The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-07-01
From the Woodstock Post.
some Answers. Not from the Board
of Education.

'NNNNS'SNh
some Answers. Not from the Board
of Education.
Mr.. EDITOR:
see in your paper under date of June
9TH, "Some Conundrums for the Board of
Education," by A. T. l am not member
of the Board, and modesty might require me
to wait for them to answer, still / propose
to try my hand at answering some of the
questions and giving the outlook of Others
| may not take them in order, but will an
swer and explain as fancy directs. 1t is a
fact (whether it is generally known or not)
that just Eaton's, Walton and Frenchs
Arithmetic were placed in the hands OF the
six prominent teachers who were asking
not "What in your Judgment is the best
work on Arithmetic for our schools2" but
(which of these three would you recon-
mend?" Now Eatons and Walton's had
been before the Board five years before,
and rejected, How does that look? When
teachers asked. before the legislative COM
mittee. "Why only those three were given
ont for examinationY" the answer was that
they did not know that others were in COM
nctition as though no book could possibly
he worth recommending unless its claims
were pushed by its author or publisher.
Had the answer been, "Because we intend
that no book but Frcnch's shall stand any
chance at ALL" the people would have be-
lieved in their integrity, at least, if not in
their Judgment. Now they have no faith
that they possess either" Again petition
containing more than hundred and fifty
signatures was sent to the Board, asking it
to make no change in Arithmetics. l don't
know whether it came before them, or was
kept out of sight About the Secretary's
threatening New York firm with ven
geancc, cant answer, but the Harder's
issue Il ruled slate for French, and Wood
worth, Ainsworth & Co., the publishers of
the Payson, Dutton & Scrbner system of
penmanship. do the same thing for Barth-
Olomew, and there is a rivalry between the
two, and the p. ID. & s. series of writing
books has been discarded, and the Spen-
cerian recommended. w. A. & Co, also
publish Bartholomew drawing books, and
Mr.. Stetson, the conductor of the Institute
at Windsor and in some other counties, is
the author of a work on drawing published
by James X. Osgood & Co., which with
Smiths series by the same firm he recon-
mends to teachers at the Institutes, acting,
suppose, as agent for the publishers,
and paid, | also suppose, out of our
State trca ury by the Secretary, to RECON-
mend and peddIe his own works. If he is
not, then we are in so much and Mr. Secre-
tary, might get the credit of managing econ
omically for the State if he will let it be
known. In regard to the teachers called
before the investigating committee, heard
one who was present say, that four, not
in full communion with the managing
party, were placed under oath while others
were not. "Why were not all served alike ?"
| don't know. ''Were the committee in
league with the Board?" l don't know and
don't care. The whitewashing was SO thin,
that don't believe it produced panic in
the lime market at the Capital. Now, Mr..
Editor, | have answered some of A. It's
questions for the Board. do not know as
they would be willing to pay me, even out
of the State treasury, for am a citizen of
Vermont, and they'cmploy no body in the
State to work for them. If belonged in
Maine or New York, or Pennsylvania or
some other State where French's Arith-
mctics need somebody to puff and blow for
them, they might offer to pay, but as it is,
I don't expect it, if, however, they should
offer anything through you, you may thank
them for me and say that ask nothing
they are welcome. A. r. intmates that he
may ask some more questions, if agreeable
to him, and you, and the Board, I'll answer
so far as l can, Yours Truly
AITCH o. NEsTY.