The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1922-06-15
PRINCETON Unit
HOLDS MEETING
Large Attendance at>Monthly Session
of Farm Bureau Unit at C. w.
Wehrend's Home.
CAMPAIGNING IS BARRED
J. F. Gillespie of Saltwater and s.
B. Cleland, Assistant County
Agent Leader, Speak.

Wednesday evening the members Of
the Princeton farm bureau unit as
sembled at the home Of Charles
Wehrend for their regular monthly
meeting. There was an unusually
large attendance and much interest.
was manifested in all the discussions
The committee that had been ap--
pointed to make arrangements for the.
joint picnic with the Greenbush unit
reported that the first week in August
had been suggested as a favorable
time for the affair.
Mr.. Hammargren made few re-.
marks concerning the work of the.
county association and the demands
made on the county agent. He Them
introduced the first speaker of the.
evening, J. E. Gillespie, the Industrial
publicity representative of the Mime
sofa state prison at Saltwater.
Mr.. Gillespie spoke in the interests
of the farm machinery manufacturing
plant at the state prison. He urged
the farmers to patronize that manu-
featuring plant which was established
and which. the state was attempting:
to maintain largely for their benefit
In opening his talk Mr.. Gillespie
first spoke of the board of control and
the II institutions under its manage
ment. The valuation of these II in
situations, in which 10000 patients are
confined, is $21,00o,o0o. The property,
owners Of the state have to pay
$3,O0O,000 each year to maintain 16ss
Of these institutions, only one Of them
is self-supporting, the state peniten- :
tiary. This one institution is support
ed chiefly by it's binding Irvine indus
try which does operate at considera- :
bic profit. It manufactured 23,OOO,-
900 pounds of Irvine last year and is
the third largest industry of it's kind
in the world. But the profits of this
binding Irvine plant have been eaten,
up the last few years by the machin-,-
cry manufacturing plant which last
year had deficit of $75O,OOO.
Mr.. Gillespie told the farmers that
unless they would patronize the prison
farm machinery plant that manufac-
lures the Minnesota binder, rake and
mower, more extensively that industry
would probably have to be closed down.
He stated that it was not competing"
with any similar manufacturing in
dustries in this state. This of course.
is true but it is competing with SINH
lar industries in neighboring states
The speaker stated that skilled ex--
perts were employed in the machinery
plant and not all the work is done by
convicts as is frequently supposed. IF
any farmer has trouble with a ma
chine that he purchases from the
prison plant, he can get an expert out:
to inspect it and make necessary re-
pairs by writing to Saltwater. The
repair department is situated in St..
Paul and any part that is needed in one
of the Minnesota machines can be sent
to any farmer in the state within "a
hours after his order is received.
S. B. Cleland, the assistant state
county agent leader, made short adj
dress. He emphasized the need of
every farm bureau unit adopting a,
definite program for the seasons work.
An organization, like an individual,
will travel farther if definite goal
is set. Mr.. Cleland stated that the
Mile Laos County Farm Bureau asso--
citation, with it's group Of officers and
with the assistance of the county
agent, has the opportunity of becom--
ing one Of the best Farm Bureau as
sociations in the state.
At the conclusion of the speaking
program, the meeting adjourned The,
ladies then served ice cream and cake.
A committee of five men from Mil
AGA who had come down to the gather
ing to speak on the court house issue,
but who had not been present at the
meeting were invited into the house
to partake Of the refreshments. They
were requested however not to discuss
the bond issue in the house. They Of
fered to discuss it outside but no one
seemed particularly interested and SOY
very little was said. Our Milaca
friends really made mistake in at
tempting to utilize the farm bureau
meetings as places for discussing the
bond issue. The officers of the farm
bureau association have insisted that
no politics Of any sort be introduced
at their meetings. They have un-
questionably assumed the right atti-
tudc.