The Portland daily press., 1868-01-01

CITY OF PORTLAND,
In School Committee, Nov. %, 1867.
The executive committee to whom was re-
terred April %, 1867, vote of the school COM
mittee, insfructing them to solicit proposals
from booksellers this city for furnishing the
school committee and the scholars attending
the public schools with necessary botk and
stationery for use IN the schools at a certain
per centage above net cost, and If satisfactory
arrangements could be effected, directing the
executive committee and other members of
this board to order or purchase all necessary
books and stat oneIy for the use of the schools
of the party or parties contracting to furnish the
same at the lowest percen tage, as above and also
directing all school children to be notified by
their respective teachers, where and of whom
they could obtain school books and stationery
at the lowest rates,-haye had the same under
consideration, and beg leave to report that IN
the discharge of the duty imposed they sent
communication embodyng the substance et
said vote to the leading booksellers OF the Guy,
requesting reply. After long delay, and be-
ioro receiving an answer to our COMMUNICATION,
your committee were invited to meet them IN
conference, viii h request was compiled With,
but without arriving at any result, as we did
not deem it within our province to indicate
what might or might not, seem to be sat siac-
tory in the premises, but to discharge the duty
imposed by the vote referred TO us by first re-
ceiving proposals as therein indicated. 81.
Subsequently communication was receiy-
ed, signed by all the booksellers alluded TO, in
which they collectively and separately, offer 10
furnish the school committee with what they
may want as indicated in our communication
addressed to them, " at the publishers whole
sale list prices" and to I" furnish the scholars
at retail at rs per cent. advance from publish
erS' wholesale list prices" which they say "re-
duces the present retail prices 10 per cent"
The wholesale list referred to was obtained
from booksellers in the city, the retail list by
adding rs per cent. thereto, and the Boston
ia | price list was obtained direct from that
city. And, while this latter purports to be the
regular" retail prices of books in Boston,
your committee are informed on the best of
authority that the list does not represent the
real prices at which books are there retailed,
but that the wholesale "list prices" are the
real retail prices of books in Boston.
In the investigation consequent upon the
subject referred, your committee have found it
exceedingly difficult to ascertain the actual
prices at which school books are either whole
sailed or retalled, for Notwithstanding the pub
lished rates of publishing houses we are per-
fectly confident that some of them habitual}y,
sell at rates below those advertised, on which
the retail rates of this and other cities and
towns are based. The injustice of this will be
seen by single example-take, for instance,
Colton's American Quarto Geography-the
published wholesale price of which, in all the
lists that we have seen, is uniformly $1.75-
while it is notorious that the real rate at
which it is sold is $1.50-thus the retail profit
is added to $1.75 instead of to 81 30 to ascer-,
tain the price at which the book can be sold to
the children.
Our inquiries lead us to believe that this is
not an isolated case, but that from the nature
of things it is the interest of both wholesalers
and retailers of school books to avoid disclns-
ing to the public the actual cos. of books from
first hands, and it is believed that publishers,
for the purpose of giving their customers an
advantage in the general market. or for other
reasons, sometimes publish one rate to the
public at which their books may be obtained
in quantities, and then sell them at another
and tOacer rate,
So far as your committee are informed, the
rule and practice among publishers and their
agents is to make discount from their pub
lished rates to wholesale dealers, and then an
additional discount for cash, which discounts
are, ostensibly, the wholesalers profit, while
to retail customers an addition is made TO pub
lished rates by way of protection to the large
dealers.
Your committee are of the opinion that IT
the school couSnittee were to become the pur-
chaser of all books and stationery needed in
the public schools, and thus place themselves
in the relation of direct customers to publish
ers and booksellers, they would Immediately
have accorded to them the lowest terms of the
most favored Indeed, one publishing house,
doing large general business in all articles
required in the school room, has, unsolicited,
offered to furnish your committee with books,
stationery and all other articles needed in the
school room, usually obtainable at book stores,
at the lowest wholesale rates with discount
of 10 per cent. tberefrom. While it is appar-
ent to your committee that better terms could |
readily be obtained. we at the same time are
satisfied that even this would favor the schol- |
ars from 30 to so per cent. in the purchase of
their books, as compared with present prices.
For instance the text books nsed in the High |
School for which scholars pay $780, are
set down in the wholesale list prices" at
S1.50; ten per cent. off brings them to 81 .35 =
65 cents profit, or over 4S per cent. rs..-.
Should the board conclude to accept the pro-
nOSa1 of the hook Sp1larS m hooks of
tail at % per cent. advance publishers
wholesale list prices, the cost OF the text
books alluded to would then be $1.88-53 cents
profit or about 40 per cent At the same time
it must be remembered that regular dealers
obtain more than 10 per cent discount, and
hence the aggregate per centage of their profit
is larger than that named, and would be saved
to the citizens if the school Ommittee stood
in the same relation to the scholars in regard
to the purchase of books that dealers now do,
for in that event the school committee would
become one of the most favored in the item of
discounts.
Your committee learn by the report of con-
trollers of public schools in Philadelphia,
where the cost Of all school books and station
cry is assumed by the city, that for the year
ending Dec. 81, 1865, they were "enabed TO
purchase all books of every kind u ed in the
schools, and all stationery for at least $4,000
children for the sum of $50, 3826 S, making the
cost about 81 cents per pupil per annum,"
which they say was an increase over the pre-
vious year.
The special committee, composed of mem
bers of the school committee and members of
the city government OF Boston, appointed to
visit various cities for the purpose of observing
their school systems and methods of conduct
ing the same, in their report, made laudatory
mention OF this feature of the Philadelphia
schools, and suggest to cir associates that it
is worth while for Boston to pattern after them
in this particular.
In conclusion, your committee have to say,
that they did not deem it advisable to enter in-
to any arrangement with bookseller binding
the school committee or citizens on the basis
herein reported, not believing that such could
prove to be Satisfactory" on the contrary,
your committee recommend its refusal by the
board, and also that immediate measures be
taken to induce the city at an early day, to as
sumo the entire cost of all books and station
cry required by the children in the public
schools of the city. and to that end suggest the
passage by this board of the accompanying re-
solve and order.
ReSnpctf,Iilr e,,b->>;sts i.zs-
SAMUEL r. LEAvITT, !
HENRY p. WHITE, Ecec Com.