Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-02-03
Joint Legislative Committee Submits
Its Report on Irvine Plant to
the Assembly.
Facts and Figures Relative to the Plant
in Operation at the Minnesota
Penitentiary.
Committee Strongly Recommends the
Establishment Of a Similar Plant
in This State.
Binding Irvine Committee Report.

The joint committee of the legislative
assembly appointed to investigate the
binding Irvine plant at the penitentiary
at Saltwater with a view to the estab-
lishment of a similar institution at the
penitentiary in this state has reported
and the report of the committee, as has
been forecasted strongly favors the es-
tablishment of a plant here, and is as
follows:
The joint committee of the house and
senate appointed to investigate tho ques-
ton of lack of employment for the in
mates of our state penitentiary and the
disadvantages to them as we'll as to the
state resulting therefrom and in doing so
to visit, if deemed wise, the "twine plant
located at the Minnesota state peniten-
tiary to secure information as to it's cost
and work, respectfully report as follows:
That we are fully satisfied from the
reports of the management Of our state
penitentiary, and from interviews with
the warden and members of the board of
trustees of said penitentiary, that it is
impossible under present conditions to
provide all of the inmates of that insti-
tuition with employment and that during
the cold season one-half or more of them
are supported by the state in idleness
and that Il very considerable part of the
labor which is performed by them is pro-
ductivc of little or no revenue to the
state: that this condition of affairs is
greatly to the financial detriment of the
state and at the same time in the nature
of inhuman treatment OF the inmates OF
fhn ,oritocf1uru opl np,,.Es%,,+n, ~, n,:1
which should be remedicd without de-
lay.
That we have visited the p%enitcntiary
at Saltwater, Minnesota, and made an
investigation of the "binder Irvine plant"
institution, and were accompanied by
N. +. Boucher, warden, and G. r. Mere
dith, a member of the board of trustees
of the North Dakota penitentiary, who
gave the committee valuable informa-
ton in reference to the conditions and
needs at said penitentiary, and assisted
materially in securing the information
sought by this committee.
Warden Henry Wolfer and the board
Of management of the Minnesota state
penitentiary received our committee
with marked cordiality and spared no
pains to inform the committee of every
detail connected with their experience in
the manufacture of binder Irvine.
Our investigation discloses that the
facts in relation to the establishment
and operation of the Swine plant" at
Minnesota state pen~itentiary, stated
briefly and without attempting to give
"details, are as follows:
The legislature Of the state of Mime
sofa, at its session of the year 1891, in
answer to, and for the purpose of salts
flying a strong popular demand therefor,
enacted a law authorizing the manage
ment of the Minnesota state %penitentiary
to establish at the said institution a
@'twine and cordage plant" and to oper-
ate the same on the Estates account
plan, with the then surplus labor availa
bile thereat, and made an appropriation
of Sl5O,OOO to enable said management
to carry into effect the provisions of the
law.
The object of this plan and the law
which was enacted to carry it into effect,
we are led by circumstances to judge,
was three-fold:
First-An humane desire to provide
for the inmates of its penitentiary EN-.
ployment of a character conducive tc
health and that would tend to produce
in them better physical and mental con
ditions. .
.Second-Tc relieve the taxpayers; Of