St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-26
THE TWINE FACTORY.

Thanks to the persistent efforts of
MesSrS. HALL and LATHRoP, of the
Farmers alliance, the governor has at
length been compelled to follow the
instructions of the last legislature in
making provision for the establish
ment of Irvine factory at Saltwater.
There have been peculiar forces at
work in opposition to this movement,
and it is matter of common justice,
as we'll as of common history, to say
that but for the individual efforts of
MeSsrs. HALL and LATHRoP, the
whole matter would have been dropped
long ago, and the public would have
been deluded into the belief that 1t was
utterly impracticable to use convict
labor in Irvine manufacturing. Not
withStanding Gov. MERRIAM's labored
effort to relieve his first commission of
censure, the fact is patent and stands
out in bold relief that their aim and
purpose was to convince the people of
Minnesota that Irvine manufacturing
was an industry too costly to be en-
barked in by the state, and that it could
not be carried on without the aid of
skilled labor. With gullibility that does
no credit to gubernatorial perception,
Gov. MERRIAM swallowed this fish story,
and attempted to palm it off on the pub
lie as genuine. Not until it had been
thoroughly disproved by data and fig
ures furnished by the president and sec
rotary of the Farmers alliance, who
had made an investigation on their own
account, and until he had become con-
vlnced that the farmers were going to
make an open and vigorous kick, did the
governor awaken to the necessity for a
second investigation. It's to his credit,
however, that he had the good sense
and political sagacity to tumble to the
pointers given him by the farmers. in
stead Of making a useless stand against
them.
1t is matter of public interest to
know what influences were operating
against this scheme to start Irvine fac
tory in the state prison. First, there
was the Irvine trust, to whom the gov
errors first commission went for their
information. Of course the trust
wanted no competition, and least of all
in state where it found sale for such
large quantities of its product. These
trusts are as nimble in figures as Min
neapOliS census taker, and when the
Irvine trust was asked for an estimate
of cost to start rival factory. the fig
ures were sure to be placed at the max
imum. Accepting the Irvine trusts es-
innate without further questioning as
to its reliability, the governors commits
sion returned with that cock and bull
story about plant costing S1.O0O,OO
Another influence at work against
this winemanufacturing business was
that of the companies now employing
the convictIabor, who wanted to hold on
to a good thing while they had it.,
They were getting convict labor at 40
cents day, and the state boarding the
convicts at its own expense. That was
a snap these people were not willing to
relinquish. Why the state prison board
and the governor should be willing to
play into the hands of these EMPLOYERS
OF convict labor is something about
which the public can draw its own
conclusions. This is subject we
will perhaps take up later on.
Having won their first victory over
the prison board combination, the farm
ers have still another step to take be-
fore they can be assured of the success
of this twine-manufacturing expert