Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-09-14
PENITENTIARY FRAUD
GRAIN BAGS SOLD IN DEFIANCE
OF THE LAW.


OF THE LAW.
Bags Sold for a Higher Price Thnn
,he Law Provides and TO Parties
Out of the State - Washington
ton Farmers Robbed - Bankers
and Merchants {" stand In" With
the ssPen'' Ring.
The Seattle Telegraph becoming
aware some time ago of the existence
OF rumors OF unlawful management OF
the State Penitentiary, sent repre-
sentative to ascertain the truth or
falsity OF such reports. Yesterdays
issue OF that enterprising journal con.
tains full account of its agents in
vestigations, and he places before the
public information which Gov. McGraw
promised to obtain many months ago,
but has given the usual reasons for
delay, probably to place investigation,
if one is made, at time when it may
not embarrass his party's efforts at
the polls.
At least no action has been taken
by the Executive, and as his whole
time is taken up in downing Squire's
aspirations for return to the U. S.
Senate, there is no probability that an
effort will be made till after November
9th, if then.
The more serious abuses, says the
Telegraph representative were con-
ceived and born in the penitentiary
jute mill which was hailed as . great
boon for the down-trodden farmer
and wheat-grower of Eastern Wash
ington. And 80 it would be if honest.
ly managed. But as it is conducted
now, it is only a scheme for the shrewd
speculator, the irrepressible middle
men and dishonest officials and poll
ticians, to rob the wheat and grain
producers. That such is being done
and done in the most brazen manner
must be apparent to all as this story
unfolds itself.
"From the jute, which is purchased
with money especially appropriated by
the legislature, grain sacks or bags are
manufactured. For this and like
purposes the legislature of 1898 passed
an act setting aside $4,000, to be
known as the permanent revolving
fund The law, which is to be found
on pages 2l2 and 2l3 session laws OF
1898, especially provides that these
sacks or grain bags shall be sold for
cash to actual consumers who are
resident of the State of Washington.
1t also sets forth that the officer or
officers OF the State penitentiary who
have knowingly violated these pro-
visions are guilty of misdemeanor,
and that they are subject to fine and
removal from office.
"But in face of these direct and
special instructions from the legis-
lature to the prison officials it is fact
that during the months OF July and
August of this year, grain and wheat
sacks manufactured in the State peni-
Tertiary were sold by no less than five
leading business houses and two banks
OF Walla Walls. The law has been
doubly violated in that sacks were also
sold to residents OF Oregon. Probably
half the wheat raised this year in
Umatilla county, Oregon, was sacked
in bags manufactured in the Washing
ton State penitentiary.
"The outrage is the greater from
the further fact that the spectators
and middlemen charged the farmers 8
and 81 cents per sack, taking their
notes drawing l per cent interest per
month. when the penitentiary price
was fixed at 81 cents. Why several
hundred thousand penitentiary grain
bags got into the hands of the Walls
Walla bankers and business men this
year and were placed ON the market at
a big profit, while farmers were unable
to get sacks at the penitensfary, il .
question which Warden Coblentz and
the board of directors should be called
upon to answer instantly.
During the last days of July, over
100000 grain sacks are reported to
have disappeared from the Peniten-
tiary. One of the directors made the
statement, on Friday of that month
that there we're that many bags on
hand at the "pen," and on the fol-
lowing Monday, when farmer called
At the penitentiary with his money
to purchase sacks he was told that the
supply had been exhausted. In the
nature Of things it would have been
impossible for that many hundred
thousands to have been sold in three
DAYS to farmers. On the contrary, they
we're hauled away from the penitentiary
in drsy loads, one Walla Walla specu-
lator receiving as many as $4,000
sacks.
The object of the law is clearly to
protect and benefit the farmers OF this
State. 1t lis to prevent just what has
been done, the placing of the product
of the jute plant in the hands of spec
ulators and afford margin of profit
to middle men in the price exscted
from farmers. To prevent this, the
law provides that the sacks shall be
sold only to actual consumers at the
cost OF manufacture, which is 81 cents,
and it is made misdemesnor to sell
sacks to any other parties or at any
other price. notwithstanding this
Washington Penitentiary sacks have
been sold during the past summer by
the Schwabacker Bros, Malhoit Bros,
VIM. Jones, First National Bank, the
Baker Boyer Bank, Washington Loan
and Trust Co., and the Pacific Coast
Elevator Co.. who sold them to Ore
gon producers or anybody else who
would buy, and charged our State