St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-26

NDUETaCJ
state and Seymour. 81 bin u co. for period
of nine (9) years, the details of which will be
examined later. On May H. 1852, the firm of
Seymour, Sabin G Co. was merged into ana
succeeded by the Northwestern Manufactur
ing and Car company, of which d. NJ Sabin
was president ana Isaac Staples, c. d. Gilfl-
Ian, A. II. Wilder, William X. Merriam. T. II.
Clarke, G. r. Finch and Others were The orig
1nal 1ncorporators. There is scarcely chance
that any other company will undertake the
handling OF 4 large force of convict labor
and put up an adequate amount of capital to
successfully utilize the same, and especially
so as the whole plant is especially adapted TO
the business which the company is pursuing;
and, furthermore, the company own all the
real estate adjoining the state ground, to-
gether with all the railroad tracks and ap
proach thereto which are essentially neces
sary to the successful operation of any con-
tract for state labor shops and machinery.
Your committee is of the opinion that
nothing further need be said as to the
motives underlying such a sale of property
to the state. The parties responsible for
this scheme
Against the States
interest have here openly avowod that at
the time they had control of the prison labor,
shops and grounds. set forth the reasons
why and aYOw an intention 10 maintain that
control which to the misfortune of the state
they and their successors have succeeded in
| doing to this day.
A very strange fact appears that during all
this time not single contract of any impOr-
tance and none that could be done by the
contractors was ever let to an outside party,
and there is very little TO Indicate whether
| any bids were asked for or received upon
any OF this work. 1t has been definitely as
certained by your committee that the build
1ngs known as the
Solitary Cell
building. for she construction Of which the
state paid the contractors the sum of 3d.
was reasonably worth not more than the sum
OF S12OO0. That Ill many particulars it was
Doorly constructed and is, OH account of the
improper drainage, totally unfit for the pur-
poses tor which 1t was constructed. This
was the last building built under a contract.
| and the facts relative to it are more easy of
asceralnment than as to the others.
The state OF Minnesota has not received
The DEMENT'S which should have been received
from the large amount of money that has
been appropriated during the time specified
and as this report will show later on, there is
every reason TO believe that If the money ap.
prOpriated for improvements IN that part
covering this period where the evidence is
difficult to obtain has been expended, and
the contracts have been made as recklessly
and
With Such PrOfiigacy
as during the last two or three years Of the
nrsons history. it is evident where some of
the money, at least may have gone to.
year 1884 the Northwestern Manu-
featuring and Car company became insolvent,
and thereafter. in November of the year 1894
a new corporation was formed called The
Minnesota Thresher Manufacturing com
pany," which latter corporation succeeded TO
the interests of the former in the prison
contracts, and in the year 1887 purchased all
the assets of the insolvent concern at public
auction, and became the owner thereof.
From the expiration of the contract of
1881 up to and until the new contract of 1889,
hereafter mentioned, the thresher company
remained inside the prison walls, and carrie d
on its business as usual, and was never in
vited to vacate the premises.
Second.
Among the few things that seem to have
been determined and settled with any GER
taintv IS the fact that after the award of the
board of arbitration of 1873, at the termi-
nation OF the contract between the state and
company on the first day of April, 1881, all the
fixed and movable machinery. including all
shafting and betting then in use in the prison
shops and yard became the property OF the
state of Minnesota absolutely, for and III con-
sideration of the sum of $4,000 II paid by the
state TO said company. Since that date
(nearly nine years.. no other inventory has
been taken except by copying from year to
year this old inventory verbatim.
Your committee has given much time to as
certain, if possible, the relative rights of the
state and company, as to the ownership of
the machinery especially. That the bulk of
1t did and does belong TO the state must be
| conceded from the fact of its purchase by
! and as shown by the annual inventory of the
board, and the fact that
No One Claims
to have purchased it of the board; and the
| further fact that it has not been removed.
Yet the problem was, is. and probably ever
| will be- 20 pick out identify and separate
| other words, to tell what the state
owns and what the company owns.
While it is true beyond question that nearly
| all OF the fixed or movable machinery was
| purchased by the state i'll 1852, and is still
| owned by ii, yet Senator O'Brien, one of the
| board. furnishes the committee under oath
| with the astounding testimony that all of the
| machinery referred TO with very little ex-
| cepion) belongs to the Thresher company;
| that II was clearly and distinctly understood
! and agreed at the time of the settlement and
| making Of the last contract with the com
! pany IN 1899 that the company owned the
| machinery to use his own language, that
| was one of the things we fully settled for all
| time to come. and he reiterated this testi-
mouy after his attention was called to the
Fact of the Purchase
of the machinery by the state IN 1881 and
that he as one of the board in their annual
report had given the copied inventory of
| 1882, itemiZing the same machinery as belong
| ing to the state, and as being of the value of
| fifty odd thousand dollars
1t is in evidence that the board advertised
| for bids for convict labor i'll the fall of 1889,
|
| sire TO renew the contract, except on certain
| conditions.
| 1t is plain to the committee that the entire
| contract system with Seymour Sabin & Co.,
| ct al, from beginning TO end, has beer q
mistake and losing one to the state.
With reference to the purchase of machin-
cry for and Inauguration of the
Binding TWine Industry
at the penitentiary, the legislature is more or
| less familiar. Upon this point your commit
| tee has taken considerable testimony but a
| brief reference to which can be made After
| much preliminary discussion the board ap-
| pointed a committee to purchase machinery,
| several bids having at the time been secured,
! principal among which were those of j. C.
| Todd. OF paterson, \. j., agreeing to furnish
| his system of machinary complete for S16-
| 7l6.40 and Comb, Barbour Il Comb OF Bel
| fast, ireland, who offered to furnish their
| system for S2l.69). said purchasing commit
tee, consisting of Messrs. Hall. Temple and
| O'Brien went TO Paterson, n. j. in
the month of September, 1890 and
| after spending about an hour with Mr.,
! Todd at his manufactory at Paterson. went 10
| New York. and there on the 23d of Septem-
| Der, 1890, purchased of Comb Barbour q
| Comb, through their agent, Davidson the
system Of machinery now being operated at
the prison.
At the first meeting of the board after their
| return, held on Oct Z. 1890 the
Minutes of tI.e Board
| sLOW luS 1OllONIuS eHITy. 10 VIII. cor init
tee appointed to buy twine machinery hereby
| report the purchase of a system Of machinery
as per the following contract" The contract
is then set forth. and after specifying the de-
tails of the purchase, proceed: Total cost
S2l.6g3 net, machine packed and delivered at
New York duty paid, erection extra" This
| contract for the sum named is all the con-
tract the minutes and records of the board
show, but your committee found filed with
| the prison bookkeeper a memorandum and
letter, Of which the following are copies:
a Rebates
NEW YORK. Sept. %, 1s90.-This is to Ger
tify that we will rebate the sum of 81 .693 to
NJ. o. Hall of our bill for plant to the state
of Minneiota, total sum of said plant being
81. .693, of dale Aug. is. 1890.
COMB, BARBOUR & COMB,
Per j. Davidson, Comb, Barbour & Comb
Belfast, Ireland.
Confirmed.
lPrivate.l
NJ. o. Hall, Esq, The Minnesota State
Prison, saltwater, Minn.-Dear Sir: Refer
To e1a1 \