The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-16

The state board of control yesterday
gave a hearing to the Saltwater bar
DerS who have been complaining as to
the conduct of the state prison barber
shop, which, they assert, is at the pres
ent time running in competition with
their business. The delegation present.
ed the grounds for it's grievance, and
warden Wolfer answered some Of the
contentious made, n finally an agreed
statement of facts was drawn UP and
the board will take the matter under
consideration 1t will be some days vet
before Il decision is rendered, as the
beard desires to consult the attorney
general as to the legal phase of the
question.
The BARRIERS were represented by Pc
ter Christianson, H. V. Rice and A.
r. Drake. Frank Martin, of St. Paul.
represented the state BARRIERS organi-
cation, and Warden Wolfer represented
the prison.
Outsiders Break In.
The complaint of the BARRIERS is that
forty-nine prison employees have their
shaving and hair cutting done by the
prison barber, a convict, the prison
shop being supported by a small con
from these employees. They
say that in addition to the employees,
their families also get the barber work
done st the barber shop, and that in
many instances persons having no con-
nection whatever with the prison avail
themselves of its privileges. They are
willing, they say, to grant the barber
shop privileges to the warden, deputy
warden, n assistant deputy warden
and their families, but beyond this they
&c not believe the employees of the
Prison should patronize the prison
shop, but should p%atronize regularly
F06nCn6 hnphnr chnnc
Mr.. Drake went so far as to saw
that only h convicts should be ac-
~commodated at the prison shop.
Will CurtaiI Privileges.
Warden Wolfer replied that he did
not know Of outsiders being accorded
the privileges of the shop, and he did
not believe that families of the en-
ployes were given these privileges. If
he found this to be so he would put an
immediate stop to it. AS to the en-
ployes themselves, he insisted vigor-
OuSly that it was necessary that they
should have their shaving and haircut
ting done at the prison institution. He
a that among other articles Of dis
c1pIine was one requiring a very strict
regard for personal appearance. This
necessitated a frequent visit to the
barber shop. In order to maintain dis
cipline in the prison it did not do to
nave the employees running up town
any oftener than possible.
h1r. Lee, of the board of control.
wanted to know what the BARRIERS
board would insist on in regard to the
other state institutions if the board Of
control held in their favor in the Still
water case. He pointed out that many
of the institutions were a long distance
from town, and if the employees had to
go to town to be shaved it would ne
On0Citnfn M IiEfJA io00-ryos-z NJ
Drake said there would be no difficulty
in getting a regular barber to visit the
institutions as often as required.
The BARRIERS further insisted thai
the prison shop as conducted was not
only unjust to them, but that it was
clerly illegal. The board said that if it
was found to be illegal'the boards de-
cisfon would be Immediately rendered
against it, as the board would not
c~ountenance anything at a state insti-
tuition that was unlawful. The board
then took the cas- under advisement.