The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-18
HAT TIE PAv FOR SCHOOL BOOKS

The children OF our Republlc, 1t IS said,
use up annually school books which cost
$50, 000 600, two-thirds of the price going as
profits into the pockets Of the publishers.
As those who 60 to school number less than
fourth part Of the population, it is safe to
put down the total annual cost Of school
books at about CO., 100000, or two and half
dollars each for 10000, 900 pupils, of which
SUM the publishers and booksellers profits
ton than above represented. But both The
cost . the children and the profits to the
publishers are far greater than they should be-
A great loss IS incurred IN The needless
cumbersome and perple1ing bulk OF school
books. Each author who wants fame and
emolument from new school book, strives
after novelties, rehnements and distinctions.
He is not content to accept of that which has
been approved by wise teachers for the pre-
vious century, and to add his own innova-
tons, but be must change tie entire order,
structure and phraseology, SO that in i've
years after boy has left school, his Juniors
are using books which he can only understand
after renewed study.
Thousands of the agents of the publishers
of school-books visit all the cities, villages
and towns in the country each year, with the
purpose of introducing and encouraging the
use Of newly written and published school
books, the authors of which get a royalty on
each copy, and the publishers heavy profit
The new are no better than the old-usually
not as good, but parents and teachers are per-
suaded to a contrary opinion, and thus, from
year to year, new sets of books are required.
They do these things more wisely in Eu-
rope. A national academy of sciences, or
some other competent authority, selects or
complies o olass-ooo,1 for common use in
schools, the best that can be put into mod
crate compass, and such book becomes and
long remains the universal class-book in all
pu 5lic elementary schools. In extent the |
book will be only So elcient to contain what the
pupil ought to memorize. There is no part
Of the price of Tho book to 50 to an author, |
and the PROFITS of publishers are small be-
cause the privilege OF publishing is open to
all.
We have 40 sach academical or scientific
throughout the Republic to act as tribunal
Of last resort in Judging of the fitness of
books for elementary education. We might
have commission consisting either of men,
bers from all the leading universities, or Of
scholars from the several States appointed by
Governors, to whom should be delegated the
power to select or compile common sense
grammar, metnodical arithmetic, and q
reader, or series Of readers, embodying the
gems of English classics in prose and poetry,
all of reasonable compass and all as free as
possible from the pedantic jargon with which
all our school books are now more or less en-
numbered. But there exists no legislative
power competent to secure general acceptance
Of the DEGREES Of such commission, SO that
the adoption of the series settled upon would
or to their respective boards of education.
Yet, with no other authority than
that of recommendation, such a
commission would produce bene-
fetal result not easy to calculate in dol
lars, nor easy to estimate in point OF educa-
tional advantage. 1t is within bounds to say
that the economy of such settled and author
ita.ive choice of school books would equal
full half of what is now expended in that way.
A revision once in decade might be neces-
sary, but in the course of one decade, the saw
ing would amount 70 more than a hundred |
millions Of dollars.