Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-06-27


BOOKS The SAFEST AND BEST PLAY.
Topeka Commonwealth.
The passage of law by our last leo;a.
lature permitting, but not comneliinv
county adoptions of school Textbooks.
leaves considerable room for reflection
as to whether this method of adontino
books is really advantageous to the peo-
pie. We purp0sely say to the naonle
for they stand the expense of school
books. Admitting that there is . strong
feeling for county uniformity among
teachers, and their theoretical motives
to be perfectly honest, we cannot lose
sight of the fact that their pockets are
not affected by change of books II
was therefore wise act which left the
decision of county uniformity with the
people, and it now remains 10 be seen
whether the people really want it.
When one looks around upon the Dis
tricts CT this State, and sees them salts
fed with their district uniformity of
books, it would seem that most extraor-
binary advantages must be shown before
they will give up their privilege of Sc
lectlng their own books and entrust to
outsiders that which their own district
officers have heretofore done
so well. The people will think twice
before they vote away the privilege and
right OF their district board to q county
board, in which their districts may not
even have whole single vote.
County uniformity of school books
means great expense to some one. This
expense will fall upon some districts in
each county; others will get away scot
free. 1t savors strongly of q lottery,
with tails you win, heads l lose. For
why? Because in every county in this
State, it is fair to presume that under
our present district uniformity there are
several series of books in uniform use in
the different districts. To make all the
books uniform to even the books in
majority use would entail large expense
upon the districts which did not happen
to use the books adopted, all Of which
would be avoided by the retention of
the present district system. Every dis
trict has its own preference of books.
To abandon this preference to other dis
tricts, whose judgment of choice may
perhaps be no better, and who certainly
do not know our requirements as we'll
as we know them ourselves, looks very
much like giving up q good thing, which
we know to be good, for something of
whose goodness we know little, and that
little rather doubtful.
It appears then that districts with q
uniformity of books in use in their
schools will be very 10th to run the risk
of being obliged to change them all out,
for the sake of county uniformity of
books which may not suit them half as
we'll, and still less will be disposed to
vote away their present right and power
to select their own books to q body of
men who may adopt series entirely at
variance with the ideas of these districts
and which may not be half as we'll
adapted to the requirements of the
schools as those now in use Again in
our humble opinion. the persons princi-
pally interested in thisnew book scheme
are book agents and publishers. Why
is it necessary, in the face of the fact
that our schools have no reason to COM
plain of their present statue quo 80 far
az regards textbooks, that the state
should be again overrun with the war
whoop of the book agents, and permit
them to put our people to thousands of
dollars of unnecessary expense?