The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-11-19
SCHOOL BOOKS.

I'VE sincerely nope the coming Legs
lature will pass some proper and efici
lent law in reference to school books
At present the people are Numbered o
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 strikes at the great
fundamental interest Of public educa.
ton. 1t moreover falls with greatest
weight on the poorest part Of our PEG.
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 q reasonable mar.
gin above actual cost. A correspondent
writing to the Chicago Industrial Age
from Madison, Wisconsin, says:
A subject which demands The attention
OF the Anti. Monopolists, and interests more
people in the Site of Wisconsin than al
NEST any other, is that of textbooks in the
public schools Of the State; and what is true
Of Wisconsin, is equally true of many other
States.
It is fair TO suppose that such books as are
best for the use OF one class Of pupils in .
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.
of Wisconsin, for the year 1873, that there
were s ,oO5 school districts in the State, and
that there were 2S3, 722 pupils who attended
| the public schools during that year.
Every person at all familiar with the sub
Jet, is aware that the various series OF
spoilers, readers, arithmetics, biographies
and grammars In use, are composed OF from
| two TO eight books in the series, and that
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 q 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
!
| be correct, the sum of t425 900 per annum is
| paid for school books in this State. .s:.S
The writer proposes the following
remedy: IS ss@
Let the State appoint committee Of pri-
vate persons, those who shall hold no ofhe,
! o1fce), whose duty it shall be to make care
/ full examination and selection of the best
| books now published, and in case no salts
factory series shall be found, 70 compile q
set for use in the public schools Of the State,
and when 80 selected or compiled and pub.
lished, that they shall be introduced BY an.
thority of law. .I.t
Ifa selection of the whole, or . part oil
any given series should BE- made, the com.
mittee, in connection with or under the
sanction of the Governor, should contrac
with the publishers Of such books to supply
such numbers to the authorities Of tn, Stat
- the wants Of the pupils might require, 70,
. period of say Eve years, and these TO b
supplied to the pupils It cost price.
This is substantially the remedy VI
proposed last winter. The bill Of Sen
fstor 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 Kissed BY the book agents that
the bill was in favor Of the bool
Makers! We hope the people WI
talk this matter ever With their repre-
sentatives, and 50 intern thsm - ia
what public. opinion demands that thil
wise and necessary measure shall not 3,
again defeated.