Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-01-03
THE SCHOOL BOUK MONOPOLY.

At meeting of the Southwest Mis-
souri, Teachers Association, at Nevada,
December, 22nd and 23rd, the follow
ing resolutions were introduced by
Prof. ). E. Wolfe, superintendent Of
the Moberiy public schools. The l., So
lutions were discussed ut length, but
for some unknown reason, no action
was taken OIL them. They tmbudy
the poiHts in the question SO clearly
that we publish thrin in full.
Whereas, The general assembly of the
state of Missouri, at the session OF 1873,
passed q law providing that the presi-
dents of the boards Of education of each
county in The sta should meet at the
county seats of their respective CONN
ties, on the the first Tuesday III JHssrl-s
ary, 1875. and every five wears. thcre-
after, ior the purpose of adopting text
books for use i'm the public schools "f
said counties during the five years en-.
suing, and providing further thai ,he
each county should be made to conform
to the list adopted as sOUn thereafter as
practicable, and that 10 change should
be made in the text books IN use bv
which All, book would be Introduced
into the public schou ., winch j. uI in
the list adopted Tor each county,
and,
W hereas, In accordance with the
above law, adoptions were made in
1875 and 1880, and have not secured u
uniformity Of text books in the rcsprc-
tive counties Ot the state on account of
a disregard of the law by the boards of
education of the state, and,
Whereas, During the last few years
there has been formed ine most w.al-
thy aud formidable book s,ndirnie
known to history, including nearly all
the great publishing houses oi lie
United Staie., " hich syndicate puts an
end to competition and is ,li as Iuus
to the millions vi ho buy text books as
it the luaInlmUlh publishing hnu>" had
the monopoly of t rmishing text books
for this great nation. and
Whereas, II the text book conven-
tion> in accordance with this law meet
OH January 6, 1885, and make adop-
tioms tor their respective counties, The
people of the state will be bound by
such adoption for the five Years next
ensuing, and legislation by way OF re-
vision Ur repeal # The text book law by
our general assembly to the contrary
Notwithstanding, and
Whereas. not only has the present
law not secured IL uniformity in the
counties Of the state, but u county uni
forini;y is not what the people need,
but Il uniformity throu hUul the enlire
state So that the thousands who are
obliged TO remove from one county 10
another i'll the stale will find the same
text books in use throughout The length
and breadth OF the comlnonw eallh of
Missouri, and
Whereas, 1t is well known to those
who have given attention to the SUBJ
ltct. that u State can authorize the Coiii-
pliutiUn OF u series ot text books for the
slale, and let out their publicariou TO
the lowest bidder, and thereby furnish
text books 10 the SLU,O children of
Missouri at prices vastly below The
prices now paid to private publishing
houses, and that other States have al
ready moved in this direction, notably
the state of California by IL recent
adoption of constitutional amend
ment providing tor the compilation and
publication OF II series at text books for
The state. Therefore, be it
Resolved, by the educators Of SOUTH
west Missouri, in conven ion assembled
at Nevada, Mo. this 23rd rav of De-
cember, 1884, that we recommend that
the conventions of directors which as-
semble in their respective county seats
Tuesday January 6, 1885, adjourn with
out making any adoption, and rccom-
mend to their representatives i'll the
Missouri general assembly that they
give the text book question early and
careful attention.
Resolved, Farther, that we recon-
mend that the legislature at its next ses-
sion, january, 1885, repeal the present
text book law and enact in its stead a
law providing tor the creation of
convention OF educators whose duty it
shall be to confer with the publishing
houses with view 10 securing reduced
guaranty prices on series OF text
books TO be Used in the public schools
of the state for term oftivc wears. and
providing. further, that upon failure to
secure satisfactory guaranty prices
from such publishing Iouses, the state
lall be empowered to take steps with
a view TO the compilation aiId puU.Ica-
ton of series for the state.
Resolved, That this convention an.
thorize the publication of ten thousand
copies of these resolutions to be sent
throughout the state that every mem.
Der OF the textbook convention and
the papers OF the state may read them
eiore the adoption is made.