Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-04-29
Stops Prison Irvine Making.

stops PRISON TWIne Making.
As a result Of a thorough investiga-
ton by experts secured by Governor
Philip, the sale OF binding Irvine by
the Wisconsin state prison has been
stopped by the governor until further
notice.
As a further step to protect the
state from possible loss the governor
has held up the payment on a consign-
ment of secondhand machinery re-
Gently contracted for by the board of
control. The price for this machinery
was $4,000
This action by the governor was
taken at the conclusion of the hear
ing before the legislative investigat-
ing committee in the governors office,
which was attended by members of
the board Of control and several mem
bers of the legislature who were in
teTested in the subject.
At this hearing the reports of w. n.
Fitzgerald of Milwaukee and James c.
Groendyke Of Miamisburg, O., inves-
tigators employed by the governor,
We're submitted apd testimony was
taken to explain their reports.
The sale of binding Irvine was
stopped for the present by the gov
ernor for the reason that the report
Of Mr.. Fitzgerald shows upward of
$4,000 on the books Of the twine
plant, Of which about so per cent is
considered uncollectable. The gov
ernor's position is that no more Irvine
should be sold until a credit system
is established which will protect the
state.
The payment of the $4,000 for the
recently purchased machinery was
held up as a result of the report of
Mr.. Groendyke that the machinery is
obsolete and in a bad state of repair.
Mr.. Groendyke recommends the abso-
Lutte rejection of all but three of the
machines purchased.
At the opening Of the hearing Gov
ernor Phillip made the following
statement to explain his reasons for
investigating the Irvine plant and to
explain his orders to the board of
control:
nave 1CSCAfCN lSpO1k 10 44O1ti GlA1O
to time that the states interests at
Waupun are not getting along as well
as they should 1t was intimated to
me that the twine plant was probably
operating at loss, and that there are
other things that should be straight
ened out there in order that the in
terests of the state might be better
protected.
Il asked the board of control before
l came here, think some time during
the month of Demember, to get an in
ventory of the binder Irvine plant and
to furnish me a complete statement
that would show the results of the OPP
Grafton of that plant since its begin
ming up to that date. l wanted them
to make a careful and accurate state
ment so that l might be able to advise
the legislature just what the results
are. l didn't succeed in getting the
kind of statement from the board of
control that asked for, l did finally
get their annual report, which l have
here, in which they claim that by
certain system of figuring they could
show a profit of something like s12,-
600, but the statement was not salts
factory-it was merely story with
some figures in it that didn't prove
| anything. I made up my mind that l
would know just how the thing stood
and l employed William n. Fitzgerald,
an experienced business man of Mil
| Waukee-a man in whom have great
| confidence, to go to Waupun and take
an inventory and make an inspection
Of the plant and I told him to take a
| competent accountant with him, and
also an expert on sisal, because there
seemed to be a large quantity of sisal
| on hand-sisal, you know, is bought
on a grade, or at least I thought it
was, and in making the inventory
felt it was necessary we should pay
some attention to the grades, in or
der to check up the invoices.