The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-11
ALL ABOUT 1T.
Details of How Binding Irvine
Is Made
By C0nVicts at the Saltwater
PeniteRtiary.
AS TOLD IN REPORT
Of the Legislative Committee
Just Returned.
1t Proves n Paying Investment
For Minnesota.

The report Of the legislative commit
tee which visited the Saltwater, MIMI
penitentiary to investigate the manu-
facture OF binding Irvine, made an IN
teresting report to the house and SEN
ate The members OF the committee
are: Senators Hessin and Householder;
Representatives John Seaton, Josiah
Crosby and Hogue Of Anderson
The committee recommends that a
Irvine plant be established at the KAN
sas penitentiary, as told in the Journal
yesterday. Concerning observations at
Saltwater the report of the committee
says:
The plant is located in a three-story
building $50 feet in length and 70 feet
in width The two lower floors and half
of the third floor are occupied by ma
chinery.
The preparing machinery, which con-
sists of the heavier part required in the
manufacture of Irvine, is located on the
ground floor. The second floor and halr
of the third floor is occupied by the
spinning machine, ballers and finishing
machine.
In addition to the above named build
fngs there is used for the storage of raw
material and the manufactured product
storage houses having the following
capacity: The first and largest IS
1OOx15O feet, the second 160x100 feet. all
one story buildings Of about 20 feet IN
height.
In a mill with a capacity of 10000
pounds per diem the storage capacity
required will be given in a building
1O0x200 feet
The finishing machinery consists of
four breakers-fOur spinners-slx draw
ing frames and five fnishers- In the
spinning room there are 29S spinners
and in addition thereto there are 1S
double spindle baIIing machines, one
rope machine and one ball shaper.
One hundred and forty prisoners are
used in the operation of this plant, the
work being supervised by one superin-
tendent and three assistant supertn-
tendents-
In the operation of said plant there is
used of the raw material each day OF
ten hours. of pure MANILA, $4,000 pounds
of $50 foot Irvine to the pound or or
sisaI "a 900 pounds of 500 foot Irvine TO
the pound This material is obtained
from the Philippine islands and Yucca
tan 1t is purchased by the prison au-
thorities from importers and brokers
in New York and Boston in the open
market.
In the manufacture OF Irvine large
quantity OF cheap oil is required We
find from the superintendent that there
is no waste OF raw material IN the man man
ufacture of Irvine, on the contrary there
is an increase in the weight of the
finished product of from to Il per
cent by reason of the oil used.
The power used at Saltwater for
their plant is ESQ horse power. We find
that the cost Of machinery for a plant
of the size above mentioned will cost
including betting and pulleys, the sum
shafting.
We find that for the selling Of the
manufactured product of Irvine, sacks
are used which can be bought in car
load lots at 61z cents apiece, the weight
of which is included in the sale of
Irvine. From the refuse is manufac-
tured q rope used in balling-
We find that this plant has proved a
success from the beginning, not only
in enabling the state to provide Irvine
for the farmers at a greatly reduced
cost, but at the same time 1t has been
a direct benefit to the tax payers of the
state in that it has enabled the institu-
ton to become more than self-sustain-
ing The minimum amount of profit
from the manufacture of Irvine at the
penftentiary at Saltwater has been So
900 per annum- The maximum amount
of sS7, 900 for the year 1898. The profits
for 1897 were $43, 600.
over and above this net yearly profit
there has been covered into the state
treasury for the care and maintenance
of the institution so cents per day for
each prisoner employed in the manUfac-
ture of Irvine.
In ascertaining the net profit realized