The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-03-02
FROM CALIFORNIA.
Agitation of the Free Textbook
Question.
SAN FRANcIsco. Feb. 20. 1876.

'AA"eSU sAsse ehO dNCIuSO Soot PCt Shiu
for text books in the city schools is
$500 annually, and upwards, which is
supposed by some to be at least three
times what it ought to be under free
system. This question has been agi-
tating the public mind good deal of
late In our EASTERN cities-thOse that
have adopted the new system being
earnestly in favor of it. New York
City inaugurated the system more than
Twenty-Five years ago. Other large
cities in that part of the country have
followed the example, among which
are Philadelphia, Baltimore, Brooklyn,
Bath, Lewiston, Fall River, etc, III all
of which it has given the most entire
satisfaction, having been found to be
just, convenient, economical, and in
every way superior to the old method
of furnishing textbooks by the par
ents. In all the cities we have named
above, the average cost per child for
books is considerably less than dol
lar. In other cities where the free sys-
tenn has not been adopted, it varies
from two to ten dollars per pupil. In
Philadelphia after trial of several
years, it is ascertained that the aver
age cost for each pupil is only ninety
four cents. In Lewiston, Maine, "the
expense for textbooks last year was
only So, 159 for 1920 registered pupils"
This is about sixty-seven cents each.
The first years supply which people
thought would be great expense, cost
but eighty cents per scholar, as the
books were furnished only to those
who were promoted and reqqired new
books. The Superintendent adds:
"The books are used in successive
classes, and are much cared for so that
the cost for a series Of years cannot be
to the city more than aquarter what it
would be to the citizens" This is a
very important and gratifying fact.
1t is earnestly hoped that the system
will be taken up, adopted aud thor
oughly carried out in all the public
schools of the country, on the score of
greater convenience, vastly increased
economy, and as a measure to increase
the influence and efficiency of our ad-
mirable public free school system.
Boston a while since adopted the
gratGitous system in part-to the
children of the INDECENT classes. Last
year she expended $l2,557.47 for this
purpose, or about an average Of half a
dollar for each every child attending
her public schools, or within seven
teen cents per pupil of the entire cost
of full gratuitous distribution of
books for the children attending the
public shoots of Lewiston, Maine,
which we have shown to be only sixty
seven cents.
In 1866 the Mayor, Superintendent,
and a delegation from the Board of
Education of the city of Boston, spent
several weeks examining the school
systems of New York, Philadelphia
and Baltimore, and they unanimously
reported in favor of free textbooks,
but owing to popular prejudice and
the opposition of book sellers, the city
has not yet adopted this so benign
reform in her public schools.
1t might be objected by some that
books supplied to pupils in this way
would be carelessly handled and lost,
even under the most stringent rules.
But the reverse of this is found to be
true in practice. Says the Superinten-
dent of Schools, for Lewiston, Maine:
'The books are much better kept,
teachers, pupils and parents being re-
sponsible to the authorities for their
proper USE
The benefits attending the adoption
of so benefcent and practical a meas
ure are these: l. 1t is more economi-
cal. Books pass from hand to hand as
the pupils are promoted from grade:to
grade, the same book supplying the
uses Of many successive pupils, before
it is dismissed. Books are more care
fully preserved than under the old sys-
TEN, and the cost to the city, which
buys wholesale, is much less than to
the individual purchaser. 2. 1t pre-
vents the delay that occurs in procur-
ing books when furnished by the par
ents. The children, not having to
wait for parents to provide books, en-
ter school promptly at the beginning
of the term and do not get behind the
class by delay. The burden is borne
by the tax payers instead of parents,
and therefore by those most able to
bear it, as it is almost invariably the
case that those having the greatest
number OF children are the least able
to purchase books. 3. II increases the
number of pupils and extends the time
of tuition, because many more go to
school and some enter the higher
grades who could not do so, if COM
PEELED to purchase books. The Super
intendent of Lewiston says: "Thc fur
nishing of free textbooks has brought
into our schools quite an increase of
pupils. just those that need to be edu-
Gated in our public schools. 1t has in
creased the efficiency of the schools
and is very popular measure" And
the school committee of the same town
says: "While the number of our schol-
ars has largely increased from year to
year, the number who have not attend
ed school has constantly diminished.
Various causes have tended to produce
these results, but in our judgment tho
plan of providing free textbooks for
all the scholars in the schools, has had
the greatest infence in this direction"
Need any thing further be said in IA
vor of the early introduction Of so use
full and popular reform into our glo-
rious system of public free schools ev-
1t is to be earnestly hoped that Kan
sas, always leading the advanced guard
in the ranks of educational progress,
will be among the first of the States to
adopt so wise and practical a measure
as part of her public free school sys-
TEN. And why not Wichita Introduce