The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-23
AN UNCLAIMED BOUNTY.

IN connection with the discussion of the
possibilities of growing fax for the fiber
| in Minnesota, which was referred to in
| these columns on Saturday morning, at
| tention may be drawn to the fact that in
1897 the state legislature passed a law
offering~<1 bounty on the manufacture in
this sta~@ of long line retted spinning
| fiber and spinning tow from flax or hemp
grown in Minnesota"
The bounty offered is 50 cents per pound
for such spinning fbers and lows, and
the total appropriation for this purpose,
as made by the legislature, is limited to
$4,000 each year for the five years be-
ginning with 1897. 1t is noteworthy that
no person has made any claim on the
state for bounty under this act which,
after limiting the payment of bounty to
Minnesota manufacturers and to Mime
sofa grown material, and appropriating
the sum of $4,000 for each of the five
years, makes the following provisions and
regulations:
Chapter 342, General Laws Of Minnesota
for 1897:
Sec. 8. Said fbers and lows when man
uiactured shall be inspected from sam
pies furnished. or by inspection Of said
| llperS and lows In bulk, by a commission,
Which shall consist of one practical flax
! or hemp man, a citizen of this state and
! OF one of the regents Of the University
or Minnesota, who are to be named an
| nuaily by the governor of the state, and
| of the dean Of the Minnesota agricultural
college, ex-ofhcio; and in event said COM
| mission, or a majority Of the members
| thereof shall be of the opinion that said
! tbers or lows are of a marketable quail
| 1ty Tor spinning purposes, they shall give
! said producer or manufacturer a certlf-
! cate to that effect, the said certificate
| shall specify the place where and date
! when SAID 1bers or lows were manufact-
| Ured, the amount of bounty due there
| for and the number of pounds of
| fiber or tow of the quality afore-
said made or produced by said per-
| son, hr,m or company. And the state au-
| eltor OF this state, upon presentation and
| surrender Of such certificate, shall issue
| to the person, firm or company named
! therein, or to his or its order, a warrant
| on the treasury of this stae for the
amount named IN said certificate and
| said warrant shall be paid out OF any
| moneys in the state treasury not other
! wise appropriated, and said warrant
| shall be received in payment Of state and
| county taxes.
Sec 4. Said commission shall not issue
any certificates herein provided for until
the standard herein named and made cx-
| clus1vely from fax or hemp grown and
| manufactured in this state; and said
| commission is empowered to make such
rules and regulations for said inspection,
| and call for such evidence, and samples
| to aid them in making said inspection,
ana Tor carrying out the provisions Of
this act, as 1t may deem necessary.
AS before stated. no claim has been
made for the bounty SO offered, and it
has not heretofore been necessary for the
governor to appoint commission. The
annual appropriation has been Cancelled
at the end of each year since 1897 and re-
turned to the general revenue fund of the
state.
There must be reasons for the failure of
| manufacturers to secure this bounty. The
principal reason, no doubt, is the expen-
sive character of the plant required for
| the manufacture of fiber and tow. and
i another reason is that the supply Of flax
or hemp suited for the manufacture of
| long line fibers Is inadequate or missing,
| for the reason stated by the G l 0 b yes
terday namely. that fax in Minnesota is
grown for seed and not for the fiber, and
that the straw of fax grown for seed
is unsuitable for the manufacture of fiber
therefrom.
AS to the wisdom Of offering bounties,
| whether on fax fiber or anything else. 1t
! is shown in this case that unless the
bounty is large enough to defray the ex-
pense Of manufacturing, or the industry
would be a commercial success without
bounty, state aid to industries is of lit
tie real value