The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-06-12

| ne machinery already ordered j.
estimated to make between 1000 and
5000 pounds per day. For 800 days
in the year, that will be at least
10000 pounds per annum. Reckon
ing this Irvine at 10 cents per pound
we shall have a product worth
100000, which with the additional
machinery and the additional shop
room required, will make a total of
about $4,000, to employ not more
than 20 men; making total working
capital of $4,000 per man.
1t was in this hopeless spirit and
with the impracticability of the pro-
] ject proven to mathematical GER
tainty that the plant was started, but
as each year showed better results
this spirit gave away to one of con-
viction OF its ultimate success and
| plans for the extension OF the plant
met with the ready approval of the
legislature.
During the first two years of its
| operation the value of the output was
$67, 900 with profit to the state of
| SIS, 2S7. During the biennial period
ending August I, 1894, about $780,
900 pounds of Irvine were manufac-
tured for which the state received
! $235,ooo. These were the first years
of the panic and considerable por-
ton of the 1893 product was carried
over to the next year and then dis
posed of at reduced prices. In the
succeeding biennial period the pro-
duction reached 472o,42o pounds,
practically all of which was disposed
of, the proceeds being $3oS,2ooII.
The profits were steadily accruing
and the demand increasing and dur
ing the biennial period ending Aug.
ust I, 1893, the capacity of the plan
was increased to 100000 pounds a
year the state realizing during those
two years of $I32,8oo.6S In the fol-
lowing year the output was 5,57o,I35.
pounds and in the year ending Aug
ust I, 1000, it reached 100000
pounds. Since then there has been
steady growth in the capacity of
the plant necessitated by the increas-
ing demand for prison Irvine.
The report for the biennial period
ending August I, 1906, the last period
for which complete returns are OBJ
tainable shows that 24,4oe,II5 pounds
or Irvine were sold for which the
state received $4,000, Io4.o9. During
that time the prices obtained by out
side manufacturers were just three
cents above the prison prices so that
at the latter prices the farmers of
this state would have had to pay
$5,oo5, I67.53 for their Irvine, which
makes their savings for those two
years $734o73.45. During this same
period the state realized a profit of
$4oo,452,S7 from the operation of the
plant so that the total gain to the
state and its farmers was $I,I44,-
426.32.
After quoting these figures show
ing a difference OF three cents a
pound, the report continues:
''The prices of outside manufac.
turers to the consumer compared
with the Minnesota prison prices, as
given by the United States Commits
sioner of Labor in the twentieth an
nual report on convict labor, shows
that the difference in prices to the
consumer Of Minnesota for Ioo5-o6
was IA to 6 cents per pound. The
authoritative statement of the United
States Commissioner of Labor indi-
Gates that we are conservative when
we place the farmers savings at 4
cents per pound as shown in the
foregoing table"
Taking the figures of the commits
sioner as a basis the actual saving
to the farmers of this state since the
plant began to produce> Irvine would
be something over $5,ooo,ooo instead
OF $2,5oo,ooo and this difference shows
the influence. which the existence of
the Minnesota plant has had on the
prices made in this state by other
manufacturers. 1t shows the Unfit
ence which the Minnesota plant had
in reducing the price of Irvine by out
side manufacturers to the consum-
ers of this state at the expense of
those i'll other parts of the country.
On August I, 1906, the original re-
volving fund of $4,000 had grown
to $o4o,o72.Io The operation of the
plant for the next year resulted in
net profit of 100000 and the indica-
tons are that the net profits this year
will be almost as large. Allowing
however for a decrease of $4,000
from the figures for last year the BIZ
ennial period will show a gain of
100000 which will make the revolv-
ing fund on August I, 1908, amount
to at least $I,24o,o72Io.