The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-31
STATES TWINE STEAL
1T is MULCTING FARMERS OUT
OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
ANNUALLY
WORKS A GREAT INJUSTICE
Dealers Buy Up State Prison Bind
Ing Irvine and Sell 1t mt Exor-
bitant Prices in Violation, of
Contract - Facts and Figures
From Cottonwood County---Some
Correspondence ON the Subject.

The browning infamy Of the robber-
les which have been perpetrated on the
producers of Minnesota Is the admins
tration of the binding twire plant at
the penitentiary. 1t crowns the fol
lowing:
Bestowal of public domain ON the railways.
Plumber of the remainder of their timber
and minerals.
SpoIatiou of the school fund of the state
| Extravagant administration of public insti-
| tutions.
Rottenness of the pubic examiners depart
ment.
Escape of corporations from equitable tax
Prostitution of labor department to parti-
sanshtp.
Maladministration of the railway commits
SIGN.
Other robberies of farmers by false grain
inspection.
Robbery of farmers by the terminal ele-
yato9s
The state binding Irvine concern was
intended exclusively for the benefit of
the farmers, and was as strictly an in
stitution for their benefit as the grain
and warehouse department itself. Had
its founders supposed that 1T would be
administered so that certain favored
dealers would get the Irvine and then
sell it out to the farmers at their own
price, how much money does any one
suppose would ever have been devoted
to the plant, on which probably a quar-
ter Of million dollars has now been
expended?
Such politicians as J. F. jacobson,
of Lac Qui Parle, have endeavored to
show that the fusion legislature of 1890
was not entitled to the credit of the
binding Irvine plant. Well, the Repub-
licans have at least managed 1t. But
70 t. IL. tell
to made the first considerable, apPro-
priation for it, which appropriation of
the sum of $150,000 is promptly charged
up to that legislature is one OF it's lex
| trava gances." In fact that and a Re
publican deficiency of $4,000 constitut-
red one-half of the increased appropria-
ton OF that session, and the remainder
was divided for the most part between
| the agricultural department of the uni
| Versfty and the new asylum at Fergus
Falls. In fact, as to credit, for the
| Irvine plant, the first move for it was
| made in the legislature of 1888, as a
| result Of nothing else but the work and
| agitation Of the Farmers Alliance. 1t
| was demanded by all parties as tho
! only protection of the farmers from the
! cordage trust. Now the farmers want
to elect Lind to secure protection from
! the political pull trust, which, puts the
| the hands of the favored dealers to sell
| at their own prices.
| by 1894 the Irvine plant may be said
| to have been in successful operation.
| I'he managers report Of that year de-
! failing the operations for the two wears
preceding contained the statement that
| the Irvine put on the market at re,
| dUced prices had been the means of
saving large sum of money to the
Inn 17oI
just about self-sustaning, the Irvine
being sold as nearly at cost as possible.
The cash sales were about $4,000 a.
year. Sales for which the cash was vet
| to be obtained were more than as much
more. The factory to that point had
| reduced the price of Irvine in the state
| SO 1-3 per cent. ss7I8 =
In the two years following the prfs-
on labor employed in the factory was
charged into the cost which had not
been done before, and at so cents per
day for each convict employed, from
Aug. 1, 1894, to the same date, 1896
date of last report-tlle factory was
charged with $4,000 for such labor.
and the net profit for the period was
| $1l,O00. The financial statement Of the
factory Aug. l, 1896, showed the fol-
| lowing assets:
Unexpended balance in state treas
ury Observation-Disclosures. $S3 TO 81
| Cash. institution treasury 964 81
| Inventory stock and Irvine on hand 20, 451 OS
| Notes and accounts uncollected Of
an previous years :................ 1886 81
Notes and accounts for sales of 1896 100, 1877 so
Iotal ........-.................$ 221. 400 05
| This was by selling the Irvine at
| cost, the intention from the beginning
| and provided for by law
when John Lind said 1--WE have a
| Manila interest here at home that
ought to be attended to- he uttered the
| TRUTH" says a Cottonwood county pa
per. 'In 1891 the state appropriated
funds to put the Irvine plant at Still
water on its feet, enabling 1t to :pur-
| chase the requisite machinery, raw ma
| terlal' etc. No state funds were ever
expended for much better purposes.
The plant manufactured an excellent
! quality OF binding Irvine and furnished
| 1T at half the price of the corf1age
| trusts. This year it could have saved
the farmers Of the state vast sum of
| money had it not at the commence
ment or the season sold out almost its
entlre output to the twine dealers of
| the state, so that when farmers sent
| In orders they could not~be filed and
| the producer had to go to his local
dealer
In thus selling out it's entire output
the state prison displayed much care
lessness and made possible the working
OF a great injustice on the farmers of
the state, which we are enabled to prove
| by the statements Of Henry Wolfer.
warden of the state prison. When the
dealers purchased the twine-much of
| 1t in carload lots-they signed a con-
tract with the warden, a copy of which
| is herewith given:
=, hereby consent in consideration of the
! Shipment to me of binding Irvine, as per my
| order for The same dated 1908 to
sell SAID tWine only to consumers and at a
| profit not to exceed TX cents per pound upon
| the prices quoted in the said order sad order
snaI hereafter De deemed to be modified in
accordance with the terms Of this agreement
| and the acceptance Of the said warden shall
| be deemed to constitute contract under and
| BY virtue of which the said Irvine is pur-
| chased by me from the said warden
Like many other farmers, a gen
| tleman Of this county (whose name we
withhold at his requesO bought prison
binding twine. He was asked and
agreed to pay the local dealer therefor
10 cents per pound. A few weeks ago
he learned Of the binding Irvine con-
tract and wrote the warden regarding
the nigh price paid for Irvine, and re-
ceived the following reply: ., IT
have your favor Of the 9Th, inst, and
note what you say about the prison Irvine
nav been sold at 100 per cent profit to
the dealers. All Of the dealers signed an
agreement, under the terms of which they
obligated themselves to sell the prison twine
at profit not to exceed ~ cents per pound
II iney have sold above this figure they, have
mite Information to the person YOU pur-
CHASED your twine Of together with as COM
piete Data as possible bearing upon the sub
!ect. l desire to thank you for this informa-
ton ana TO assure you that your name will
not De used unless you give permission to do
50. hoping to hear from you by return mail