The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-06
CHEAPER SCHOOL BooNs,
And How II is Possible 10 Obtain Them.
EdItOn fntSlllsOacer

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Editors fntSllIsnacer.
In your issue OF Saturday you clip from
an exchange, and follow II with editorial
comments as follows:
The teachers OF Monroe county, Ohio,
adopted the following resolution at their
recent institute at Woodsield:
THAT We believe II to be the duty Of tho Legislature
oak0 such steps lowRl the cOntnlnH Of tho price
hetext books used IN the cOamOn schools thaI they
shall DO uFniShCd at the actual cost to the State"
I'm reference to this SubjeC we may make
note Of the fact that complaint has been
made to the lNTELLIGENCER that it is not
tho school book publishers who Cypress
the people by tho price Of their publica-
tons, but the retailers Of them, who, It Is
charged, soil them at m enormous profit.
The exact facts Of the matter should be in
qulred into when the Legislature meets,
and remedy devised II possible"
That school books generally are cnor.
mously high is not to be disputed, and
somo Guro and swift remedy should be at
once applied by our Legislature, which is
on the eVD OF its session, The high price
Of school books lays with the publisherS
not with the booksellers. Tho bookseller
is compelled To buy the book for his trade,
and pays the publishers prices, less the
dealers discount, which Is never large,
and often small, Notwithstanding this,
there are notable instances Wilere liz 1.-THE
seller has 10 sell book for less than the
catalogue price. This may be said in de-
tense OK tho bookseller.
The GxtraGt from your exchange nro,
poses, that tho Legislature should autho
rixe tho State authorities to become, by
law, regular dealers, buyers and sellers Of
school books; thus taking from the book
sellers, prirelege for which they pay under
their license, 1t is not difficulty to see
that the Legislature can do nothing Of the
kind; for such an act would have all the
effect OF class Legislation, discriminating
against one citizen for tho benefit OF an.
other. With the same proprIoty might
the State enter any and every avenue OF
trade, and go into the business Of 'The
butcher, the baker, the candle-stick
maker" and nightingale it should elect
to go into; but its enterprise would likely
be Of but short duration, lifts claims were
tested in the courts, which undoubtedly
they would be.
The outrageously high price OF school
books undoubtedly caused the suggestion
contained In The article Of your exchange
and your own fenlarks accompanying
the extract. The outrage is one that can
and should be abated at once.
1fanytlling should be construed as q re.
Election on our school authorities in what
may say In this article, Il will do both
them and myself injustice. Many OF the
books in use-most Of them-were intro
duced many years ago; at a time when a
dollar had nomore purchasing power than
sixty-tive 0ents have now, Some OF the
publishers still require tho "pound oil
flesh" no matter how reduced the subject
may be.
It Is sInCerely 10 be wished that the ap.
preaching session OF our Legislature will
be distinguished by such q thorough In.
vestigation into this question, that It will
enable them 10 arrive at some method
which will give the coup de grace TO this
enormlty NJ once. All school books are
high, considering the price OF everything
else. Some publishers, however, have
made something like reasonable rcduc.
tions in their catalogues OF school books
but the books mostly used in our city
schools are held at the old original "higtl
pressure" figures, or at "a very small reduc
ton.
will enumerate few Of the hooks by
way OF contrast as to price, and compare
the Same with the prices Of similar hooks
although notquite SO large, but which are
the cheapest books by FAR, and equally
good for the purpose for which they are
Intended.
Take for example Wilson's LIST, ID, ID
and 4th readers: the prices for tho SAINT
are 50 cents, so cents, 70 cents aud Sl0(
respectively. The prices for the SAINT
books in the Eclectic (McGuf'y'sl serie.
is, IS, IS, 50 and 65 cents. The same com
parison made with tho arlthmeties will enc
pretty much with the same result, cheaper
books.
Itmay be urged that the Eclectic Seriei
Of MgdulFy and Ray are old books. Thil
may DO quoted as the strongest argumen
in their iayor-as from time to time tho
arc revised and kept In accord with thl
spirit Of modern demand, and ore in NOR
, general use to-day than any other serie
81 school books. lwould say, here, tina
> have no further pcRunIAry interest IN tn
matter, than that Of tax.payer-hav
been a bookseller over twenty-five years
and profess TO know the premises fror
, which ! write this article and not being
bookseller nOp should, think, acqult m
; Of any further interest in the question
: than an abatement Of what Is admitted o
4 all hands to be grpat eyil, Should III
5 Legislature unfortunately do nothing thi
! session, the different Boards Of Education
have the power to remedy the whole ma
I ter. lisq0h books asare now used Cannoth
obtained il alegitimatp way, I, g., tbroug
A the book sellers 81 much tQlNr figures (whic
A Of course will involve q large reductio
on the part Of the publishers, lot thcl
the Board aitcr having given a ialFHotiC
70 the publishers, exclude any further ii
Of subj hooks In the city schools, In cas-
I - III Al A.