The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-08
Controversy Over Prison Brick
About to Be Adjusted.
They Will Be Tested for Paving
Qualities.
BELIEVED TOO SOFT.
Then Some Other Material
Will Be Used.
State Institutions Likely to
Buy Part of Brick at Home.

1t begins to look as though the pris-
on brick controversy between the di-
rectors of the penitentiary and the
state board of control may be ironed
out in such a way that the brick nee
essary for use at the state institutions
can be supplied from the prison plant
E. B. Schermerhorn. chairman of
the state board of control returned to-
day from Lansing, where he had a
conference with the prison directors
on the subject. Mr.. Schermerhorn
said:
. 1.-The prison directors took no action
in the matter, but they gave me a
courteous hearing. and 1 left there
with the impression that the difficult
ties may be adjusted. I suggested to
the prison officials that the kind of
brick manufactured at the penlten-
tiary plant are not satisfactory for
paving purposes, and that pavement
made of those brick would probably
not last very long. In this opinion
some of the prison officials expressed
concurrence. 1t is my idea that good
macadem road would give much bet
ter satisfaction than road made
from prison brick"
1t is announced from Leavenworth
that the prison officials are preparing
to make what is known as the RATHER
test of the prison brick to see If they
come up to the standard for paving
brick A number of brick to be tested
are put in an iron cylinder and re-
volved slowly for a certain number of
minutes. The brick are then taken
out and weighed, and if their loss in
weight is not too much, they are
classed as desirable paving brick.
1t is possible that if the prison
made brick do not come up to the
paving brick standards, the prison
directors will be Obliged to abandon
their plan for using this kind of ma
terial for paving. They may con
and build the rest of the road of sized
rock Such a plan as this would not
require very many brick, and would
enable the state institutions to have
their needs supplied.
The board of control and some OF the
other state boards which need brick may
find that they can buy brick at home
for a price which will make this plan
more economical than paying freight
on prison brick. For example, the big
F1ttsburg Normal school which will re-
quire lot of prison brick for interior
walls may be able to buy brick from
Humboldt at a figure which Will prove
to be more economical than shipping
prison brick such a long distance Brick
can be made much more cheaply down
in the gas belt than they can be made at
Lansing exclusive of the cost of labor,
which in the manufacture of brick with
modern machinery is not such very
heavy item of expense.
If the prison directors decide to use
prison brick for the Stillings road, they
will be obliged to plan for two-course
work. This will consume the entire out
put of the prison plant for the next two
years Meantime the state institutions.
which expect to have prison brick free
of charge for their new buildings would
have to wait.
The indications are now, however. that
- do nv n fnh "a
output of brick can at least be divided,
giving part to the state institutions.