The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-16
STATE MAY FIGHT
THE MACHINE TRUST
Board of Control Reports to
Senate Favorlng Prison
Plant for Binders

In accordance with a resolution of
the senate requesting the state board
Of control to investigate and report on
the feasibility of establishing a plant
at the state prison for the manufacture
Of binders and mowers, the board yes
terday sent the following communica-
ton to Lieut.. Gov. Ray Jones, which
was read to the senate:
We have given the subject Of the resolu-,
ton our most careful and most earnest
consideration, but owing to the limited
time allowed under the same and the
magnitude OF the business involved in an
enterprise of this kind IL will be impos-
sible for us to give a definite and con-
elusive answer to the inquiry propounded
in the resolution. We shall be obliged,
therefore, TO confine ourselves for the
time being to pointing out some OF the
prerequisites necessary to the establish
ment OF a plant such as Is contemplated
by the resolution of inquiry.
The plant, II built. must be large enough
to be operated on an economical basis.
It must be furnished and equipped with
the best of machinery, so as 80 permit
OF the Manufacture of machines at cost
and OF a quality that VIII compare IA
vorably with those manufactured by 9TH
ers engaged IN similar enterprises. It
enable the business to be conducted on
strictly cash basis. To do this WILL OF
necessity, involve the expenditure OF
is now placed at OUT disposal. We fully
recognize the many difficulties to be en-
countered In establishing plant of this
kind at the state prison, but do not re-
gard ii as impossible, or the obstacles as
insurmountabie.
Forbidden by Law
When the legislature of 1889 passed the
law under which the twine plant Is now
operated 1t left the management of the
state prison untrammeied and free to en-
ploy prison labor in such enterprises as
We're deemed most advantageous 10 the
institution and the people of the. state,
but a subsequent law (passed as We fully
believe with the best motive, to protect
certain interests OF the state) placed such
restrictions on prison labor as to make
II impossible to establish a plant of the
nature contemplated by the resolution of
inquiry. We quote section s, chapter
154. Laws of 1895:
Number employed in any one industry:
The number OF prisoners employed in a
single industry at the same time in the
state prison shall not exceed ten (10) per
cent of the total number of persons en-
gagged In such industry in this state, unless
a greater number is necessary to produce
materials ore articles to be supplied to
state and other municipal institutions,
penal or charitable; provided, however.
that this section shall not apply to the
number Of prisoners employed in the man.
ufacture OF binding Irvine at the state
I'VE are fully advised as to the object of
this law. The motive was to minimize the
effect of prison labor in competition with
free labor but the practical workings OF
the law have been the reverse Some time
SINCE the board of control investigated
the matter of the employment OF a por-
ton of the inmates of the prison in some
other industry than that OF the manufac-
ture of shoes. hoping thereby to reduce
such competition to an unobjectionable
quantity. 1t was found that number of
men could be profitably employed in the
manufacture of rope. We found, upon
further inquiry, that there was no free
labor in the state engaged I'm this partic-
ular industry. Under the law we can only
employ in any one industry at the prison
a number of inmates equal to 10 per cent
of the number of free laborers engaged
in a similar industry in the state; hence
We We're compelled to abandon the pro-
posed enterprise.
Might Repeal Law
There is at the present time SO far as
we are advised. no one in the state ac-
tually engaged in the manufacture of such
implements as are named In the fesolu-
ton, but there Is large plant. closed
now, but well equipped with modern ma
chinery. that can be put in operation at
plant with from 90 to 100 men, the board
OF control could only employ from to 10
Inmates In similar plant at the prison,
which would, of course, insure the failure
of the enterprise from its inception. As
a requisite to the establishment of a har-
vesting. machinery plant at the prison.
this law must be repealed or materially
AS to the cost OF the establishment of
such a plant as Is contemplated by the
resolution of inquiry, or the amount Of
capital necessary to operate the same
we are not at this time able TO say, as il
will depend largely upon the size and
equipment of the plant. No definite ac-
ton should. in our Judgment. be taken un-
til after an exhaustive inquiry as to the
ACCESSIBILITY and probable success of the
enterprise. We would be pleased to con-
fer further upon this subject with any
individual member of the legislature or
committee thereof.
It is well known fact that the Inter
national Harvester company now controls
nearly the entire output of mowers and
binders in the United States, and that II
not already, soon viii be in a position to
absolutely dictate terms and prices II
the state can consistently and safely put
itself in a position TO meet the machine
trust as 1t has already met the Irvine
trust, and protect consumers from unfair
treatment should such be attempted, IL
should do so.