St. Paul daily globe., 1889-03-12
GIVE EAR, GOVERNOR.
A Startling Comparison Be-
tween Minnesota and Kan
sas State Finances.
Kansas Can and Does Make a
Handsome Profit From Her
State Prison.
Minnesota Keeps Going Into
the Hole Deeper and
Deeper.
State Printing and the Ex-
travaganee Manifested by
the Home State.
To the Editor of the Globe.


The Minnesota legislature has been
III session sixty days and at this late
day comes the governors message re-
commencing and suggesting ways and
means for the purpose of meeting the
DEFICIENCIES in the treasury for the next
two fiscal years. He advises the
issuance of s400,0O worth of per cent
bonds and an additional tax levy of
per cent.
lnasmuch as there is q shortage in the
states finances and further as there has
been a great howl raised over ''re-
trenchment and reform" by idle croak.
ers and some of the members of the
house and senate, attention is directed
to the fact that there is a protiigate eX-
penditure of public moneys, not in the
hire of few deserving needs-paper
men who were dropped into clerkships
of committees in the senate, only to be
fired after brief service, but in the
conduct of the state penitentiary and in
the matter OF the state printing and
stationery supplies.
1t would seem plausible to casual
observer that the time of the governor
might better be devoted to the saving OF
public moneys in the profitable employ
ment of convicts in the state peniten-
tiary, and in manner, too, not to COM
pete with free labor, than to burden the
people of Minnesota with an additional
tax levy and the issuance of more inter-
est-bearing bonds.
The state of Minnesota was admitted
into the Union in 1857, while the pres
ent proud and prosperous state of Kan
sas came into the SisterhOOd of states
three years later. Yet while Mime
sofa is being taxed for the support of its
criminals the state of Kansas has pen
Itentiary which is not only self sustain
ing, but furnishes revenue to the
state, as the following extract from the
report of the warden of the Kansas pen
itentiary for the year 1887 Will Show:
"The penitentiary is self-sustaining.
For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885,
the earnings aggregated $50, 1861; ex-
penditures, S14S, ,201.02; excess of earn
ings, S42, ,265.S9. For the fiscal year end
ing June 30, 1886, the earnings aggre-
579.7l; excess of earnings, S5l ,205.36.
Excess of earnings over expenditures
for the two fiscal years, 93,4T1.25 In
the expenditures, too, are counted a
total of So, 129.04 for permanent i'm
proyementS, SO that the earnings of the
institution during the last biennial
period really exceeded its expenditures
SI3S, ,60029. The total cost OF maintain
ing prisoners, including boarding. Cloth
ing, bedding and all other expenses
properly charged to maintenance, has
also been steadily reduced. For 1870 it
averaged 6015 cents for each prisoner; :;
for 1875, 50 S4-100 cents for 1880, fl $500
cents, and for 1886, Al 2-5 cents.'
" 80 %, H. H..
penitentiary for the year 1887 Outside
of permanent improvements was $751;
o93.59. and for the year ending July 81,
s15Ss. s40,790.16; or a total in two years
CT $71 ,SS3.75, making ali average of $780,
941.S9 per year. As stated, this does
not include the $4,000 or S20,-
600 expended in permanent improve
ments. While the state of Kansas, in
the management of its penitentiary, in
two fiscal years really saved S13S, 500 %,
the state of Minnesota has been taxed
to the extent of S71, ,SS3.75. making a
difference of S210, ,4S4 .04, or more than
one-half the amount asked for by Gov.
Merriam to make up the deficiencies for
the next two years. Of course, members
of the legislature will say in reply to
this statement that the Saltwater pris-
on will receive its best thought and
action before the session closes; but the
warden of the penitenriary recommends
the appropriation of $T5, 900 for current
expenses for the fiscal year ending
July 81, 1890. and like amount for the
year ending July 81, 1891" While the
Minnesota penitentiary is becoming a
heavier burden ON the people of this
great and growing commonwealth, it is
safe to assume that the Kansas state
prison is becoming a more profita-
BILE institution. At the same
ratio of increase in earnings
in Kansas and increase in the cost of
running our penitentiary in this state,
the difference in saving to the taxpayers
would be, roughly estimated. s31S, ,600.29,
or only SS1, ,399.71 less than the shortage
in the states finances.
Is it not time to profit by the example
which Kansas sets, and for Minnesota,
an older state, to attempt to place its
institutions on par with Kansas?
Would it not be good example to eX
anime into the workings of the Kansas
state prison, and save nearly 100000
year to the taxpayers of this state?
Would it not be good idea to cut down
expenses in this direction rather than
to ''fire' few ''poverty-stricken'' SEN
ate clerks?
But the Saltwater penitentiary is not
the only source and cause OF the unnec-
essary expenditure of the peoples
money in this state. The state printing
in Minnesota. according to the secretary
of state, costs during two fiscal years
about s133. 1888. 33333 49, He gives no definite
figures. During the years 1875 the
state of Kansas, which used twice or
three times as much printed matter and
stationery as this state did during the
same period, expended S96,953.S1, an
itemiZed account of which is kept by
the public printer of that state. The
saving in the matter of official printing
amounts to S36, ,3S0.32.
The saving in these two matters alone,
if properly managed, to the state of
Minnesota, would amount to the enor-
nous sum of $500, ,9S0.01 in two years,
and yet no effort is made to stop the
leaks.
One little item which will explain
how the people are robbed may be IL
Illustrated by the fact that the committee
OH ways and means have determined to
introduce resolution into the house
asking why the present legislature
should pay s5 apiece for inkstands which
may be purchased of any retail stationer
for Is cents apiece or less.
Isn't 1T about time to call halt on
this reckless extravaganza? Isn't it
about time that ways and means were
y e.. i.