The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-28
KANSAS NEWS.
The Lansing Prison Irvine
Plant Hurts Trusts.
Forces Prices Down About Three
Cents Per Pound.
SUITS THE FARMERS.
Shipping Out Over 100000
Pounds Each Week.
SUITS THE FARMERS.
Warden TOmlinson Explains
the Successful Work.

Leavenworth, May 2s.-The prison
binding twine plant is accomplishing
the object for which it was established.
1t is bringing the binding Irvine trust to
time in Kansas. The trust is being
forced to cut it's prices, and Warden
Tomlinson, of the penitentiary, says
that a result the farmers of Kansas
will save at least 100000 this year on
their Irvine purchases.
Two months ago the trust was ask
ing 10 cents for old Irvine and from 10 to
16 cents for new Irvine for delivery this
crop season. said the warden today.
about that time we figured on cost of
production and decided that the prison
plant could sell Irvine at 1052 cents a
pound at the prison. This would make
about II cents laid down at the farm
ers' door. Then the trust agents began
to knock on our Irvine. They declared
lnat IT was no good: that 1t was TOO
large for binders and that our Irvine
did not run as many feet to the pound
as theirs. They attempted to make the
farmers believe that they would have
all kinds of trouble harvest time if they
bought of US. They pointed out that the
tWlne would not work and that the
farmers would be tied up right in har-
very time, and would lose their crops.
| They were regular geniuses in thinking
twine. Bue we are bringing the trust
to time just the same. Our Irvine is
Just as good, if not better than theirs.
one OF the best experts the trust had
IN It's employ supesintendS the prison
plant, and with the very best modern
machinery and the best of raw mater
lal why should we not make good
Irvine?
After finding out that their knock
ing was not having the desired effect"
continued the warden, the agents no
| titled the trust, and it is now cutting
| prices. That is exactly what we want:
| that IS what the prison plant was es-
tablished for. In my county the trust
| started out to sell Irvine at Is cents
| this spring. 1t has now got down to r.
| The prison plant is directly respon-
/ slble for the cents reduction. In some
| parts of the state the trust has made
| price of II cents. This is true in
! southern Kansas, so I am informed. At
! NewkirlI, one of the first stations in
| Oklahoma south Of the Kansas line,
where our prison plant has no bearing
| on the situation, the trust is asking
| from Il to 1872 cents, u to cents more
| than it asks in Kansas. The only ex-
cuse for this difference is that in Kan
sas it has cOmpetition''
asked.
We are now shipping out on an av-
erage 100000 pounds a week. he re-
Piled beginning this week, we ex-
! pGCI " QOQDie ludI Inc mar
| vest season is near at hand and orders
| are coming in thick and fast. In the
past five weeks we have shipped 500, 900
| pounds. We have that much on hand
! and are making at the rate of S., OOl
| pounds a week We have received
| enough orders from other states to con-
| sumo our surplus and output up Until
| harvest time. but we are not filling
| these orders. We are selling only to
| Kansas farmers and to them direct
The Dal1otas are pressing us to give
| them some Irvine. Their harvest is
| from two to three weeks later than ours
and if we should have any Irvine left
we can dispose of it up there without
any trouble whatever.
LAS to the probable saving Kansas
farmers will reap this year as the re-
suit of the opening of the prison plant:
Kansas will consume at least 10, 900 OOC
pounds of Irvine in its oat and wheat
harvest. Trust prices have fallen on an
average of 2 cents a pound since we put
our Irvine on the market. This knocks
it out of 100000 in profits. Its loss is
the Kansas farmers gain.
But we have made some enemies, >
he concluded, sin doing this The
agents of the trust and many nipple
ment dealers who sell Irvine are com
plaining-in fact, they are bowling
But for every trust agent and nipple
ment dealer we make sore we make
| fifty farmers happy"