Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-06-30
PRISON MACHINERY.

The Award Of the Commission to Appraise
the Value of Seymour, sabin & Co.'s
Property-Thc State to Pay $63, ,eO2. .2S-
History of the Case. and Why the Award
is Made-A Detailed and Painstaking
Report.
The commission consisting of o. n. Pray
OF Minneapolis, and G. N. Parker and Charles
d. Robinson, of st. Paul, appointed under
the act of 1878 to fix the valuation of the
fixed machinery in the State prison shops,
filed their report with Governor Pillsbury yes
terday. It will be remembered by
those who have watched the history of
this case that in 1872 the State made con-
tract for the prison labor with Seymour, ,.Sa-
bin q Co. for period of five years, under
which the State agreed to furnish shop room
sufficient to work the convicts conveniently,
the contractors to pay forty-five cents a
dispute arose between the State officials and
prison contractors as to this contract, the
contractors charging the State with falling to
provide the shop room necessary for the proper
and profitable employment of the convicts.
The differences finally resulted in
the Stale commencing suit against
the contractors, resulting in verdict against
VIC oodUCs 4uC SIdG0 Iutu moved LOT a new
trial on the ground that the contract was not
valid, because the warden and inspectors had
no authority to make it, a point that was sus-
tained by the supreme court.
Thus matters stood when the legislature of
1873 met, before which the prison contractors
went with statement of their case, the re-
suit being the creation of a commissioulcon-
sisting of Gen. Il. n. Sibley, j. W. johnson
and Gen. L. T. Hubbard, to arbitrate the mat
oft1
fully considering the terms of
the contract, and the equities
involved, allowed claims on the part of the
State amounting to $36, ,64S, which was offset
by claims in favor of the contractors for
SAL ,5S1, while still other claims of the con-
tractors aggregating S33,5S2, were disallowed.
The commission furthern found that the con-
tractors were entitled to reduction of cents
per day per head in the price of prison Ia
Dor, and also decided that the State should at
the termination of the contracts of 1881, pur-
chase the fixed machinery in the prison, at
valuation to be determined by a commission
OF three, one to be named by the State, one
by the contractors, and these two to select
the third
In the commission as formed, Mr.. O. H.
Pray OF Minneapolis, was chosen by the State
MIR. q. N. ParkeIo of st. Paul by the con.
tractors, and these two selected Mr.. Chas. d.
AsONihHOuS VI Sus dul ALI bu666 IQeu are
practical machinists, and are at present en-
gagged IN the manufacture and sale of ma
chinery. Owing to the pressure of their re-
spective business interests upon their time the
commission secured the services of the
master mechanic of the Chicago, Milwaukee
q st. Paul road, to visit the prison shops and
inventory the machinery covered by the act of
the legislature. This gentleman spent some
thirty days in making this inventory, every
IN hafp
inspected, and its condition as to wear,
etc., being carefully noted. With the
report of this inspector before them, the CON-
mission received from the manufacturers the
original price OF the different machines, from
which they deducted the per cent. of loss by
use and depreciation from other causes, upon
which they made their award. In all the
machines upon which the award is made
number 2O6, the value of which is placed, per
cent. of loss deducted, at S55, ,2s673; shafting,
pulleys, belts, boxes, ETC., $S.3l5. IS; ;umaking
grand total of $6S, S,602 6S.
The following is the report of the commits
sion to the governor, to which is attached the
various items as mentioned above, 206 in
number
John Phi SD Iy, Governor of the Sta,e Of Miu.
nesota: We bHve the Il to heI Iew.th submit our
report "a the commits 1"i apuninted to apprae and
fix the pur chase price Of all the xed aud movsbl,
machinery belonging to Seymour sabIu q Co., in
good condition and III use ut the State p ison shops
located at saltwater MiDn OH the first day Of April
A. d. 1874, in accordance with certain contract
bearing d~te the 25lh day of April D. 1878, bt-
tween the State of Minnesota Oh the me uart and
Seymour, Sabin 4 Co cn the OF. or
We respectfully report tue price Hxed by u t, be
the sum of $63,6,2 s., statement n detail of which
is her.to attached All of which is respectfully SUBJ
mitted
In testimony whereof, the underi igned commits
sioners have set their hsuds to dup ate of this
and otoar fhn nnsty r< Do1
county of Ramsey and state of Minneeots this 2sth
day of June, A. 1891. o Ii. PRAY,
G. N. PARKER,
CH,s. H. RoBIHsoN.