The representative., 1894-01-03
BINDER TWINE.
Ex-senator Dodge Prods the Board
of Prison Managers.

Ex-senator Dodge Prods the Board
uf Prison Managers.
EnlTnH REPRESENTATIVE:
Will YOU kindly allow me a word
in your esteemed paper, in reference
to the binder twine matter. l no.
tice in your issue of Dec. 6, an ar
ticle by the Hon. Ignatius Donnelly,
in which he gives the substance OF
an interview he had with the warden
of the state penitentiary,-Mr. Hen
ry Wolfer,-in regard to the manu-
facture and sale of binder twine,
Mr.. Wolfer stating that of the one
and half million pounds of twine
manufactured during the past sea-
son, One-half still remains on hand
unsold, and he assigns two causes
why it was not sold; one was, that
outside manufacturers of twine
united to break down the prison
twine by selling at very low prices:
and another cause was, that these
outside parties freely sold to farm
ers on time. Now / have no doubt
that the selling to farmers on time,
helped to reduce the sale of the
prison twine, but l believe there is
another cause why the whole sea-
sons output Of. prison twine was
not sold.
1t seems the farmers of the state
were notified that their orders for
twine must be accompanied by the
cash, and whenever ordered in less
than carload lots, one cent per pound
would be added to the price. This
proposition to raise the price for
less than carload lots, seemed un-
fair, being that the farmers were
willing to pay cash in advance, and
were willing to pay an increased
freight charge, because shipped in
small lots. Then it seems to me
the state authorities, ought to have
been generous enough, to have sold
for cash to neighborhood of farm
ers who wanted but a half carload
of twine, at the same price they
would have sold carload to mid
dle-man, who bought on time, be-
sides getting a commission off from
the carload price. Mr.. WOlfer COM
plains because outside manufacture
ers sold twine at such low prices. If
there is not screw loose some
where in buying the material for
the prison twine, the low price of
twine made by outsiders, should not
frighten him; for in making twine.
the outsider has to employ and pay
skilled labor, while the prison
twine is made by convict labor and
costs next to nothing, an advantage
no outsider will care to buck against.
Again Mr.. Wolfer says that where
twine was sold on time to farmers
collections are fearfully slow.
He should remember that we are
living in slow times, and that all
classes are little slow in paying
their debts; and it is query in my
mind, as to which is the slowest
coach, note against responsible
farmer Though a little Slow, or
that mountain of unsold twine piled
up in the penitentiary?
AS Mr.. Donnelly says: 1t was
through a desperate effort of the
alliance organization, that a twine
plant was established at the state
penitentjary, and now if this prison
twine is sold to the farmers at the
very lOaoest price at which it can be
manufactured without loss to the
state, and without subjecting the
farmers to some unfair or cranky
rule Of the state authorities; it will
prove of great value to the agricul-
tural interests of the state, and will
teach a sOulleSs twine trust that it
cannot always rob the farmers with
impunity. e. N. DODGE.