Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-12-11


vicls in the State Prison. He will be
non-committal upon the Branch Prison
completion at Folsom, but will advise
enlargement by some means, Of prison
accommodations. He win caution the
legislature against hasty legislation upon
the Common School System; will call
earnest attention to the subject Of Sanitary
Science and the suggestions Of the State
Board Of Health. On other topics he
will but refer to accompanying Official
reports and exhibits. Governor Pacheco
retires from Office with the general en-
dorsement Of having discharged the duties
during his brief term conscientously and
with ability. He has not been called up
on for any great display Of executive wis
dom, nor ha- his administration been the
occasion for presenting any marked lines
of policy. Had there been such a de-
mand, it is not probable that he would
have succeeded in commanding a party,
or enforcing a principle; for while fairly
good man, neither his life, education or
mind fit him to be a leader Of men, or
moulder of public sentiment. In regard
to the contents Of his message, while it is
yet not made public, the topics mentioned
are those stated by gentlemen Of the de-
partments, upon which he will treat, and
are those upon which the Governor has
expressed himself, with a view of com
municating them to the Legislature.
THE TEXT BOOK WAR.
This subject has been the engrossng
one here for week past it has even over
shadowed legislative matters. SO much
has been written and printed about it,
that the reading public must be more or
less confused, and | will therefore attempt
a concise statemento Of the whole matteIs
which will prove, | hope, valuable for
constant reference this Winter.
In 1871 under Democratic Admins
tration, a series of text books were intro
duced and adopted by the State Board of
Education at the given rates as bid by
publishers, among these was McGufley's
readers.
The State uniformity law is a law re-
quiring the State Board to declare what
text books will be used in all the schools
of the State, and to receive bids from
publishers Of rates at which the books
will be sold to dealers, to wholesalers
and to children. San Francisco alone
was exempted from the operations OF the
law.
To the State Board was conGded the
sole judgment as to what books to adopt,
and what to change, but all books adopted
must remain in use four years, and must
be as good as the books thrown out, and
when changes were contemplated, six
months notice thereof had to be given.
| The law is still the same, and acknowl =
edged by all to be a good law. In its
wisdom, the State Board in June, 1874,
resolved TO give notice, believing some
books too high at the rates of 1871, and
others behind the educational advance Of
the age. January 1915, the Board met
and accepted the bid of ID. Appleton &
Co., OF n. y, to introduce Cornel's
Biographies in place Of Monteith's and
required the bidders to add twelve pages
to each book, devoted wholly to tha Pa
ciic Coast, and to California, with maps,
cuts, etc. They accepted the bid of BAN
croft & Co., of San Francisco, to intro
duce the Pacific Coast Readers. Bonds
were given and the books ordered to be
ready by May, 1875. The publishers in
good faith went on and got up their
books, but meanwhile Wilson, Hinkle s.
Co., of Cincinnati, publishers Of the
ousted McGuiiey's S Readers, discovered
technical flaw in the matter of notice given
and on suit the Supreme Court set aside
the awards, on thai ground alone, not
touching the question Of superiority Of
one book over the other, or whether the
judgment of the Board was properly ex-
ercised or not.
In June, 1875 the Board met, and
deeming the publishers contracted with,
not to blame for the failure of the notice
on the part Of the Board, gave new no
tice, intending at its expiration to keep
faith and award the contracts as before,
the publishers having expended large
sums already.
The contracts We're at cheaper rates by
l6 per cent. than the old ones, which
made n saving of $lG,6G6 on every $780,
600 worth Of books bought by ;he people.
Last week the board met, and when
about to reopen the the bids were checked
by restraining order from the County
Judge Of Tehama county, fixing n hear
ing on Injunction Dec. 10th. In 24 hours
more, second injunction came from the
District Judge in Placer, fixing hearing
for Dec. 22d. In this plight, though ad
vised by counsel that the Injunction could
never be made perpetual, the Board ad-
journed until the 2Sth Of December.
This is the whole question in n nut
shell. BY the delay since January, 1873,
now nearly a year, the Cincinnati firm
has kept the old prices Of 1871 in force,
making an outlay Of over 100000 extra
to buyers, over the prices the same firm
agreed to furnish for in January, 1875.
This is the same firm from whom it is
said Fitzgerald, Elk Superintendent, got
$4,000 for introducing McGutiey's readers
in 1871, and which he denies and is now
testing in libel suit.
The Board claim, that a great public
misapprehension OF the matter prevails
that there was no damage by the change
to the people, as the prices were lower.
and as old books (usable) could be ex-
changed for the new ones even. That
the Board acted honestly, and as it deemed
hast far tln ~, I,lio ;,,t. Il -. a. 4,