The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-06-15
NAT. F. A. and |. u. DEPT
BINDING TWINE.


which he contributes to support is now
beginning to be demonstrated in a very
pointed manner
Among the institutions which have di
rect bearing upon the interests of the
former is the states prison. on account
OF its establishment of a twine plant to
furnish employment for the cOnVicts at
that institution This plant was origin
ally established by the farmers Of the
state by overcoming the most stubborn
resistance of nearly every member of the
legislature who was not a farmer for
several sessions. The establishment OF
this Irvine plant had the effect of break
ing down the exorbitant prices of the
Irvine trust, whose prices at that time
ranged from 171z cents to % cents per
pound. Immediately upon the COM
-mencement of this industry and the plac-
ing of its product on the market the
prices camo tumbling down until last
year it reached the low price Of Az cents
to 67s cents per pound 1--WE sold 221a
carloads at this price,.
The farmers after securing their in
dustry and seeing that it had accomp-
lished their ends Ohe breaking OF the
Irvine trusD, allowed their own enter
prise to fall into the hands of represen-
tatives Of any calling but that of agricul-
ture, and as a result the plant for all
interests and purposes as far as the in
terests of the farmer is concerned might
just as well be in Klondike as in Still
water, for the reason that the entire
has been sold to the jobbers and mer-
chants of the state Except some 100000
pounds which was reserved to fill smao
orders direct to farmers all of which has
been disposed of about the middle of
May this year We called upon Warden
Wolfer on or about the middle Of May
to arrange with him to fill orders for
our members through this Office for
about 100000 pounds, which 1 desired
to reserve for our members, and l was
Informed that the prison had no Irvine
for sale and could dispose of double
their output"
Mr. Wolfer treated us very courteous
/ ~ and explained some of the difficulties
his position to please everybody al
be the direct target for all kinds of
criticism. We may say in this connec-
want Of the board and must "obey
orders"
It will be readily seen where the in:
terests Of farmers come in when left to
the vote Of board of five members COM
posed of merchants, lawyers, bankers,
etc, when deciding what policy they
should pursue in disposing Of the twine
product Of the prison. They invariably
agree that the proper way is to dispose
of it to the jobber or merchant the same
as is done in nearly every manufacture
ing plant in the country where they can
dispose of their output in large blocks.
This saves a great of work for them and
makes the margin Of profit in the enter
prise more apparent, and as business
proposition" it may be considered the
proper thing to do.
But Judging it from farmers stand
point it fails of Endorsement. Whyt
Because the object and purpose of the
establishment of this industry was that
+. 1.-THE FARMER COULD GET HIS
TWINE AT COST And of late years
the farmer would have to hustle in the
= early months of the year to get any at
all. The output of the prison last year
was 100000 pounds, they increased the
plant to 100000 pounds capacity this
year, and the whole output has been
disposed Of long before the farmers O.
the state even thought of looking up the
matter of Irvine at ALL
Now that the available supply Of
Irvine from the prison has Disappeared
the jobbers and merchants of the state
have pushed up the price to II to Is
) cents in some communities with the
prospect that it will go even as high as
Is cents before there will be any Irvine
actually bought for the present crop.
There was not much economy for the
prison to dispose of their output at 611
cents for car lots and Z cents for less
than car lots month or so before the
farmers began to buy, which is gener-
ally about July 1 and after, If by holding
1t for a couple Of months longer they
could reap an additional profit OF several
cents per pound. Instead Of this the
state has lost the advance in price, and
the merchant has made the profits, while
the farmer, as usual, has to pay the
fiddler" by paying the profits of the
whole gang of middlemen. Now brother
farmers. can you see the wisdom Of hay
ing farmer, A REAL FARMER on Il .
prison board who will have your in
terests at heart and change the policy of
this institution from defeating the very
purpose of the establishment of this
Irvine plant, which was originally in
tended for the farmers to secure their
Irvine at cost
Place FARMER on the board and
you will not have the mistakes Ct the
past in this matter repeated.
There are six practical farmers who
have long and intimate knowledge and
experience of matters pertaining to