OF the
State Board OF Charities and Correc.
tions three years ago. This board has
vindicated your wisdom In establish
ing 1t as well as your continued gem
erous support. In fact. it has cost
only about one-half Of the actual
cash revenue 1t has brought to the
State Institutions. it serves.
1t has made 7,144 fiscal investiga-
tons, effected an increase In the po-
tential revenues Of the State support
ed institutions concerned of more
than 100000 with tuition recon-
mendations for the current session in
volving nearly $1,000 yet to be added). :.
Of which between $55. 900 and $50, 900
has actuallybeencollected { ttaoi n H
has actually been collected, or will
have been collected by the end of the
present college year. There has been
appropriated for the use Of this board
since it's creation a total of $31.67o.
This fiscal work has had striking
ly salutary effect upon the schola rship
and tuition abuse at the State colleges
The percentage Of students voluntar-
lily paying tuition at Clemson this year
is AS per cent. nearly three timec
as great as in 1s15-16; at the Univer-
sity, 1t Is 59.7 per cent. nearly twice
as large as in 1855. so that with an
enrolment OF more than 200 fewer
students the amount being collected
is greater; and at Winthrop it is A. S
per cent. or nearly four times the
proportion in 1915-16. More than two
and one-half times as much. namely,
$4,000. will be collected in tuition
fees this session by the four State
colleges than was realized in 1915
16.
have seen so much of the WORK