The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-02
NeWbern Notes.

NJ. B. Hersh and NJ. S. Swigart have
bought the south half of the S. e. / Of
sec. 81, t. Is, T. 2, also 40 acres in
sec. 80.
Mr. Amsbaugh, of Mansfield, is stop
ping at Col. Swigart's. He will pur-
chase farm here and return for his
family.
Misses Hattie and Alice First, of
Clay Center, have been visiting here for
a short time.
The bridge at the Purdy ford is COM
pleted and is good one.
Our last legislature passed a law Civ
ing to each county the right to adopt a
uniform series of text books. AS the
law regulating the district system is re-
pealed, the question of county uniform
ity becomes a question of much greater
Importance than would at first be sup
posed, since we must have county uni
fOrmity OF no uniformity at all. L I'M
agine that we shall have very deplOra-
bic state of affairs if this matter is not
actedupOn and uniform series adopted.
If each teacher is permitted to intro
duce into his school any book that he
wishes, it will be but short time until
We shall have more different kinds of
books in our schools than could have
been found in that noted AleXandrian
library before it burned many years ago,
and thousands of dollars will have been
uSeleSsly expended for books. Why not
save all this money? Must the good
sacrificing parents who have stood up
so firmly to every interest of our schools
and who have responded SO nObly in
giving literally of their time and money,
that Our schools might be the pride of
our county, must they, ask, beeXpect
ed to buy different books every year for
their children?
Shall the poor man, who labOrs early
and late in order to support and educate
his family, be compelled to pay out s.
or $50 every year for books simply be-
cause he is unfortunate enough to be
renter and compelled to move from dis
trict to district. Let us give him a
betterfate.
But some one says that this change
Will be a great expense. Let us see.
1t is true it will cause many Of the dis
trictS to get other books because, am
sorry to say, that few of the districts
are useing the same kind of books. But
suppose they do get new books, these
books will not be changed for five years
and if the committee acts judiciOusly in
its selection, it is probable that they
will not be changed for twenty years.
Any publishing house will gladly enter
a contract to supply our schools with its
books at Introductory price and guaran-
tee its sale at a specified reduced rate.
This will save to the county in five
years many hundreds of dollars.
| want to speak of just one more
phase of this question and then am
done. If uniform series is adopted it |
must be done by the vote of a majority |
of the districts at the annual meeting |
in August, but if they fail to vote upon
it. then we shall have no law regulating |
this text book question. Who will be |
the judge then as to what books shall |
be used? The teacher, parent and |
school board will be on the same foot
ing. The teacher is put into the school |
room to teach, pupils come from five or
SIX miles bringing as many different
kinds of books. Surely, the teacher
cannot be expected to use all these, but
what can he do?
There are many reasons why we flavor
uniform series, but we will not give
more of them now. 1t is said that there
Ire two sides to every question and we
nope that this one will be Thoroughly dis
'uSSed between now and the annual
Meeting, and that the verdict of the va |
iouS districts may be that which will
Ne for the best interest of our schools.
a. B. C..