The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1900-10-04
success Of which depended upon Tagal

success Of which depended upon Tagal
victory.
Taking Col. Reeves figures for the
cost of this sisal and the market
REPORTS for Its value we cam ap.
proximately FIX the l5ss of the state
in the speculation. The sisal was
bought when 1T wns Mt the highest
point. and 1t soon began to deprc-
cinte II, value. running down stead
lily until 1T struck below SIS cents
pound, or a net loss of cents from
highest to lowest points SupposinE
the decline to have been Eraduai
and to have gone down to cents
from the time Of the purchase until
now, and the factory having used
substantially 6,UO0,0OO pounds dur
ing the period, 1t Is certainly con
seryafive estimate to place the Az
eraGe depreciation In value at LIZ
cents pound. On 100000 pounds
that would foot mp a net loss OF
$4,000, which, added to the loss on
the stock now on hand, would make
total loss of Si25.O0O.
But even this Is not all, or the worst.
The cordage trust, which had never
been able to sell within 2 cents pound
Of the prison Irvine, has gained new
strength and Is underselling the prison
Irvine from to 3 cents a pound. Inc
prison Irvine has deprecated IN quai1ty
willie advancing in price. and the
farmer who bought trust Irvine not
only got it 10 per cent cheaper, but 10
per cent better
OF COURSE THE BOOKS OF THE
PRISON TWINE PLANT DO NOT
SHOW THE LOSS. FOR THE FARM RIM
ERs HAD TO PAY ENOUGH MORE
FOR THE TWINE TO. Make THE
PRISON BOOKS BALANCE. THE HE
LOSS ALL COMES OUT OF THE
FARMERS POCKET NOT OUT OF
THE PRISON OR THE ADMlI ADMIT
TRATION. *
II When in 1906, and again in 1898.
Gov. Lind promised that he would
s.reform" the grain inspection Du-y
reau and the prison Irvine plant, II
Is 10 be assumed that this is what
he meant. for that Is what he has
done In one year. put in tabulated
form for convenience of understand
ing: II
Increase in expense of grain
inspection bureau .....3..... $3o,Ooo
Loss to state In prison Irvine
plant ElIL-- sD'V'"O
Total loss 1856, 900
This. too, iii a year when there was
a short crop, less grain to be inspected,
and, necessarily, less Irvine TO bespaid
for. It Is not only the loss Of money
that the farmer sustains, but the value
Of the grade in fixing the price Of grain
is destroyed and the farmers have lost
confidence in the state binding Irvine
plant and will buy trust Irvine rather
than submit to the extortion conse-
uuent upon the almost criminal mis-
manag cement Of the prison Irvine plant.
1t is not necessary here or now to go
further into the details given by Mr..
Dunn If every other department In
the state had been well managed the
odium attaching to these two would
condemn the whole. But they have
not. There is not a department In the
state that has been conducted as eco
nomically or as well as it was under
Republican auspices. while almost with
out exception they have cost more.
The state institutions, like the depart
ments have been conducted at an in
creased expense with no corresponding
improvement in the service.
such is reform as the people get 1t
at Democratic hands-a reform that
gives q worse service and charges more
for it. No one wonders at the intervals
of forty years between Democratic ad-s
ministrations.
one Of the most significant facts
pointed out by Auditor Dunn in his
speech was that the per capita cost OF
maintenance Of the inmates of the state
prison, insane asylums and other public
institutions steadily decreased from
wear to year as the institutions grew,
until along about the close Of the year
1898, when the work Of the reform"
administration began to get in it's dead
Nv work, and then it came to stand
still or began to increase again. There
is positively no excuse for anything OF
this kind. The state has provided mag
nificent buildings for the care of It's de-
pendents, with every convenience Tor
the comfort Of the inmates and the
most scientific arrangements for eco
nomieally caring for them. Ever one
will understand that, with the build
ings and fixtures all provided, the cost
Of keeping should be reduced per indi-
yidual as the number cared for In
creases. 1t is the wholesale idea In
business-the same principle upon
which one can buy a car load of flour
at a less cost per pound than one can
buy single sack. Under ordinary cir
cumstances, therefore, and with reason-
ably good management, the cost OF car
ing for the state wards should be less
per capita each year than they were
the preceding year. Instead of this, as
Mr.. Dunn says, lin the years 1899 and
1900 there is a slight increase shown
The same bad management is shown
in every department of the state gov
eminent. Every department went be-
fore the legislature demanding In
creased appropriations, and, when It
was refused made lack of funds the
excuse for failure. A striking instance
of this is found in the game and fish
commission. which found $4,000 a year
ample for its support under Republican
administration; but when the Demo-
Gratis got in it was insufficient, and as
Gov. Lind himself declared, tthe law is
not enforced because the department