The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-03-01
Is TEXTBOOK LEGISLATION
NEEDED ?
20 the Legislature of Wisconsin,, !:


the Textbook Question" and of the
fact that my opinions and recommend
ati0ns respecting thy same are to some
extent misunderstood and misrepre-
scented, I beg to call the earnest atten-
ton Of your Honorable Body to the fol-
lowing facts:
/. An existing law Of the State, pass
ed two years ago, allows any school
board to purchase textbooks, and, as
the property Of the district, town, vii
lage, or city, to loan free, rent, or sell
the same at cost, to the pupils in the
schools. Books can be purchased di-
rectly from the publishers, through
their branch houses in Chicago and
Milwaukee, at discount Of 4Oper cent.
from present retail prices.
Two hundred and sixty-seyen dis
tricts in the State were reported to me
as purchasing books under this law last
year, and others have been more re-
Gently reported as following their eX-
ample since the date Of the last official
reports. OF the 267 reported as pur-
chasing, 1877 loaned the books free, and
the others either sold or rented the
same.
The plan of district purchase under
this law is giving eTcelIent satisfaction,
in all cases, so far as | can learn, and
is rapidly spreading and becoming
popular.
2 Besides the large saving in cost by
district purchase, direct from publish
ers, uniformity in the school for which
books are thus purchased is the natural
and inevitable result.
8. An existing law allows any school
board to adopt series of books for the
school or schools under it's charge, and
provides that after such adoption no
change shall be made within three
years.
| respectfully suggest that the two
laws above mentioned are all the legis-
latiOn in this direction needed in the
interests of the schools and the people.
Under these simple and wise laws the
best school books IN the aOorzd can be
had at very reasonable price, and alb
sOlute uniformity to the extent really
essential-in the school or schools I'M
der the charge Of a single board-can
be easily secured.
After a very careful study Of this
textbook problem am convinced that
it is wise to seek neither enforced state
nor county uniformity. [ recommend
ed in my first annual report, and still
favor, township uniformity; but this
only because it would be a step towards
the general adoption of the township
system of school government, under
which the schools of a township are
managed by single bOard-a very
great Improvement, in the Judgment of
nearly all educational men, over the
present comparatively inefficient dis
trict system.
| am opposed to State uniformity for
the following reasons: (a) A law to Sc
cure it could be only partially enforced,
and a law partially enforced is gener-
ally worse than no law. This is abund-
antly proved by the experience of sew
eral states where uniformity has been
tried and has failed, las in Vermont,
Missouri, Minnesota, California, and
other States. (b)If enforced, the spe-
cial needs of particular schools and
classes of people would not be so we'll
met. (c) If enforced, it would provoke
and ALLEVIATE many, and tend to lessen
the popularity of our school system. ca
If enforced, it would destroy the value
of at least half a million dollars worth
OF books now in use. (e) If enforced, it
would suddenly impose upon the peo-
pie the burden of at least another half
million for the new books they must
purchase to replace those outlawed.
(f) If enforced, it would prevent, for
a series Of years, the adoption, by any
school board in the State, Of any i'm
proved books, cause our schools to fall
behind those Of other States, and when
the inevitable time for a change came,
again destroy at blow vast amount
Of property in the hands of the people.
In the name of the professional teach
ors and superintendents of the State,
who are almost unanimously opposed
TO enforced unifOrmity-as honorable,
disi1ateTested, and intelligent class of
citizens as Wisconsin has; in the name
Of the great majority of the other
school officers, who have not asked that
one of their most important duties
should be taken from their hands, as
incompetent to perform it: in the name
OF the State, whose interests we should
be very cautious not to rashly imperil,
l respectfully and earnestly suggest
that the laws we now have, If used, are
all that are needed to enable the peo-
pie in every district, village, and city
to satisfactorily decide for themselves
the question of textbooks, as they de-
eide the questions of school buildings
and teachers, of Libraries and appara-
tus. Let us intelligently act under the
laws we have, rather than hasten to
create others whose success is more
than doubtful. EDWARD Soaring,
Supt Public Inst.
MADISON. Feb. 81. 1877.