Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-04-27
State Board of Puglic Welfare
Reports Almshouse System
Wholly Inadequate.

"The present South Carolina sys-
tenn of almshouses, poor houses, coun-
ty homes-or whatever they may be
termed-is an inadequate and expen-
sive method of attacking the problem
of teh institutional care of the indi-
gent poor of the state"
This statement is made in re-
port just issued by state board of
public welfare after an extensive
study of the conditions that exist and
contributing factors that govern the
operation of "poor houses" in the
Palmetto state.
2e Almshouses; 1872 Inmates.
The last complete reports received
by the state board of public welfare
show population of 392 in the 20
almshouses of South Carolina. The
character of the population is practi-
cally unchanged from what it was ten
years ago, nearly all of the inmates
being defective or physically infrm
or both. The few that may be classed
as able bodied are, almost without ex-
ception, feeble-minded or harmlessly
insane.
Happiness and Two Meals.
The present almshouse population
of the state is cared for in two
Charleston city almshouses, the Ash
ley River asylum and the Charleston
City home for whites, and the follow
ing county almshouses: Abbeville, All
ken, Anderson, Barnwell, Cherokee,
Chester, Chesterfield, Edgefeld, Fair
field, Florence, Greenville, Green
wood, Lancaster, Laurens, Lexington,
Marion, Marlboro, Newberry, Oconee,
Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Sa-
luda, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union,
York. Four of the 20 almshouses are
constructed of brick or cement. The
permanent plants of the other rs con-
sist of group of frame cottages
with very primitive equipment and
almost no conveniences. Two of these
institutions serve only two meals per
day.
An Interesting Alternative.
An interesting alternative for the
present system is suggested in the
welfare boards report which contem-
plates the establishment of District
Hospital homes, group of contigu-
GUS counties, four or eight in number
combining for the purpose of provid-
ing care for their INDECENT population.
Such home, says the board, should
exist for the care of the aged infirm
of the counties concerned and should
maintain in connection with it a gen.
eral hospital for the treatment of in
digent sick and crippled, the nursing
and medicad facilities maintained and
the general equipment and manage
ment measuring to the standard of
other such institutions. The site
should be selected as near as the CEN
ter Of the group of counties as pos
sible.
"a Melancholy Proposition"
The report compiled by the board
of public welfare states that: ga Sc
rious inadequancy in the system is
the lack in our almshouses of facili-
ties for employment and recreation
and the absence of any home atmos-
phere. The fact that the inmates of
an almshouse are not able to work on
a farm does not mean that they do
not need occupation of the right kind
or that they do not need proper re-
creation. Employment and recreation
suited to the physical and mental
condition of the patient are essential
to even a reasonable degree of salts
faction with existence. Says DIR. Hart,
of the Russell Sage foundation, who
made survey of South Carolina in
stitution during the war: "The aims
houses which I visited in South Caro-
lima were a melancholy proposition
and the old people who were resident
there were sadly neglected. For ex-
ample I think it was true in most Of
these places that there was no pro-
vision either for religious services or
for recreation; and these people led
Ia dismal and melancholy life
Superintendents and Farmers.
"The average number of inmates
per almshouse is 1885," says the re-
port. "Such small sized population
does not warrant the necessary over
mead expenses required to secure
romnetent and trained staff. No re-