The Bemidji pioneer., 1900-11-01
THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE
MANAGEMENT OF THE STATE
PRISON BINDER TwINE
FACTORY.
MAKES A BRAzEN STATEMENT
rwine That Was Sold Mt Ten Cent?
Worth Only SIX Cents nt the
Time of Delivery.

that binder tWine business. Warden
Reeve furnished one set of figures lof-
ficiaD to the state auditor; b. +. Mel
son, president of the board, furnished
another set (diffecent); the prison board
then hastily got together and made a
report giving still another set-and now
in order to explain few discrepan-
cies, they have still another guess COM
ing. There's one significant item in
the report-two-thirds Of this years
output Of twine was sold on credit
and there is nearly half million dol
lars In outstanding accounts!
The board alleges that IL these ac-
counts were all collected the years bus
mess would show slight proft-about
$4,000 Why would it? Simply because
the farmers who bought the twine had
to pay for the mistakes of the prison
management.
The report itself Is one of the strong
est pieces of evidence of the rottenness
with which the business is conducted.
1t acknowledges that the twine, sold to
farmers at 10 cents pound, was worth
only 8 cents at the time OF delivery.
owing to the decline In the price of the
fiber. The state, through the asinine
Judgment of the governor and prison
warden. had loaded up with fiber when
1t was at its highest, for nearly two
years r'iE. The only way to avoid
hopelessly swalnping the institution
and running 1t into debt a couple of
hundred thousand dollars was to make
the farmers stand the loss. There was
partial crop failure-in some few sec
tions 1t was almost total-and many
farmers who had ordered prison twine
early in the season wrote In to cancel
part of their order. This the manage
ment refused. It was a privilege all
ways extended under Republican ad-
nlinistrations, but the present officials
demanded their pound Of flesh. This
represents largely the four hundred-odd
thousand dollars of "bills receivable
How much Of this is collectable? I'm
der the conditions and taking into con-
sideration the inferior quality, short
length twine furnished. how much Of
this indebtedness could be collected in
case 1t was necessary to bring suit
against these dsbtors.aa tale. courts
What u very peculiar situation!
There are nearly two mif1apn pounds
Of binder twine. on hand at the prison
to be carried over until next season.
Owing to the exorbitant price paid for
the fiber 1t will cost the state, manu-
Efactured, 10 cents pound. 1t is worth
according to Gov. Lind's statement
only 8 cents a pound, and he says that
it will probably go still lower. In other
words, there is net loss OF at least
cents pound on it, or well up towards
$4,000. Now mark Gov. Lind's own
words: Figuring the twine and fiber
on hand at their present value (s cents)
and figuring as assets the outstanding
accounts lover 100000, the state will
make a profit of about $4,000 on the
twine plant this year. Even If his state
ment is correct, this means that the
farmers who bought prison twine this
year paid $4,000 too much, to cover the
loss caused by the shrinkage in value
Of that kept over until next season.
Can anything be palmer? VIII Mr.. Lind
or his press bureau explain who stands
this loss, unless it Is the farmers who
were obliged to pay such an exorbit-
tant price for their twine this season!
That cents a pound must come from
somebody: it doesn't come from the
state, so Mr.. Lind says. so who stands
1t? And what about that four hundred
odd thousand dollars in outstanding ac-
counts?
The whole affair is one Of the most
outrageous, high handed proceedings
ever attempted In any state. II the
institution was q private enterprise and
attempted to do business in that way
would the people stand for it? Then
how much more literally should 1t be
conducted when II is supposed to be
run for the benefit Of the farmers.
whom it has so shamefu'y betrayed!
Two years ago John Lind promised
the farmers that If he was elected gov
ernor he would give them cheaper
twine" So he has-in quality. The
|. farmers will remember the twine"
this year.