The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-24
FARMERS WIN OUT
IN TWINE TANCLf
Durant-ZeICh Bill Meets Death
by Aid of Amend
ment

In committee of the whole, p. A.
Gandrud presiding, the house yesterday
amended the Durant-Zelch prison en-
larging bill to its death.
When an amendment offered by
Ward Stone, of Stevens, had been ac-
cepted by vote of 81 to 32, John Zelch
himself moved the bill be indefinitely
postponed. He gave notice, however,
that he would introduce bill asking
for a 100000 appropriation for the
purpose of purchasing new land and
erecting buildings to enlarge the Still
water penitentiary.
The Stone amendment to the senate
prison bill provided that no part of the
prison earnings should be used in the
acquisition of land or the erection Of
new buildings. The original bill con-
templated the use of one-half of the
net earnings of the prison for two
years for the purpose of the bill.
Appropriation Cut Off
1t had already passed the senate, but
when the Stone amendment was at
tached to it the bill was left without
an appropriation and was therefore
futile of its purpose. Mr.. Stones
of which he is the author, now in COM
mittee, requiring that the net pro-
ceeds of the twine manufacturing
plant be returned to the revolving
fund of the twine industry, and it is
not probable that he will press his bill
to passage now that the need of it has
been destroyed by the defeat of the
Stearns, has bill, also in committee,
forbidding the sale of prison made
twine at a profit to the state. He said
yesterday that he would follow the
suggest of A. It. Ramsland, made on
the floor yesterday, and would propose
an amendment, permitting the sale of
prison tWine at a half a cent a pound
profit. He was quite positive that this
bill Will pass both houses as the farm
ers have set themselves on record as
opposed to the use of the profits of
the tWine plant for other purposes
than the enlarging of the twine plant.
The defeat of the bill in the house is
regarded as home thrust at the state
board of control, who had advised with
the Saltwater representatives in the
legislature in preparing the bill. Chair
man jacobson, before the committee
Tuesday, said he was willing that the
state should improve the Saltwater
prison by direct appropriation, but he
feared that 1T would be impossible to
get the appropriation through the leg
islature. The defeat of the senate bill
yesterday leaves no alternative.
Direct Appropriation
In supporting his amendment, in de-
bate yesterday, Mr. Stone argued that
direct appropriation for the prison
Improvements was the proper pro-
cedure, and declared against any cur
tailment in the enlargement of the
twine plant. He said that the pro-
posed legislation would mean a loss of
$125,000 to the farmers of the state in
five years. George E. Perley, Burdette
Thayer ]. H. Morley and Ole Peterson
all spoke for the Stone amendment.
John Zelch pleaded for the bill in its
original form, and w. P. Roberts
warned the members that the defeat of
the bill would mean cuts in appropria-
tions for other institutions, as the
prison Improvements must necessarily
be made by direct appropriation if the
senate bill were shorn of it's revenue
feature. There was long discussion
but the farmers in the house were de-
termined that there should be no tam
pering with the twine industry al
Saltwater, and carried the Stone
amendment through to the immediate
subsequent death of the bill itself.