The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-28

is 80 cents, and 80 cents - 80 cents,
leaves As cents; 2 cents lower than
Mr.. Merrill's proposed price. Many
books of equal value to these can be
purchased for much less than these
figures. So that it this geography
were selected Mr.. Merrill would make
on every book furnished without lift
ing a finger.
Should Mr.. Merrill obtain this con
tract, I doubt very much if he would
sell out for one hundred thousand dol.
lars the moment after it was signed.
For, if it were faithfully carried out
by the State, for a period of fifteen
years. under tho specified provisions
of this bill, he would clear million
dollars by the operation. Let any one
just look at it. The contractor is to
be at no expense whatever in intro
ducing the books. The law does not
require him to furnish any boxes, to
pack them for shipping, nor to pay
any freight for their transportation to
the County Auditors. Allie has to do
is to furnish the books, in the gross,
at his house in St. Paul. The State
must pay all the expenses of boxes,
packing and freight which is to finally
come out OF the consumer. All Mr..
Merrill will have to do will be to sit
down with his pencil and calculate
his profits. He runs no risks. He
furnishes SO many books, for. so many
dollars and then makes his requisi
ton upon the State Treasury for the
money. While other book vendors
are obliged to keep agents travelling at
great expense to introduce their
books. and keep them in use, and run
the risk Of having them thrown out Of
use by the many frequent changes.
and the influences Of rival houses, he
is to be secure in his monopoly from
the influence of all rivalry or compe-
ton for fifteen years. Surely the
like of this was never before heard of
until concoted in the prolific but most
terribly impractical brain of Senator
Dennelly.
Again: this bill gives too much
power to the district clerk. He is
perfectly independent of the votes of
the people of his district. He Can run
them in debt to all unlimited extent.
The law gives him power to make his
requisition upon the county superin-
tendent for the amount of books
which may be required to supply the
children of his district for year In
advance. Having never had any expe.
rience as bookseller, how is he to
estimate, even approximately, the
number of books needed If he
makes mistake the people must foot
the BILL. 1t is an enormous power to
place in the hands of one man: and
will not be likely to be used wisely.
Again: the amount of machinery
required to carry this scheme into
successful operation, will render it ut
terly impracticable. Let us trace, for
a moment, the various steps required
to get the books, to be furnished, from
the contractor into the hands of the
consumer.
First, the clerk estimates the books
required for year. Then he max s
his requisition upon the county sup.
erintendent for the amount called for
by the requisition. This must be
done by every district clerk in every
county in the State. GoOdhue county
has nearly $50 districts. Fillmore has
about 1870. Winona, Wabasha, Ohm
sted, Freeborn, Faribault, Blue
Earth, Hennepin and many others
have from 100 to 100 districts each.
The county superintendent must make
a record of these $50 acquisitions. lie
must furnish the county auditor with
d copy of these several acquisitions
aggregated, in order that the auditor
may know how many books he is to
receive from the contractor. He must
also furnish the State superintendent
of Public Instruction with tabulated
statement of the acquisitions received
from the district clerks. There are
about IS counties in the State. The
State superintendent must make a
record in his Office of the tabulated
acquisitions received from the IS
county superintendent. The
State superintendent must tabulate
and furnish the contractor copy of
the condensed acquisitions which he
has received from the rs county super.
intendents. The contractor is now
ready to send the books to the county
auditor. Let us take my own county
as an illustration. The office of the
auditor is to become bookstore.
With no room to store books, and an
amount of work to perform daily,
which requires every moment Of his
time every day throughout the year !;
in addition to which he keeps two
clerks continually at work. There is
bill now pending in each branch of