St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-18
FOR THE
Comments on Various Matters of
Interest.

IN ~ VI
Interest.
A prominent K. of l.. man was over
heard discussing the disposition of con-
vict labor with a member of the Farm
ers' Alliance of this state. Said the K.
OF L. man.: THE law in regard to the
employment of convicts nOwallows half
of them to be used under the contract
system, if the inspectors deem this adj
visable, and they evidently do, as they
are advertising for bids. Now, you are
familiar with the agricultural resources
of the state. What is your opinion III
regard to the cost of flax for manufact-
urlng purposes"
'Its cost is any figure that those using
it would be willing to pay was the
answer. "Acre upon acre of fax is
raised every year in this state and Da-
kota for the seed, which is utilized in
various ways. The stalk containing the
fiber is burned TO get it out of the way,
because the labor of preparing the fiber
is so great. So that many farmers
would be glad to furnish the raw ma
terial at a low tigure.'
STRANGE" said the first speaker, in
a musing tone. the prison inspectors
report that the flax can't be used on ac-
count of its great cost. Let's find a re-
port and see how that is" After dill
gent inquiry a report was found. On
close examination it appears that the
inspectors investigated in regard to
MANILA, which would have to be i'm
ported, rather than flax, which grows
here. Flax is quoted in II place as
costing II cents per pound in the raw
state, that is with the fbers all combed
and cleaned.
Nov that cleaning process is just
what the convicts should do, and just
what makes the material the best posi-
bic on which convict laborscould be EN-
ployed,' said the farmer. "CIeaning
and preparing the flax fiber would give
plenty of employment to the convictS,
and make their work almost non-com-
petitive with free labor" While this
conversation was going Oh a
and tried to figure the cost of a plant.
Estimating the flax at its true cost, and
providing that the work be done almost
wholly by hand, $1,000 seemed a far
estimate of the amount required to set
100 convicts to work. But the report
doubts If twlne or rope could be made
from fax" said the first speaker.
probably none of the inspectors ever
saw an Egyptian mummy. or they would
know that the twihe with which the
bandages are secured were made from
flax more than 1000 years ago, and is
still strong and intact" said a listener
to the conversation. So that disposes of
the question of the utility of flax"
"It's my opinion that they are adj
vertising to do stonecutting by prison
contract labor so as to have an easy and
etfectual matter of settling the next
,A%1., all - O. Dar1 ;, ,a,I
an old member of the union.
The opinions quoted are only Straws,
which show that st. Paul people are
watching the disposition of convict
labor, and will do all in their power to
have the state account system fairly
tried.
The minerss' committee from Streator,
H., state that in addition to the reduc-
ton in wages that the mine operators
wished to enforce an ''iron-clad" con-
tract on the miners, torbidding them to
form labor organizations. and giving
them practically no leans of redress
for wrongs, or an opportunity of getting
wages. The recent street railway
strike in this city was based on a similar
cause. No Workingman who has any re-
spect for himself will sign an iron-clad
contract, and the miners have the hearty
sympathy of those who have been put
III a similar strait and appreciate the
serious nature of the situation.