The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-19
Report Of Board of Prison Managers Shows
the Exact Results of It's Opera
ton Last Year
Balance Sheet Of the Irvine Plant Shows a Profit
for the Year of $4,000, Figuring the
Raw Material on Hand at Lower
Than Market Prices

GOV. LIND Yesterday received the an
nual reports of the managers, warden and
other officials of the state prison at Still
water, showing in detail all of the oper-
atoms of that institution for the year
ending. Aug. 1 last. The managers re-
port is as follows:
We have the honor to submit to your
eXcellency. and through you to the leg
islature, this the eleventh biennial report
for the period beginning Aug. l, 1900 The
reports of the warden and the heads of
the various departments contain all the
data necessary to full understanding
of the prison at the present time, as well
as during the period covered by this re.
port.
PRISON INDUSTRIES
trial character of the institution during
There has been no change in. the indus
the past two years, work having been fur
nished for all able bodied inmates in the
Irvine and shoe factories, and the several
departments of the institution. The piece
price system which was introduced under
the agreement OF Sept 80, 1888, between
the board of managers and ]. B. Tarbox,
has since that date furnished employment
Tor the large mapOrity of prisoners not
required in the Irvine factory. BY the
has not been profitable to operate tho
Irvine factory TO its full capacity Without
submitting the details of the agreement
referred to, a complete copy of which
will be found in the ninth Biennial re-
port it is sufficient 10 say that the state
terms of this agreement we have been
enabled to place at renumeratiYe employ
ment for longer or shorter term, as
suited our convenience, any number or
men We desired; a provision which has
been especially advantageous, in view of
the fact that at certain seasons Of the
year, and owing to certain conditions, it
now derives an annual revenue of fifty
i've cents (55c) per day per man, from
all the convicts employed in the shoe fac
tory. Without entering into any defense
OF the piece price plan as means of en-
ployment for prison labor, we will merely
cite one of the highest authorities in
America on this subject. the Hon. e. G.
Coffin, of the Ohio state prison, who says:
AFTER years of experience painstaking
study and inTestiga ton, l am firmly con-
WINGED that under our present economic
and social conditions, the piece price plan
is best adapted for the discipline and i'm
proVefnent, morally and physically, of the
prisoner, as more nearly filling the re-
quirementS of society III its present atti-
tude toward the prisoner In penal institu-
tions.
TWINE FACTORY.
The legislature of 1889 having provided
for an increase in the twin plant it was
round necessary to rearrange the two sys-
TENS already in opera ton, which required
mQch time and expense Owing to tbs
relative location of the different buildings
appropriated for the Use of the twina
factoi Y, it has been impossible to arrange
the machinery to the best advantage for
the Application of power, but ii is believed
that the present. arrangement is the best
that could be devised under the present
circumstances. The increase referred to
rendered necessary the purchase Of addi-
tionai power, as the old engine which had
been i'll use for twenty years, and was not
new when it came into the possession or
the state, was not able to do the work re-
CURED Of 1t without building new
foundation; a work which would have
rendered necessary the entire shutting
down Of both factories for many weeks
unless a supplemental engine could b.
purchased This additional power render
eq 1t possible to keep the plant in opera
ton while the old engine was being thor
ou9hly- overhauled and a new foundation
fer the same built The state boiler. in
sDector being unwilling to certify that
tfle old boilers would stand the steam
pressure necessary to develop the addf-
tonal power required, the board WAS
competed. to buy four new boilers. which
We're made in Minneapolis With the
exception Of the construction of the boil
eFS. so great was the demand from every
source for machinery and supplies. that if
was not until December, 1889, that the
task of making all these radical changes
was '1alrty naugurated. The work how
ever, went on without serious Interrupt
ton except as occasioned by contractors.
VINO tailed to supply material as agreed,
and on the. 9th of February 1900. the In
creased Irvine plant was put into opera
ton The output Of the Irvine factory
Tor the year ending July g. 1899 was
b50l3 pounds, although the possible out
put. would have been about 1900, GEO
pouqdS. With the increased capacity the
possible output will be about 10,500 Con
pounds, but as the same conditions exist
now, and probably will exist in the
from being operated to its utmost caDac-
ity in the past, it will not be prudent to
anticipate an output for the current year
OF over .S0OQGOO pounds. In accordance
with the act approved April Is. 1899 the
price Of Irvine for the past year was fixed
by the board of managers. Feb. S, 1900,
al !Hc FOR SlSal. and lGl%c for mixed tWine
which prices were from 11ac to PIC lower
than were current among dealers at tina I
time. During the past season. so far as
we are able to ascertain has been sold tn
any dealer, the entire output of the fac
tory having gone either to individual
farmers Or to farmers clubs; the price
having been the same to all. This has
TO a large extent obYiated the dissat it's
faction which resulted from the former
policy Of dtsrosing of the larger portion
mating in price between small orders and
carload lots. Notwithstanding a curtaiI-
Inent of the product of the factory. which
TINS year has been 6, goo pounds; owing
10 the partial failure Of the crop and the
frantic efforts of the twine trust to un-
load their large stock at prices far be
low cost rather than carry it over another
year; the Irvine plant shows, as will be
seen by an examination of the statement
q small profit on the years business II
Is gratifying to be able to state that the
The earnings for the past two years have
been $212.29l.63; the total expenses. $2O7..
271.S6, net gain $5.020.27. We point witt
IS more favorable than that of any othcl
penal institution in the United States.
IMPROVEMENTS
During the past season the last Of tbs
old buildings. used by the thresher com
pany have been removed. the grounds
graded and sodded, a new greenhouse
constructed. streets laid out and macad
amized. and the grounds rendered as at
tractiva as possible, with plants and flow.
ers. The buildings have been kept If
perfect repair. and we desire to cali at
tcntion TO the present physical condition;
OF the institution. disadvatageously 10
Gated as 1t is, and i'll many respects IN
pToVidcd with modern facilities The Ole
boiler room has been torn down and :
new and conmOdious addition built
which gives ample storage facilities fol
fuel. and olviates the necessity of The
f:emen working out of doors in stormy
eather.. Wlliic the present cell house
IS. in point OF construction and mo6crr
CONVENIENCE, greatly belanc similar build
tngs in Othor states by far the most OBJ
Solcte of all buildings is the one used fol-
the laundry, bath house. store room ant
taller shop. This is faulty in constrnc.
lion restrictedein size. and entirely unfit
ted fer the purpose which it is now serv.
nlg. The necessary lsc OF gasoline il
the tailor ShOp inC"eS tho danger n