The anti-monopolist., 1874-11-19
SCHOOL ROCKS.

We sincerely hope the coming Legis
lature will pass some proper and effici'
ent law in reference to school books.
At present the people are rlundered Of
hundreds of thousands of dollars annu-
ally, by means of the school book ring
and the robbery is the more outrageous
because it is one that strik es at the great
fundamental interest of public educa-
! ton. 1t moreover falls with greatest
weight on the poorest part of our peo-
pie. The poor man with large family
of children is compelled to choose be-.
tween depriving his family Of some nee
essary Of life or depriving his children
| OF education.
We must get clear Of the endless
'series of books, and we must be able
to purchase books at a reasonable mar.
gin above actual cost. A correspondent
writing to the Chicago Industrial Ace
from Madison, Wisconsin, says:
A subject which demands the attention
OF the Anti. Mouopolists, and interests more
people In the Stte of Wisconsin than al
NEST any other, is that of books in the
public schools OF the State; and what is true
! OF Wisconsin, is equally true Of many other
States
| 1t is fair TO suppose that such books as are
! best for the use OF one class Of pupils in a
given school, is also best for all pupils OF
corresponding grade or class in all other
schools.
| 1t appears in the report OF the Superin-
tendent of Public instruction for the State
| of Wisconsin, for the year 1873 that there
were 5 5,205 school districts in the State, and
that there were oS3, 722 pupils who attended
the public schools during that year.
Every person at all familiar with the sub
ject, is aware that the various series OF
| spoilers, readers, arithmetics, biographies
aud grammars in use, are composed OF from
! two 70 eight books in the series, and tina.
there are many different series OF each.
| Almost every school changes books each
year, and many schools change the series in
use as often as there occurs a change OF
teachers or school boards
1t is estimated by many well informed
teachers with whom the writer has con-
versed, that one and half dollars for each
pupil, will be about the average sum paid
annually for school books. Ifthis estimate
be correct, the sum OF $425 900 per Annum Is
paid for school books in this State.
The writer proposes the following
remedy:
Let the State appoint committee Of pri-
vate persons, those who shall hold no other
a9fce), whose duty il shall be to make care
iul examination and selection OF the hes;
books now published, and in case no salts
factory series shall be found, TO compile a
set for use in the public schools of the State
and when so selected or compiled and pub
lished, that they shall be introduced by au-
thority of law
Ifa selection Of the whole, or . part o.
any given series should be made, the com
mittee, in connection with or under the
with the publishers Of such books to supply
such numbers to the authorities of tn, Stat
IS the wants OF the pupils might require, 70,
period of say five years, and these TO b
supplied to the pupils At cost price.
This is substantially the remedy We
proposed last winter. The bill Of Sen
fator Westfall, of Olmsted county,
which would have given the people the
needed protection, passed the Senate
but was defeated in the House, under
the cry rsised by the book agents tha,
the bill was in favor Of the bool
Makers! We hope the people viii
: talk this matter ever with their repre-
sentatives, and so infoYm them IS t.
what public opinion demands that thi,
wise and necessary measure shall not b.
again defeated.