Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-01-27
What Has Been Accomplished in the
Making of Binding Irvine at the
Minnesota Pen.
Profit That Has Accrued to the Stat
and to the Farmers From
the Work.
Article of Interest From the Move O.
the North Dakota Legislature in
This Direction.

the Legislative assembly from the special
committee that vas appointed to ex
anime and report as to the Irvine plant
at the penitentiary at Saltwater, MINI.
The committee consists of Senators
Twichell and Mansfield and Representa-
tives Sargent, Hare and Bacon, who will
visit the Saltwater penitentiary during
the legislative recess, examine the plant
there and gather such general informa-
ton relative to the making of Irvine as
may enlighten the Legislative assembly.
The suggestion which led to the appoint
ment of this committee came from the
report of the warden and board of trus-
tees of the penitentiary. The present
law forbids the employment of convicts
in manufacturing occupations, which
may compete with free labor in the
state. The increasing number of con-
victs renders it necessary to provide
some occupation for them from the
standpoints both of humanity and econ
ony. A binding Irvine plant would solve
the problem, and prove of financial bene-
fit to the state.
In 1891 the board of managers of the
state prison at Saltwater secured an ap-
preparation of S15O,ON with which to
purchase machinery and material to be
used in the manufacture of binding
Irvine. The industry did not return a
profit for several years. 1t did, however,
serve n of the purposes for which it
was devised, namely, to give employment
to the convicts. This, however, was not
an innovation lnasmuch as ever since
the institution was built the %convicts
had been expected to and did work at
some trade.
The output of the Irvine factory is now
five million pounds a year. The profit to
the state for the past two years was
Sl33,OOO. The daily output of Irvine is
II tons and the number of convicts en-
ployed is lao.
The following statement from the
board of prison managers of Saltwater
will be of interest:
"We have increased the capacity of
Irvine factory from 3,5OO,OO to s.
UO,OW pounds per annum, adding new
machinery of latest improved pattern
and making other important changes for
the gradual extension and improvement
of the plant. We can say with pardona-
BILE pride that we now have one of the
best Irvine plants of its size and second
to one in the United States. We have
made gradual progress in the quantity
and quality of all grades of Irvine man
ufactured, and our product is now gen
orally conceded to be as good as the best
Irvine that can be found on the market.
early in the life of the Irvine plant it
was found impossible to dispose of the
product direct to the farmers. The first
year, with a product of only 100000
pounds, over one-half was carried oyer.
Conditions were but little better the
second year, though the management
made every possible effort to get the
farmers to buy direct from the prison.
At this period it became plainly appar-
ent to the management that if the twine
plant was to live, maintain a healthy
growth, and fulfill the spirit of the law
creating it, some arrangements would
have to be made whereby the sale of each
years product could be made certain.
Sound business judgment dictated it,
and this purpose was accomplished by
getting the country dealers and farmers
clubs to handle it.
up to the present year the plan has
worked we'll and gave general satisfaction
to the farmers. In fact, this method of
handling it created such a lively compe-
tition that in the majority of cases the
farmers got the prison Irvine on time
from their local dealers fully as cheaply
as they could get it by sending their or
ders with a direct to the prison. Our
output this season was about 100000
pounds. The requirement of the whole
state was about 100000 pounds, and
100000 pounds were reserved for direct
orders from the farmers; a much larger
reserve than usual and more than we
have have ever been able to sell direct
any preceding season.
"The prison plant can supply only
about one-third of the Irvine used by
farmers in the state in an ordinary crop
year. This being an unusually heavy
crop year we have been unable to furn-
ish much mor than one-fourth of the
amount required in the state. The bal
ance, unfortunately, were at the mercy
of the famine criers. Thousands of
farmers who never thought of ordering
or buying the prison Irvine before,
rushed i'll their orders when they
lOuuu tuey COuIu MAKE money by OOlnS
SO, and the 100000 pounds, which was a
larger reserve than wa aver held before
for direct orders, rapidly melted away.
Every mail was loaded with orders con
tanning cash remittances, and ran as high
as $1,000 in one mail.
1.-THE fact that the Irvine industry has
been a success to the state financially
and through it a direct benefit to all the
tax payers of the state as well as a sue
cess in that it has saved the farmers of
the state thousands OF dollars. not alone
OF account of the money saved by it's
having been sold at lower price than
other twines, but by the competitive eff
feet the prison Irvine has had in holding
down the prices of other twines sold in
the state, ought to be proof that the af-
fairs of the planthave been honestly and
faithfully conducted"
The Minnesota plant was started as
an experiment, and had to create a
market for its product. The plant is
now an assured success, and. its market
is created. The operation Of a plant in
North Dakota would be similarly sue
c~essful. There is a vast market among
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