The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-07-18
PRISON THYME.
Report Of r.. J. Hall.


Farmers Alliance:
FERGUS FALLS, Minn.-At meeting
of the executive committee of the State
Farmers Alliance. held at the Brunswick
Hotel Minneapolis July II, the following
resolution was adopted:
Whereas, The statement was first made
by the prison board that the state prison
Irvine should be furnished to the farmers
of Minnesota at the same price and on the
same terms, without regard to the question
whether the order was large or small;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the executive committee OF
the State Farmers Alliance, That r. j.
Hall be appointed as a subcommittee and
requested to interview at once state
prison warden and board of managers and
ask them to adhere strictly to the propo-
sition to all orders; the cash to ac-
company orders of less than 1000 pounds,
and Irvine to be given on the same terms
for all orders above 1000 pounds.
Pursuant to request contained in the
above resolution, l Immediately arranged
a meeting with Warden Wolfer and on the
18th inst. met him at the prison, Mr.. f. W.
Temple, member of the board of managers,
being present. I called attention to that
part of their statement in the first circular
letter sent out early in the season which
reads as follows: with this end in view
they have resolved that the price Of Irvine
on board cars at Saltwater shall not eX-
exceed Z cents per pound, and that there
shall be no difference in price whether the
load" I also called attention to their
circular letter of June II reducing the price
of car load lots to 612 cents per pound,
and that cents per pound less than
car loads is a cash price, and the cash
must invariably accompany the order
After full and fair discussion of the
whole matter l learned that early in the
season the warden sent a ball and small
samples of Irvine to every newspaper and
to every county auditor in the state. and
that he had inserted an editorial calling at
tention to the Irvine, in every newspaper,
and that he had ad in the Representa-
tive and had sent circular letters and sam
pies to all who bought Irvine last year and
to many others. Notwithstanding all this
advertising and work, on the 1st of June
no Irvine had been ordered. Men who
bought Irvine last year in car lots de-
clined to handle it, for there was no pay
for the risk and responsibility and there
was but little prospect that the farmers
would send orders in time to clear up the
100000 pounds on hand. At their first
meeting in June the board of managers de-
cided to reduce the price of load lots
to 61a cents and to change the plan of
selling SO as to make it an object for
farmers and dealers to buy by the car
load. Endeavoring so far as possible to
get men who would be acceptable to the
farmers and STIMULATING what profit would
be allowed. AS a rule the officers and
members of the Trainers Alliance have rem
dered valuable assistance in calling meet
ings and advocating the use of this twine
AS a result over 100000 pounds have been
sold since the first of June, and there is
less than 100000 pounds at the prison at
this time, July II, and if orders continue
to come in fast as they have for the
past few days, the Irvine will all be sold in
a very short time.
My advice to members of the Alliance
who intend using prison Irvine is to order
at once. Now while 1 consider the Of
fetal conduct of all servants of the people
proper and legitimate subjects for criti-
cism, and am not slow to condemn where
condemnation is deserved, 1 believe in view
of all the facts before me that the war
den and board of managers are doing what
is best to insure the sale of the twne
There is no law directing them to sell on
time, and no one can blame them for en-
deavoring to so place the Irvine as to pro-
tect the state from loss by a lot of bad
debts. 1t is in the interest of the farmers
to Keep the revolving whole and to make
the tWine business self sustaining. 1 am
very respectfully. r. j. HALL