The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-21
TWlNE ISSUE
A BOOMERANG
Democrats Made a Grave
Mistake in their State
Platform.
This Year the Prison Plant
Saves Minnesota Farm
ers $385,ooo.


It has a star place in their state plat
form, but investigation since the conyen-
tion met has caused the prison twine is
sue to be labeled mot available" Demo- |
cratic orators will let it severely alone.
The democratic platform declares the
prison twine plant this year is managed
in the interests of the cordage trust
The farmers know better. They know
that they are getting prison twine on the
most liberal terms, at cents less than
the same grade of twine 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 twine when dealers were Offering
it for 8, They had depended on the GUS
tomsry guarantee, by which the prison
authorities agree to meet any drop in the
market When the bottom fell out Of the
twina trade, and the retail price fell from
IL to s cents. they thought to get the
prison twine at the latter figure. But
no; they were held to their 10-cent con-
tracts, and even those who had lost crops
through drought or hail had to take the
full amount Of their contracts. Never be-
fore or since have the contracts been iron
clad. The price has been guaranteed, with
the privilege of canceling any time before
shipment.
The farmers know this, and they know
in whose hands the twine plant has
worked to their interest. They do not
blame Warden Wolfer, the board of con-
troll, or Governor Van SAINT for the ad-
vance In raw material which has raised
the price of all twine over last year, from
to 31a cents.
Here are the figures, obtained by
journal man from the prison records:
Prison Price VS.. Market Price.
In 1901 raw sisal sold at New York for
61a cents, and manila for cents. War
den Wolfer sold thc finished twine to the
farmers Of Minnesota at 614 cents for
sisal and standard, 81ac for mixed and :9Ac
for manila. At the same time, retail
dealers were paying cents for stsal and
standard twine in Minneapolis, and add
ing the freight, and their profit to the
farmers price. They paid 9A cents for
mixed twine and II cents for the manila.
There was no complaint last year about
prison twine prices. They were low enough
to suit the most captious. Farmers who
had paid 10 cents the year before when
the market price was cents were particu-
larly we'll pleased.
Wolfer Buys in Yucatan.
Last fall the price of raw material took
Scent jump. The price in the New
York market was so steep that Warden
Wolfer went on his own account to Yucca
tan, where the sisal is grown, and pur-
1or IroI,1u thara al
ures. Before he left, he arranged with a
firm of exporters to act IS his agents
there. He has been IL constant con1muni-
cation with them, and has bought nearly
all his ssal supply IL Yucatan at as low
figure as any manufacturer in the
United States.
VOTERS trip to Yucatan was to the
benefit OF the farmers of Minnesota. While
the wholesale price Of sisal twine this
year is 13A cents in Minneapolis, farm
ers are buying the prison twine of equal
grade for 9a cents. That does not look
like playing into the hands of the cord
age trust
The average price OF raw sisal this year
has been S1a cents, and manila 10A
cents. The wholesale price Of twine is
1871 cents for sisal and standard, 141a
cents for mixed and 1514 cents for ma
nila. On top Of this comes the dealers
profit. They are retailing sisal at IA to
Is cents a pound ...'.
Prison twine to over 1900, 900 pounds
has been sold this year to the farmers
direct, and another 1,500,O to local
dealers, at 9A cents for sisal and stand
ard, 11% cents for mixed and 127ac for
manila.
Local dealers retail the prison twine
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 a
pound on club orders, bought direct from
the prison, and cents on prison twine
bought from the dealers.
This means an aggregate saving OF
$3.50, 900 on club orders and $45,0OO or
twine handled by dealers. This saving
goes into the pockets of the farmers. but
1t is not the only advantage. The prison
furnishes nearly a. third Of the tW1ne
used in Minnesota, and this competition Ii
we'll known to keep down the trust al
least a cent pound Thus the prison
plant Indirectly relieves every farmer II
the state, to a degree.
One cent on $4,000, 900 pounds of twine
means another saving of s180,000 which
the g, urdage trust" fails to extract from
the pockets of Minnesota farmers.
What the state Makes.
At these low prices the prison twint
plant will make between $4,000 and $780,
900 net profit to the state when the year
business is closed out, Aug. l. On tha
date every pound of new material on han'
will be made up and sold, and the plan
shut down for repairs until next year
business begins. This profit is afte
charging u pthe prison labor at 55 cents
day, which fully covers the per capita cos
of keeping the prisoners. This Is no
o large profit compared with the volum
OF business, but 1t Is enough to 1nsur
against possible loss and to pay for en-
largements, which are every year neces
sary. The state does not seek to max
a large profit off the plant, which Is ru
primarily for the benefit Of the farmers
The Reeve Regime of 1900.
The twine plant has made a prof
ranging from $4,000 to $4,000 ever sine
1894, when the hand fiber machinery wa
inst except in the, one year of tn
Reeve administration, the year 1900.
According to the democratic figures, tn
plant closed that year with a margin Q
900 profit. This was after forcing tn
farmers to pay prices 2 cents higher tina
the trust, while in every other year tn
prison twine sold on a margin from
Continued ON Second Page.