Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-05
THE STATE PRISON.

Visit OF the LeS1slat1ve COmmlttee u
Stillwater---They Recommend the Re
lection of the Highest Bid for Convic
Labor--The Award Accordingly Made
to Seymour, Sabin 81 Co.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.]
SALTWATER, Feb. 4.-The regular com
mittee from the legislature came over from
St. Paul by special train this morning, ar
irving here about II o'clock. The commit
tee consisted Of Messrs- Denny, Allen, Com
stock, Kniss, Hall and Smith of the House
and Messrs. Wedge, Rice. Langdon, Castle
Miller, and White, of the Senate. Immedi
ately upon their arrival they were escorted
through the prison shops and cell rooms BY
the officers of the prison and delegation O
citizens. The committee expressed themselves
as highly pleased with the internal workings
of this great institution. After spending sew
mittee sat down to sumptous dinner aftel
which they went into secret session.
The Joint committee from the Senate ant
House on State prison met in the warden'i
room and organized by placing Senator
Wedge, of the Senate committee, in thu
chair and eleeting Mr.. Allen, of the HOUSE
committee, as secretary.
The meeting of the committee being for The
purpose of consultation with the State prison
inspectors, said inspectors were invited tx
present the matters under consideration in tht
letting Of convict labor, which being done
Mr.. Smith moved that the offer of Messrs
Seymour, Sabin & Co., as recited by the in
spectors, be recommended to be adopted
This was amended by striking out of sait
proposition that portion relating to the an
nual appropriation for shops, etc., and sub
stituting in lieu thereof the following.
That in case additional shop room, or re-
placement of present wooden structures by
permanent fre-proof ones, should become
necessary in order to the employment of the
convict labor herein provided for, that such
appropriation as the legislature may deem JUS
and proper shall be made from time to tint
for such purpose. The motion as amended
was unanimously adopted.
The inspectors then took action upon ths
contract in accordance with the recommends
tion of the legislative committee, Messrs
Butts and De Laitre voting and L. E. Reed de
elining to vote in the premises. It will be re-
membered that three bids were made for tht
labor in response to the advertisement. c..
Thompson, of st. Paul, offered Az cents pei
day for convict labor and s2,e10 per year fol
use OF machinery. Forepaugh & Tarbox Of
fered 42H cents and 81 900 for machinery, ant
Seymour, sabin & Co. 40 cents and nothing
for machinery. After the bids were opened
Seymour, Sabin & Co. advanced their bid te
Is cents and 81 800 for the machinery. Tht
two inspectors named above on yes
terday rejected all of the first bids and voted
to give nine years. contract, with privileg,
of terminating at end of six years, to Seymour
Sabin & Co., at their second bid.
One argument used by the two inspectors
for rejecting the highest bid was that the con
victs would be used for making boots and shoes
and the work would be more unhealthy thar
the active labor of Seymour, sabin & Co., il
making threshing machines. AS the Stat,
loses "sick days" they argued that 45c OF
threshing machines was better than 4715c or
boots and shoes.