The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-08-01
TWINE ISSUE A BOOMERANG
Democrats Made Grave Mistake in their State Plat
form---This Year the Prison Plant Saves
Minnesota Farmers 1885, 900.
Democrats have found the binding

tWlne issue boomerang.
1t has a star place IN their state
platform, but investigation since the
convention met has caused the prison
Irvine issue to be labeled mot avail
able" Democratic orators will let it
severely alone.
The democratic platform declares
the prison Irvine plant this year is
managed in the interests of the cord
age trust.
The farmers know better. They
know that they are getting prison
Irvine on the most liberal terms, at
cent less than the same grade of
Irvine made and sold by the trust"
More than that. They know that
in 1900, the only year the plant was
under full democratic control, they
paid 10 cents for prison Irvine when
dealers were offering it for 8. They
had depended on the customary guar
antee, by which the prison authori-
ties agree to meet any drop in the
market. When the bottom fell out of
the Irvine trade, and the retail price
fell from IL to s cents, they thought
to get the prison Irvine at the latter
figure. But no; they were held to
their 10-cent contracts, and even
drought or hail had to take the full
amount of their contracts. Never be-
fore or since have the contracts been
ironclad. The price has been guar
anteed, with the privilege of cancel
ling at any time before shipment.
Tie farmers know this, and they
know in whose hands the Irvine plant
has worked to their interest. They
do not blame Warden Wolfer, the
board of control, or Governor Van
SAINT for the advance in raw material
which has raised the price of all
Irvine over last year, from 3 to 80
cents.
Here are the figures obtained by a
Journal man from the prison records:
Prison Price VS.. Market Price.
In 1901 raw sisal sold at New York
for 51A cents, and manila for cents.
Warden Wolfer sold the finished
Irvine to the farmers of Minnesota at
6H cents for sisal and standard, SIC
for mixed and 914c for manila. At
the same time, retail dealers were
paying s cents for sisal and standard
Irvine in Minneapolis, and adding the
mer's price. They paid 9I cents for
Mia.
There was nc complaint last year
about prison Irvine prices. They were
low enough to suit the most captious.
Farmers who had paid 10 cents the
was s cents were particularly well
pleased.
Wolfer Buys in Yucutan.
Last fall the price of raw material
took a Scent jump. The price in the
New York market was so steep that
Warden Wolfer went on his own ac-
count to Yucatan, where the sisal is
grown and purchased large supply
there at inside figures. Before he left,
he arranged with firm of exporters
to act as his agents there. He has
been in constant communication with
them, and has bought nearly all his
sisal supply in Yucatan at as low a
figure as any manufacturer in the
United States.
Wolfer's trip to Yucatan was to the
benefit of the farmers of Minnesota.
While the wholesale price of sisal
Irvine this year is 1871 cents in Mime
Irvine of equal grade for 934 cents.
L
the hands of the 'cordage trust"
The average price of raw sisal this
year has been 81 cents, and manila
1851 cents. The wholesale price of
Irvine is 1874 cents for sisal and
standard, 14H cents for mixed and
1917 cents for manila. On top of this
retailing sisal at IA to Is cents
pound.
Prison Irvine to over 100000
pounds has been sold this year to the
farmers direct, and another 100000
to local dealers, at 934 cents for sisal
and standard, 11M cents for mixed
and 12Hc for manila.
Local dealers retail the prison
Irvine under the law of 1899, which
only permits them to add the freight
and one cent profit to the prison
price.
What the Farmer Saves.
So the farmers have saved cents
& pound on club orders, bought direct
from the prison, and 3 cents on pris-
on twlne bought from the dealers.
This means an aggregate saving of
100000 on club orders and $4,000 on
Irvine handled by dealers. This saw
Ing goes INTO the pOchcIS VI Tic lar
mers, but it is not the only advant-
age The prison furnishes nearly a
third of the Irvine used in Minnesota,
and this competition is well known
to keep down the trust at least cent
a pound. Thus the prison plant indi-
rectly relieves every farmer in the
state, to degree.
One cent on 100000 pounds of
Irvine means another saving of $780,
900. which the ''cordage trust fails to
extract from the pockets of Minneso-
ia farmers.
What the State Makes.
AT these low prices the prison Irvine
plant will make between $4,000 and
$4,000 net profit to the state when
the years business is closed out, Aug.
1. On that date every pound of new
material on hand will be made up and
sold, and the plant shut down for re-
pairs until next years business be-
gins. This profit is after charging up
the prison labor at SIS cents a day,
which fully covers the per capita cost
of keeping the prisoners. This is not