The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1903-01-21
NORTH DAKOTA AFFAIRS.

NORTH DAKOTA AFFAIRS.
Reports Of state Institutions Ready
for Members OF the Legislature.
Reports Of state officers and state In
! stitutions have been filed with the gov
!, ernor, and will be brought to the atten.
| ton of members Of the legislature
shortly after reconvening. Many OF
them are entirely fiscal in their ma
ture, dealing only with receipts and ex-
penditures Of the state, such as the re-
er. Some Of the reports have q par
ticular interest, such as the report OF
the state twine plant, reports of edu.
catiOnal and penal and charitable In.
stitutions, etc.
The report OF the state Irvine and
cordage plant at the penitentiary
shows that the plat was authorized by
the legislature of 1899. In April OF
that year the trustees took the perlim-
mary steps towards the erection of
buildings, and the plant was ready for
occupation about April l, 1900. The
plant was operated for several months
and then shut down for want of funds.
plant the first year showed q loss Of
about $4,000, due to slump in the
value of Irvine and the partial crop
failure Of the first year. At the COM
mencement of the year 1901 the cOndi.
tons were far from encouraging, but,
in the face Of this. the plant was start.
ed and the output for the season was
nearly million pounds, all of which
was sold, and more could have been
disposed of had 1t been available. The
net earnings for that year were little
over $4,000.
In December, 1901, Warden Bouch-
er, in company with Wardens Wolfer
of Minnesota and Jewett of Kansas,
made trip to Yutacan, and there
bought 1000 bales Of twine, at a price
considerably under the market price In
New York. Minnesota took 1000 bales
of this, and Kansas and North Dakota
500 bales each. All Irvine made since
that time has been purchased under
the arrangement made here, and at q
considerable saving to the state.
During the twine season of 1902.
10000 pounds of Irvine were turned
out, and the net earnings Of the year
were $14,166.4l, which makes good the
loss of the first year and leaves q net
profit to the state Of 81, 567.3S since the
plant was established.
With regard to the quality of the
Irvine, Warden Boucher says there has
been no serious complaint during the
year 1902. Some farmers have COM
planned that they could not get peni-
Tertiary Irvine, but the warden says
that no discrimination was practiced.
and that every order for twine, wheth-
er from farmer or dealer, was filled as
long as that institution had Irvine to
send.
The object of the establishment st
the institution, says the warden, has
been attained, that is, the furnishing
of healthful and continuous employ
ment for the convicts. The consumers
of Irvine in the state, it is also stated,
have reaped no small benefit from be-
ing able to buy Irvine at materially
lower prices than they could II there
were no state plant. 1t is predicted
that if the plant is operated along
business lines it will continue to be q
success.
The trustees of the state reform
school, the institution authorized by
the last legislature, at Mandan. report
that the $4,000 of bonds issued Tor
the institution were sold to the board
of university and school lands. A site
Of forty acres of land west of the city
of Mandan was negotiated for, and
plans for the building accepted from
Hancock Bros, of Fargo. The board
calls the attention of the governor and
the legislature to the necessity for the
purchase of additional land, and says
/ 900 acres could be used advantage
ously. The board reports that the
building contracted for is now COM
pleted, and it is claimed to be the best
building the state owns for the money
expended. The building will accommo-
date forty or fifty inmates, with quar-
ter sfor superintendent, steward and
| janitor. At the present time the state
maintains at PlankintOn twenty-five
boys and one girl This contract with
| South Dakota expires in 1903, and the
board asks for a sufficient appropria.
| ton to establish and maintain the new
| institution. The board asks for an ap-
preparation Of $23,500 for the biennial
| period, and the passage OF law au-
| thorizing the board to issue $4,000
| additional bonds for the erection of a
building suitable for girls and a ma
iron, and for the purchase Of addition.
al land.
Assistant Dairy Commissioner r. e.
Kaufman reports dairymen negligent
about their reports, and that it Is i'm
possible for him to say what has been
the production or consumption of milk
in the state. Local supervision OF the
sale of milk, to enforce healthfulness
and cleanliness, is recommended, the
commissioner believing the local
boards Of health, if supported by ord.
nance, could do better work. The
commissioner reports four cheese fac
tories in operation in the state. at
Cakes, Fullerton, Lisbon and Harmon.
During the past year 13, 1913 pounds OF
cheese were made and over $1,000 paid
for milk The cheese factory is not so
popular as the creamery. Thirty-sev-
EN- creameries and five skimming sta
lions were operating In the state Oct.
81 last. There were thirteen west Of
the Missouri river. eleven in the south.
eastern part OF the state, two In the