The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-07-16
PUBLIC PULSATIONS.
The binding Irvine Question,


Editor Irish STANDARD:
our state binding 1wn1 plant and states
prison h"nrd continue To furnish fund for
pertinent comment among llr :l.rirl,It ,,ri,,s
of minnesota.
First of all dcsir. to state tina, although
] use several thunsrnd pounds of bnlin.
l"lhr "!l my farm. am not personally in
t"reSt"d. mhsmuch as have purchased :,
lull supply at II reasonable price, Therefore.
! write only in the interests of the public.
Among III" institutions of the state which
nave direct hearing upon the interests Of
the farmers Is Tn" states prison, on account
OF It's establishment of II Irvine plant to
lurh!ah employment FOR the ,unvcts of that
institution This plant was originally cs-
ihbli#'rd hy the farmers of the sl;itc Nv
oN'ft"I1iHS tn" most stubborn rcsistarr"
81 nearly every ncinl,rr OF tho lrpislIturc
"h" VAS not Il f;timrr. for several sessions.
TN" establishment of this Irvine plant had
the effect ri breaking down the rxurbi1uu,
prices 81 inc tWinc trust, prices at that
time ranging from ~. to % cents per
pound. immediately upon IN" commences
mont of This Industry and the placing of it's
product on the markr, the prices came
tnlnhiinG down. until las, year 1t reached
the low mark of A.. to & cents per pound
The farmers, after securing their industry
ana seeing that IT had accomplished their
ends 9TH" breaking of th" twin" trllsl), al
lowed lhcif own enterprise to fall into the
minus ol representatives. OF amy calling but
that of agriculture, and as IL rrsl, the
plant for all interests and PURPOSES 50 far
AS tn" farmer was concerned. might just us
we'll b" IN Manila as IN Saltwater, for the
reason mat the entire output OF the plant
of 1.FU,NOO pounds has been sold to the lob
b"rS and merchants of the state. II will
be readily seen where the interests of tn.
farmers came IN when left to the vUt" of
me board OF i've members, composed of
merchants, lawyers. bankers, etc. when
deciding what policy they shOuld pursue in
disposinR Of the Irvine product OF the prison
But the plant WAS established for III. OK
press plIrpnsr Of manufacturing binding
Irvine and selling direct to the farmers at
cost.
by whnt right does the prison board dis
pos" "f 1,6lO.00O pounds Of prison twinc To
Iobbcrs at G12c per pound several months be-
fore harvest witllOu, any notification to the
| farmers. thereby compelling them, the
farmers of the state, to pay at least $1,000
900 more for their binding Irvine this season
than they would II they could purchase
direct from he prison as the law had con-
tcmplhtcd whom the plant was established?
submit, Mr.. Editor. II Is not unrc:,pon-
able TO request his excellcncy the governor
to appoint committee of honorable cit
liens to investigate this deal
AS to the warden's recent circular, that
these jobbcrs who purchased the states
prison Irvine at Gl2 cents per pound must
not charge the turner's more than cents
pound. under pcnaly Of tho disfavor OF
the board OF managers In future years, 1t
Is really amusing Why, the most ignorant
ch,imp of n jobbcr In the state could drive
coach and -four through such n contract.
case In point: | know Of II dealer who
bought IL car. %lTO pounds, of binding twinc
| from the prison ut G& cents per pound
under the contract. He sold Il few pounds
| ut cents; he claimed lie had some left
over from last year and charged from 10
to ID cents per pound; his 10000 pounds Of
| this yenrs purchase had dwlndIed to few
pounds, his last years remnant had swclled
mountain high.
Brother farmers. what is the cause OF all
this imposition on the great agricultural in
tcrcsts OF Minnesota?
We have neglected our Farmers Alliance
and permitted those outside Of our profess
sion to manage affairs we should have man
aged ourselves. What Is the remedy? Re-
vivc your Alliances at once and through
them insist that Alliance farmers Shall be
elected to the next Legislature from every
agricultural county IN the state. When you
get control of the legislature you will have