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 s
Balance Sheet Of the Twine 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-
ations of that Institution for the year
ending Aug. last The managers re.
port is as follows:
We have the honor to submit to your
eXcellency, and through you to the leg
fslature, this the eleventh biennial report
for the period beginning Aug. 1, 1900 The
reports of the warden and the heads of
the various departments contain all the
data necessary to a 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
twine and shoe factories, and the several
departments of the institution. The piece
price system which was introduced under
the agreement OF Sept 80, 1885, between
the board of managers and j. 3. TarboX
has since that date furnished employment
-Ior the large mapority of prisoners not
required in the twine. factory. By the
has not been profitable to operate tho
tWIne factory TO its full capacity. Without
submitting the details of the agreement
referred to, a complete copy of which
port it is sufficient TO say that the state
terms of this agreement we have been
enabled to place at renumerative employ
ment for longer or shorter term, a :
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 eonVlcts employed in the shoe fac
NJ aI1tn 10 Il
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 investigation, l am firmly con-
vlnced that under our present economic
and social conditions, the piece price plan
is best adapted for the discipline and i'm
proVeInent, morally and physically of the
prisoner, as more nearly filling the re-
qulrements of society in its present atti-
tude toward the prisoner IN penal institu-
tions. '
TWINE FACTORY.
The legisla ture of 1883 having provided
found necessary to rearrange the two sys-
TENS already in operation, which required
mueh time and expense. Owing to tbs
relative location of the different buildings
factory, it has been impossible to arrange
the machinery to the best advantage for
the arpHcatlon of power but it 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-
Uonal 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-
niTe 2f IT. wIthGpt hG bin bHilding s,
rendered necessary the entire shutting
Gown OF both factories for many weeks,
unless a supplemental engine could b:
purchased. This additional power render
ed 1T possible to keep the plant in opera
ton while the old engine was being thor
on9hiy- oVerhauled and new foundation
Ter the same built. The state boiler. in
spector being unwilling to certify that
the old boilers would stand the steam
pressure necessary to develop the addi-
doRal power required the board was
compelled to buy four new boilers. which
We're made in Minneapolis With the
exception Of the construction of the bofI-
eTs. SO great was the demand from every
source Tor machinery and supplies that it
was not until December, 1889, that the
task of making all these radical changes
was fairly inaugurated. The work, how
ton, except as occasioned by contractors.
who failed to supply material as agreed.
and on the. 9th of February. 1900 the IN
creased twine plant was put into opera
ton. The output of the twine factory
for the year ending july 81, 1899 was
6,5t@l35 pounds, although the possible out
pounds With the increased capacity the
possible output will be about 10. 500 COO
pounds, but as the same conditions ex: st
now, and probably will exist in the
tnture. which have prevented the factory
from being operated to its utmost capac-
~. IN the past 1t will not be prudent to
annclpate an an output for the current year
OF over S,0OQ0O0 pounds. IN accordance
with the. act approved April 13. 1899 the
price OF tWil1e for the past year was fixed
pY the board, of managers. Feb s, 1900,
a. Ia c1,, r..
Nhlch prices were from 11bc to PIC lower
IMAM were current among dealers at that
Time During the past season, so far as
we are able to ascertain. has been sold to
any dealer, the entire output of the fac
tory having gone either to individlIal
tanners Or to farmers clubs; the price
haVing been the same to all. This has.
Io a large extent obyiated the dissatis-
factfon which resulted from the former
p9iicy OF dtsposing of the larger portion
of the output to dealers. and discrin1,
mating in price between small orders and
, carload lots. Notwithstanding a cIrtaiI-
!nent of the product of the factory. which
thls year has been 6,100.000 pounds; owing
TO the partial failure of the crop and the
irantc 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 twfne plant shows, as will be
seen by an examination of the statement.
a small profit on the years business. Ii
Is gratifying to be able to state that the
prison is now more than self-supp0rting.
The earnings for the past two wears have
been $212. 60; the total expenses s2O7.
27l. SO, net gain S5.020.27. We point with
pride TO this statement, believing that il
IS more favorable than that of any other
penal institution in the United States.
IMPROVEMENTS.
During. the past season the last of the
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-
alnized. and the grounds rendered as at
tractive as possible. with plants and flow
ers. The buildings have been kept in
perfect repair, and we desire to cali at
fcntlon 70 the present physical condition,
OF the institution. disadvatageously To-
Gated as it is, and i'll many respects un
pToVdCd with modern facilities The old
1ioiier room has been torn down and 4
new and commOdious addition built
which gives ample storage facilities for
f}lel. and obviates the necessity of the
ftemen working out Of doors in stormy
weather. Wliiic the present cell house
IS. IN point Of construction and mo6ern
cnaFenience. greatly beiGnc similar build
tn@s in other states, by far the most OBJ
solcte nf a1l buildings is the one used for
the laundry, bath house. store room and
taller shop. This is faulty in constrlic-
lion restrictedsin size. and entirely unfit
tcd fer the purpose which 1t is now serV-
Ng.s The necessary usc OF gasoline in
EAI