The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-02-01
THE THYME TRUST

A great effort is being made to white
wash the state prison board, and prove
that the farmers have no cause to COM
plain of the management of the Irvine
business.
Explanations are easy, but these facts
remain:
l. The twine was made, by the state,
at cost of 4 or cents pound
2. A large profit, $4,000, last year
was charged against it and taken out of
the farmers pockets.
). The price fixed was 61A cents per
pound, but the great bulk of the outnut
was sold to the farmers, through mid
dlemen, at II to Is cents per Mound
thus taking hundreds of thousands of
dollars more out of the farmers.
The farmers had to pay cash, at once
on delivery. The dealers cot twina m
time until Nov. l, say five months Tho
warden testified. before the legislative
committee, as follows:
senator Grindelard: "Who passed mo,
t the responsibility and financial standing Of
those who filed orders?" ~
=, dlo. Those ordering car load lots. if
.ney were responsible, We're given time TN j..
III NOV. l. Those who order ed for ,roaijer
amounts We're required to pay cash. as We
could rot keep track of tho STANDING of g,
many people ordering small amounts They
ooJected 10 having so much paper out that
We could not control"
We read:
Mr.. Jacobson read a lette, at This tino
Which he rpcajyo1 loo
lorson. of Castle Rock, was the writo~ He
canned he had been Disseminated against
oy the prison managers. and that he n all
been refused Irvine, while others who mr.
uereu subsequent to him. had their orders
nlled Another letter from s. P Roach of
Paynesville, had a similar COMPLAINT Mr.
Roacn IN his communication said the only
reason he could give for being discriminata5
against was that he refused to ride on the
Republican wagon.
Mr.. Wolfer said he had .aoords - 1
tndt the charges were untrue
Mr.. Torson and Mr.. Roach are both
gentlemen of high standing We know
them both.
Then we read, in the legislative re-
port:
During the season of 1898 the prison fac
tory made about 5000, 900 pounds while II =
100000 pounds were used in the state The
factory worked overtime. There were DAYS
when cash orders were received which could
not be filled. The cash was returned Or
ders were filled up to June 49, and after that
orders were rejected. Subsequently after
the prison had caught up orders were again
filed No carload orders were accented
after May IA.
Did you consider that you were discrim-
mating against some people in refusing some
orders after June Is. and then filling Others
at later date?" asked Mr. Wilson,
No, sir, for the reason that we were COM
PEELED to refuse some orders from sheer lack
of Irvine. Later We worked over time as
said before
The state made $4,000 clear profit on the
5,U0,oCO pounds manufactured in $685. The
year previous the profit was only half as
great. The price of 6a cents On car loads
was somewhat more than previous years
from half cent to a cent Outside Job
bers were selling from S1a to cents AS
long as there was Irvine left at the prison
1t had tendency to regulate the price of
Irvine In the state. There was absolut ely
no deviation during the whole season from
the prices fixed in May by the board
If the prison twine regulates the price
of other Irvine and keeps it down, as
long as any can be bought from the state.
then enough should be made to supply