New-York tribune., 1902-07-14
BINDER THyLNE IN KANSAS.
WHAT THE STATE PRISON PLANT HAS
SAVED TO FARMERS OF THAT STATE.

Wichita Kan July IS (SpeciaD.-Covernor Stan
ley is planning TO close up the State penitentary
coal mine He believes that working in a coal mine
is hard the convicts for the amount of profit
the derives therefrom. Instead of placing the
three to four hundred convicts seven hundred Feet
below the ground he will give them employment in
the State prison tw'ne plant, new industry which
has made money for Kansas at rapid rate The
coal mines were merely self-sustaining. The coal
was supplied other State institutions. but soft
coal is so plentiful in all parts of Kansas that 1t
hardly paid to ship this coal 10 the State institu-
tions in various parts of Kansas. For this reason
and the fact that the work is hard on the prisoners
the coal mines OF Kansas famous in the history Of
prison industries, to be abandoned-closed up
forever II Governor Stanley has his way about the
matter Warden Jewett is Of the notion, too
The twine plant a State institution is COM
parativeIy new thing and ranks the most profit
able Of prison industries There are only three
twine plants In prisons throughout the United
States, and these engaged in a fight with
the TwIne Trust. Next year cheaper binder twine
is promised to the farmers of the West. The
scarcity and high price of binder twine has for
many years been source Of great annoyance to
the farmers in harvest time; indeed II has equalled
the cry for harvest hands.
There used in the United States every year
$50 100000 pounds of binder twine The average
cost of this twne is ten cents pound. but 1t often
runs up thirteen cents. Kansas in a good
crop season about eight million pounds Of binder
twine in the harvest fields The Kansas prison
now supplies million pounds of this twine, and
will be able next year to supply about three times
that amount. Warden Jewett will ask the State
legislature this fall treble the capacity Of his
plant, and IL the coal mines are abolished and the
large number of additional men placed in the
twne plant It will not be long until the State prison
twine needed in Kansas. In Minnesota and North
Dakota are prison tWine plants; and they are sup
two wheat growing communities
In the last season Warden Jewett had ninety
men at work in the Kansas penitentary twine
plant the daily output being being about twelve thousand
In the coal mines with machinery to furnish them
employment would turn out about thirty-six thou
oaPut would 81 almost make fifty Poands
daily the The Se p b at sa rns 0ry P0T
the dictates of the warden and Governor the Kan
es enemy of tRe rwine trust but W
great SAYING to c6 5ae Se or the STATE
disinterested parties. Kansas farmers were saved
is from an economical STANDPOINT an allnring In
dustry the agricuturiss and by them 1t is being
The kansas twne Yin plant @ in the State prison
There are one hundred spindles The plant was
copied after the Minnesota plant, which is three
which to transact business was likewise appropri-
ated This reaehed S5oO@ The hep plant m -, has oo been
have been made when the selling season is finished
M e' ,h @ Sat Pfine would bn sId Ma ~ tb
farmers only, but this year it given TO the
dealers with the specified agreement that they
a pound of the farmers The main purpose Of the
prison officials Is not much TO make profit for
and reduce the expenses of Kansas farmers in
The. trust price of twine in Kansas this season
was 81 zoo carload; while the prison plant charged
greatest wheat growing centre of Kansas the trust
for = ahG e hs
Saving o the 9n the Of bunre5 net
d3 prison h has f made net saving to the farmers
Il is e wonSe " ID 70 a ef Kansas h
are SoinS TO increase the prison binder tNine plant