The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-03
Do THESE FIGURES uE2.
MESsRs. NELSON AND DUNN CANNOT
AGREE ON THYME
AMOUNTS
THERE is $4,000 BETWEEN
Political Capital Is Sought to Be
Gained by the Republicans, and
Prison Manager Nelson Cor
reefs the Figures.

B. r. Nelson, of the state prison board.
and Auditor Dunn are engaged in a war
of words on the binding Irvine business.
Mr.. Nelson writes:
ct understand that State Auditor Dunn
recently made the statement in public
speech that the conduct of the atfatrs or
the prison had been ''unbusinesslike,
because at the end Of the fiscal year
there was a surplus of raw material on
hand worth somewhat less than the then
value of the same material in the new
York market. No person In the state,
outside Of the prison office, has the OPP
portunity for absolute information on any
question of prison expedfture that Mr..
Dunn has. Every dollar paid out at this
institution passes through his hand, and
the voucher for every dollar of expendt-
ture remains in his possession.
The figures given in his speech regard
ing the comparative expenditures for the
years ending July 81 1899, and July 81
1SOO, are not only misleading, as he in
tended them to be, but absolutely untrue
He says that the expenditures of the
tWine plant for the year ending July 81
1900, were $658, 900, while, as a matter Of
fact, they were $627, 900; that the expendi-
lures for the year ending July 81, 1885,
were $4,000, when, as a matter of fact,
they were $560000. He ignores the fact
cost for the year 1900 $559, 900, as against
$4,000 for the year 1885,
The actual excess, then, of the expendi-
lures on account of manufacturing for
the year 1900 over the year 1899, was the
difference between 5000 and $4,000. or
$22 coo, In which the cost of manufactur-
Ing about 100000 pounds of Irvine was in
cluded. together with $195o0 expended for
Oil, tools and repairs and sacks. In ex-
III
| in the year 1885,
THE last legislature provided for 30
per cent increase in the capacity of the
tWine plant, but SO great were the diff
culties In obtaining machinery that not
until Feb. q, 1900, although machinists
ana prisoners worked nights and Sun
oays,was the new plant, with a monthly
capacity OF million pounds, in operation.
Up to this time, owing to necessary
changes in the old plant the production
nad been greatly curtailed so that the
LIST OF March found the management with
1,2OO,OOO pounds only of Irvine on hand
as against over 100000 pounds at the
same date the previous year. The an
nual consumption Of Irvine in the state
OF Minnesota is about 1000 900 pounds.
and 1t was the plan Of the board. by
running. the completed plant to its full
capacity and overtime during the longer
Gays, to be able to supply about one
half of this requirement.
About the LIST Of June the cron situa-
rfon became so serious that production
was curtailed until the amount produced
Tor June and July was 100000 pounds
Less than the estimate, for all of which
there would have been ready sale under
normal conditions, as the original orders
1or July shipments alone, before any can
ceilations were received, amounted to
10000 pounds. while the orders for June
shipment were more than double that
amount In case no further purchases
OF raw material were made meanwhile.
the LIST of August would have found the
| management with less than two days'
| stock Of material on hand.
The report Of the years business
made to the proper officials at the proper
ume' VIII show small profit instead of
@ Joss, OF 10000. as alleged This profit
amounts to about ene-ffth of a cent per
pound, or one cent on each f1ve-pound
ball, 1ust1fying the promise made bv the
board last winter, when fixing the nrice
that 1t would be as near cost as possible
without suffering loss. q
This Is probably the only twfne manu-
featuring plant in the United States that
did not suffer large loss on the current
years business. The statement aIlu6e6
TO VIII show a. net profit of about S13. COO -
10 this Auditor Dunn retorts:
MT. Nelson admitted to me in nv Of
nee that the board was running behind
"A year ago. Aug. 1, the books of this
once showed a credit to the prison ra
volving fund OF sos, 1884 A vear 1a+er
every dollar OF this had been paid ont
and the account was overdrawn. Tn foct
the bills presented exceeded the emonnt
TO the credit Of thn k.a.,-.l -