Morris tribune., 1895-01-16

| the hostile action of the trust, was unsIie
| to procure other than soft fiber machinery,
| which has limited us to the manufacture of
| hemp Irvine, and this, owing to the high
price of hemp as compared with MANILA
! and sisal and to the fact that farmers
prefer other conditions being equal, Irvine
made from the latter, has made 1t very
hard and difficult to compete with the hard
( fiber Irvine. These facts, and the fact
| that sisal and MANILA, are, owing to the
] removal of the duty becoming still cheaper,
make it almost imperative for the state,
| in order to successfully continue with
! the manufacture Of Irvine, to procure as
soon as may be suitable hard fiber ma
chinery, in order that Irvine may be made
| from these much cheaper and much more
] desirable fbers. Such machinery, with a
| capacity of from 5000 to 10000 pounds per
day, can be obtained at price not ex-
| ceeding $4,000. There is a balance of
| Sic, 683.82 remaining in the treasury un-
| expended of the amount appropriated for
| the purchase Of our present Irvine plant.
recommend that this balance, with an
addition of $4,000, be appropriated and set
apart for the purchase of suitable hard
| fiber machinery for our Irvine plant. Under
existing law, only one-half of the prison
labor can be leased on contract and only
| LOT q TERM HOT oACe6ulHS Two years. u6S6
restrictions have proved very embarrass-
ing, especially now since the Minnesota
Thresher Company, which employed one
half of the prison labor, has gone out of
business. The abandonment by the COM
pany Of it's manufacturing enterprise left
$50 idle convicts on our hands. After
much effort the managers have succeeded
in finding employment for about 200 in
the manufacture of boots and shoes, under
a two years contract, at SO cents per day
for each man. But this still leaves $50
convicts unprovided for. In view of these
facts and conditions I concur in the recon-
mendation of the board of managers that
in respect to contract labor, the restriction
of numbers be entirely removed and that
the limitation of time be extended to 10
years. 1t is almost impossible to secure
favorable contracts, or indeed any con-
tracts at all, for so short term as two
years. And unless ample scope is given
the board to lease the prison labor, addi-
tional means and facilities, at considerable
cost, must be provided in order to furnish
employment for the convicts on state ac-
count
For further information and for details,
refer you to the valuable and interest
ing reports of the managers and OF the
warden. No prison is better managed nor
in better hands thar ours, and the recon-
mendations of the board and the warden
consideration.
Hospitals for the Insane.
From the report of the board of trus-
tees of the hospitals for the insane 1t ap-
pears that there has been considerable
increase in the number of patients within
the last two years. On the 10th day of Mo-
vember last there was a total of 2,607
patients. 1t is estimated that at the cur
10 of i1,or chaI no hu
end of September, 1896, about 5000 pa
tients. At present the hospitals at st.
Peter and Rochester are overcrowded. A
section of the northeast wing of the hos
pital at Fergus Falls, now in process of
construction, will be completed in Feb
ruary of this year, and this will afford
accommodations for $50 additional pa
tients. But more room will soon be
needed, and it is believed that the quickest
and most economical way to secure this
will be to proceed with the construction
of the administration building and the
northeast wing of the hospital at Fergus
Falls, which will, when completed, fur
nish room for 270 additional patients. 1t
is estimated that $185000 will be needed to
complete this work This is a matter of
serious import and one with which it will
not do to procrastinate. 1 accordingly in
woke for it your early and considerate at
tention. By the end of 1896, if the adj
ditional buildings suggested at Fergus
Falls have been completed, we shall have
an average of about 1000 patients
at each of our three hospitals,
and this is about as large
a number as can properly and economical
ly be taken care of at each place. These
facts, in connection with the steady and
rapid increase in patients, have lead the
board of trustees to recommend that steps |
be taken for the erection Of a fourth hos
pital at some point near the cities of ST. |
Paul and Minneapolis. This location is |
suggested because so many patients come |
from these cities. This hospital could not |
well be made ready for use until near the |
end of 1897, and by that time we would
have surplus of from $50 to 300 additional |
patients to accommodate. After carefully |
considering this important matter, / can
not help concurring in the recommended
ton of the board of trustees, and so
commend it to your favorable considera-
ton.
Institute for Detectives.
The several schools of this institute are
pursuing with energy and zeal the work
allotted to them. The increase in pupils
at the schools for the deaf and the blind
is moderate, and so far not beyond the
ability of these institutions. But in case
of the school for the feeble minded, the
applications for admission largely exceed
the capacity of the school. There are at
this time over 100 children for whom there
is no room, urgently seeking admission,
and many of these are cases of great hard
ship. am frequently appealed to for as
in these cases, and am firmly
convinced that much additional room is
speedily needed. /, therefore, concur in
the recommendation Of the board of direct
ors that an appropriation be made for the
erection. and equipment, at an early day
of a boys custodial building, ample to
meet the wants of the state in this direc-
ton for some years. to come. These chill
dren are the most helpless wards of the
state, and their claims are of the most
pressing character. We can i'll afford to
be parsimonious or dilatory in attending
to the welfare of these unfortunates.
Conclusion.
In conclusion, permit me to suggest to you
the Importance of exercising economy,
both in appropriation and in legislation.