Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-10-11

AFTER the vigorous hammerlnR they
, have been receiving for the past eight
or ten days on the management of the
prison Irvine plant, the Democratic
managers have at last entered into an
explanation of the frightful conditions
prevailing at the prison, as depicted
by State Auditor Dunn in his address
at Milaca. The explanation comes in
the form of a letter from B. F. Nelson.
chairman of the board of prison man
ayers, and is in the nature of denial
Of the figures furnished by Warden
Reeve to Auditor Dunn in an official
way. 1t will be observed that the only
question Of veracity raised is that
raised by Mr.. Nelson, and the figures
which he disputes are those furnished
by the warden of the state prison in
his official capacity and rs an account
ing to the proper officer OF the state.
What Mr.. Nelson denies is not Mr..
Dunn's statement, but the accuracy OF
the figures supplied Mr.. Dunn by
, Warden Reeve. If it were a question
of veracity between Mr.. Dunn and Mr.,
Nelson, or between Mr.. Dunn and
Warden Reeve, there might be some
politics in it: but since it is a question
of veracity between two Democratic
officials, there is little to be said or
done except to let the two proceed
with their explana lions and entangle
each other. OF course, Mr.. Nelson's
explanation, or defense, is addressed to
Mr. Dunn, and that official has prompt
" replied to the insinuations contained
In Mr.. Nelson's statement of the case
and the figures submitted to him by
Warden Reeve. Mr.. Dunn was indig-
nant, not because Mr.. Nelson had de-
MED anything he said, but because
Mr.. Nelson himself had admitted to-
Mr.. Dunn that there was large short
age in the accounts at the state prison,
and he said the reason the board COM
PEELED the farmers to accept all the
Irvine for which they had contracted
was that if they allowed any contracts
to be cancelled, it would result in such
large shortage that it would prac-
tically destroy the Irvine industry at
the state prison, after which he pro-
ceeded to deny all that he he had pre-
yiously admitted. The substance of
Mr.. Nelson's explanation is this-that
tsthe actual excess, then, Of the ex~
penditure on account Of manufactur-
ing for the year 1900 over the year 1899
was the difference between 100000
and s46. OOOO 90, or $22, 100000, in which the
cost Of manufacturing about 100000
pounds of Irvine, included together
with $19,5OO expended for oil, repairs
and sacks in excess of the expenditure
for those items in the year 1892" And
.'the report Of the years business made
to the proper official, at the proper
xf.. e1,r syn L IN
OF loss Of 100000, as alleged" MI.
Nelson does not undertake to show
how. when or where he can show IA
small margin Of profit, inasmuch az
the official reports Of Warden Reeve
show that there are outstanding ac-5
counts Of the prison Irvine plant
amounting to 1876, $4,000. Just how the
Democratic officials are going to figure
out the profit on outstanding accounts,
i amounting to that sum. 1t would be
difficult to say, particularly when the
sums due are for Irvine, which the
farmers were forced to take when
they did not need It. and could not use
it, owing to the short crop. BUSINESS
men do not count their profits upon
outstanding accounts. The farmers
feel it is a great hardship to them to
have been compelled to accept Irvine
that they did not need, when it has
been the uniform custom Of the board
under Republican management to al
low cancellation any time before the
delivery Of the Irvine, when the farmer
finds that his needs are less because OF
4 short crop. This being the case.
there will be no rush on the part Of the
farmers to pay up the 1915, 900 Of out
standing accounts for Irvine sold, and
Mr.. Nelson's statement that there Will
be "a small profit, instead OF loss Of
80 900. win have to walt time