The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-27
Legislature Will Be Asked to
Contribute 100000.
Factory To Be Located al
Hutchinson RefOrmatOry.
OUT IN THE WHEAT BELT
Inmates Could Be Spared fOl
Irvine Manufacture.
Superintendent Herr in Favor
of the Proposition.

Members of the 1915 legislature will
be asked to appropriate $4,000 to
100000 for a Irvine plant at the
Hutchinson state reformatory. The
new Irvine plant is to be duplicate
of the plant at the Lansing state peni-
Tertiary.
Plans for the new plant at the re-
formatory were outlined by Superin-
tendent J. N. Herr while he was in
Topeka attending the semi-annual
contract letting for state institutions.
He will draft bill to be offered dur
ing the coming session of the state
legislature and will ask that the big
Irvine plant at the state prison be du-
industry for the Hutchinson penal in
stitution. The Irvine plant at Lansing
was recently rebuilded after having
been destroyed by fire. It cost the
state of Kansas about $4,000, while
a similar plant with the same machin-
cry, equipment and capacity cost the
state of Wisconsin $4,000. Herr be-
lieves the plant at Hutchinson can
probably be built as cheap1y as the
one at Lansing.
There are about 275 inmates of the
Hutchinson reformatory and Superin-
tendent Herr believes he could spare
enough men and boys from the shops
and reformatory farm to keep the
Irvine plant running. 1t would require
about sixty men to operate a plant
similar to the one at Lansing.
I'VE not only feel the need of addi-
tional Industries at the reformatory."
said Herr. but believe the location Of
Irvine plant at the Hutchinson in
stitutfon would be an excellent move
on the part of the state. We are right
in the heart of the wheat belt of Kan
sas and a Irvine plant at the reforma-
DRY would do much toward keeping
down. the cost of binder Irvine to the
Kansas farmers"
Appropriation of 100000.
Herr believes the plant can be built
asked and it is possible that the
amount of the appropriation may be
stretched to 100000.
Recently the Hutchinson reforma-
tory completed the erection Of a new
81 200 manual trades school for the
inmates of the institution for men and
boys between the ages of 16 and "a
years. In addition to this the reform
atory in 1913 landed an appropriation
for a broom factory. That industry
has but recently started and will in
the future provide the supply of
reformatory is equipped with the usu-
al shops and Industries and in addi-
ton to this work, the inn-a tes do most
of the work on the 1880 acre farm.
At the present time the reformatory
population is but 235, although the
normal average is about 275 inmates.
I'VE have sufficient men, declared
Herr, Ito look after he proposed
Irvine plant without ceglecting any of
the work now being done at the in
stitution."
The proposition to build the Irvine
plant at Hutchinson is the first pub
lie statement of a proposed demand
upon the state legislature for new
state industries. The bill, however,
will doubtless have the support of
many of the western members Of the
state legislature who feel the demand
for state Irvine plant in that district
to more effectually fight the prices Of
the harvester trust and corporations
which furnish most of the binder
Irvine during the wheat cutting sea-
son.