FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 613 



One thing more; there ought to be established at the State Prison at 

 Anamosa a binding twine factory thereby furnishing employment for the 

 inmates and a profit for the State, and at least a cheaper twine for the farm- 

 ers of the State. 



We had on June 30, 1904, 381 convicts. These convicts are employed in 

 the stone quarries, getting out material for the completion of the prison. 

 The work of constructing this prison was begun July 2, 1872, by hired labor 

 and continued until May 13, 1873. Since the latter date the labor, both 

 skilled, and unskilled, has been performed by convicts, as it was the policy 

 ot the State to build economically, and at a minimum cost, and at the same 

 time to furnish employment for the inmates. This prison is nearly com- 

 pleted, and when done, it necessarily follows that other employment must be 

 furnished. I will read now, from the Board of Control report, the report of 

 the Warden of the State Prison of Minnesota, page 509. 



In the Minnesota State Prison, the employment of prisoners is divided between the 

 "state account" and the "piece price" systems. About three hundred work on 8tate account 

 in manufacturing binding twine and other State work. The other two hundred and fifty 

 are employed in the manufacture of boots and shoes under the piece price plan. 



The sales from the binder twine plant the past year have been about nine hundred and 

 thirty thousand dollars. This industry has been profitable to the State for some years 

 and at the same time it has been a great saving to the farmers of the State. 



The twine is sold direct to farmers at about two cents per pound below wholesale or 

 manufacturing prices. None of the twine is shipped outside of the State. The State's net 

 profit from the bindery twine industry the past year was over one hundred and twelve 

 thousand dollars. We manufactured over ten million pounds of twine, the farmers of 

 the State saved-two hundred thousand dollars, gauged on wholesale prices. The actual 

 saving however was much larger 



THE WOMAN'S CLUB— IS IT DESIRABLE. OR POSSIBLE? 



Mrs John Clans, Before the Cerro Gordo County Farmers^ Institute. 



Ladies and genthnen of the Farmers' Institute— I have been requested 

 by the programme committee to describe the society we have in our neighbor- 

 hood called, ''The Farmers' Wives and Daughters' Society." We first 

 started it about six years ago, the object being t > create a more social spirit 

 among the farmers' wives and daughters of the community. Hitherto we 

 had been a very unsociable neighborhood, hardly knowing our nearest 

 neighbors. This perhaps, was the reason we began to awake to the fact 

 that something might be done to improve matters. 



At first about ten farmers' wives met to talk over the possibilities of 

 organizing such a society. We accordingly set to work, elected a president, 

 vice-president, secretary and treasurer appointed a committee of three to 

 make out a constitution, by-laws, etc. These were adopted at the next 

 meeting. 



It has taken some time to get our society in the thriving condition it is in 

 today. The constitution had to be revised some and a few amendments 

 added to meet all demands, but now we think it just about right. 



