Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1882-11-11
For the Register.
Orr SchOol-EOOk Question.

y
serious one. 1t is often asked why our
merchants do not keep supply of school,
books on hand, so that pupils can get what
books they want at any time. If the ques-
TONERS will read the acts of the legislature
on the supplying of books TO the State they
Will easily find an answer to their ques-
ton.
The law directs Messrs. Van Antwerp,
Bragg 6 Co., of Cincinnati, the publishers
OF most of our school hooks, to make the
difference of l6 2-3 per cent. only, between
the wholesale and retail price of said books
to dealers, and, in order to get this reduc-
ton even, the books must be bought in
Cincinnati for cash or its equivalent.
Merchants Of this State who do not trade
with Cincinnati cannot buy said books in
New York, Philadelphia or Baltimore, so
as to sell them at the list prices, because
the dealers in these cities only get lG %
per cent. reduction, and they must add
their profit to this. But to buy in Cincin-
natl will coss remote dealers from D to 10
per cent. on their bills to get the books in
store-say an average of 6 % per cent,
which leaves only 10 per cent. for hand
ling the goods and to cover those remain
ing unsold ut the expiration of the year.
Now, suppose ont of 500 worth of books
bought, $50 worth remain unsoid at the
end of 4 year, which is a very moderate
estimate, will not the dealer be loser? The
books on hand and the interest on the
money invested in them show the dealer
paying handsome sum for the PRIVILEGE
nifty. This is not an exaggerated state
ment, but only too true. Ask Mr.. W. l..
Lemen how much he made on the sale Of
school-books last year, and he will tell you
he lost one hundred dollars. Ask him
why he does not keep a supply this year,
and he will answer you that it is a money
losing business. 1t is paying too dear for
the privilege of furnishing books to the
community. Ask every other merchant
in town why he does not keep school
books, and he will tell You Kit does not
pay" But it is said that any one can get
any book that he wants at the list price by
writing 10 MeSsrs. Van Antwerp & Co.
Can this be done? Suppose each pupil in
the State were to write TO the publishers
every time he wanted L book. how many
clerks would they have 60 employ to at
tend to the correspondence? But, grant
ing that they had Il sufficient clerical force,
would the pupil even then get the book
at list price? Suppose the look wanted is
the First Reader; the list price is Is cents,
the postage on the letter is 3 cents, the
paper and envelope cost cents, which
makes the cost of the book IS cents instead
of ID cents, to say nothing of the risk Of
losing the IS cents through the mail.
In some places it is the fashion for the
teacher to collect the money from the pu-
pills that desire books and send off the
amount to the publishers at his own risk
and expense, but the dclayin thus collect
ing small amounts binders the organiZa-
ton of classes. and to avoid this the
teacher, inexperienced il the ways of
mankind, advances the money, but much
Of it he never gets back after the books are
once in the hands of the pupils, and learn
Ing wisdom from experience, the said
teacher never repeats the experiment.
Our schOOl-books cannot, then, be had
at list prices, except of dealers who handle
them ut their OWL loss for the convenience
of the community. But books must be
had, and in order to meet this demand
some dealers add the expense Of getting
the books TO their wholesale price and then
add the lG % per eel t. allowed by law,
and sell an ll-cent book at Is cents instead
of - cents; Il 2l-oent book at so cents in-
stead OF % cents, and so on. Again, other
dealers buy our textbooks in New York
Philadelphia or Baltimore, and these books
not having tie State contract price printed
on them they sell them ut whatever price
they may desire, and the people buy them.
A number of dealers in our county follow
lawmakers, foresccing that this would be
the case, nave added this provision as part
of the law:
eff any retail dealer. engaged in the
sale of any of said books. shall charge and
receive therefor Il greater sum than the
retail price so published Con the back of
the book, he shall be deemed guilty of Il
misrlemeanoc, and, upon conviction there
OF, he shall be fined not less than five
dollars nor more than twenty dollars for
each oifcnse."
But such Il law is imperative from its
very nature. Who ever heard of 4 court
or Il jury convicting Il dealer for selling
goods at any price he pleased to persons
who bought of him of their own accord.
Had the Legislature gone little farther
and authorized the State Superintendent
to appoint depositarcs-responsible deal
ers-one or more in each county of the
State, with whom the publishers should
deposit school-books for sale, requiring
monthly renrittances and statements. max
ing the State liable for any losses to the
publishers, through irresponsible deposit
itaries, of books that they have furnished
.aid depositarics, with such other details
as might be necessary to carry out effect
ually this provision, the book law would
have been beneficial to the whole people
of the State; but as it is, it Only benefits
the few nearest Cincinnati, Ohio.
A few years ago | had some correspond
ence with the Cincinnati publishers upon
this point, and tried to show them what
difficulties we labored under, and asked