The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-03-01
THE SCHOOL BOOK MATTER
POOLS AND RINGS IN MISSOURI.
A Timely Lesson for Study by the People
of Texas and Their Lsgislators-
Some Surprising Develop
ments at jefferson City.


ook agents that great deal of atten-
on is now being paid to the various
Measures proposed to the Legislature to
ave the state from the school-book mo-
Iopoly evil. With the exception of one
ill, which Is favored greatly, none of
This ene bill is entitled senate bill No.
Is, and was introduced by Senator Ball.
Il proposes the establishment OF q
,choolb book publishing board, to consist |
IF the state superintendent of public !
schools, the president of the faculty of |
he state university and the presidents |
IF the faculties OF each of the three |
state normal schools and their sue
,essors, with the state superintendent of
public schools as the president ex-ofllcio
of the board. The bill prescribes the
duties of the board, which shall b5 to
'sadopt or compile" q series Of text
books to be used in the common schools
OF Missouri.
THE PRESENT LAW.
The emergency for this bill lies with
ats great Importance to the rr..ST,o."
Under the present law, It is claimed the
school-book publishers have been en-
abled to form pool for the purpose of
keeping up the prices of books, and UNI
der its provisions uniformity of text
books is secured, as follows: "a meet
ing of the presidents OF the boards of
education, Of cities, towns and villages,
and directors of districts, shall be held
at the county seats OF the various coun-
ties on tho first Tuesday in January,
1875, and every five years thereafter, Tor
the selection Of text books to be used by
the schools in the various branches to
be taught in the public schools OF tho
state" In accordance with this
law the various counties OF
the state have selected their
books twice, and this year some
of them have contracted for them the
third time. 1t is understood that OIL of
these counties have already contracted
with the publishing house of Van Ant
worp, Bragg Il Co. tor their supply oil
text books i1r the next five years, while
the remaining counties have RETAINED
from making contracts until after the
Legislature had adjourned and a new
law had taken the place Of the present
one.
Now few facts with regard to this
proposed new law will doubtless be in
terestluS. In the first place, The bin
proposes to hGyS the books published
within the walls OF the pehitentiary
with convict labor,
TIE INwARDNESS OF TIL T. SEW Law.
II Is not generally known that the
Journal Printing and Publishing com
pany Of his city, which has its head
quarters in the Penitentiary and
employees % convict printers at the rate
of 40 cents per day, is presided over by
Thomas T.. Critten3en, jr., son OF the
ex-governor, and that certain publish.
ers throughout the state are Interested
in II. In the final message of Governor
Crittenden the attention Of the people OF
the state was called to the schOOl-bOok
monopoly, IL being stated i'm the mes
sage That thGre WAS publishers pool in
eXistance by which tho parents OF school
children were Systematically robbed.
As a remedy for this evil, the governor
recommended that the Legislature pass
either a law giving each county the
privilege Oi selecting such schoOl-bOoks
as II chose, or a law enabling the state to
publish its own schOol-bOoks, the latter
course being no commended a. th8hGtter.
THE NEW scl9Sl LOOK RING.
40 v, tom what has been stated here,
1T may be surmised that there is a largo
sized "uiggern in Mr.. Balls wood pile.
The names of all the parties who are
working tor the success of senate hill
No. ll5, which Mr.. BAH fathers, cannot
be ascertai1ed to-day, but II is learned
thai among them arc a number Of OK
state officers and a Mr.. :. ID. Carpenter,
| With the latter this article has more u
do than with the others, since the ! gt
ter's indiscretions nave caused it to he
written. Some time ago this MIR. Car
penter called on tho agent OF the ID. APP
I ..IM l.It BAL NNNr IN
| Louis, and proposed To him that he in
duce ID. Appleton 81 Co. to purrhas,
/ tina right 20 supply the state O.
| Missouri with books for Tho
next 10 years. lie informed tht
agent aud that Mr.. Balls bill would hi
introced at the proper time, and ina
the Dill would pass beyond the SHADOW
Of a doubt, "Now,n says Mr.. Carpen
ter, "the way we figure this thing on
We can make $4,000 out of the cuntraC
30 print these hooks IN the next tel
years, 1t your house 50 desires we vii
let them in with IA for half that sum
$4,000 What ia you say ' Tho agen
did not answer, except to say that h
did not think his house would give u
: that much unless the price Of schO,
, books was putup higher than at preseu
> MIR. Carpenter reappeared here ON ID
J 2Sth of January, the day on which SEM
, tor Ball introduced his b,ll.
BUEN THIS LETTER,
, On that day Mr.. Carpeu or wrote
letter. IL was addressed 10 the st, Lou
agent OF d. Appleton " Co. Thole'u
is now I'm the possession of an agent
y another school-UOOk hose, and hi
. been used With number OF the men
Z bers OF tho house the pas, week,
u CONFIDENTIAL
o HYPERION CITY, jan, 2N.--MN De-
SIR: Have got things pretty near
ready, uud the way never seemed mo
clear for any object ] think the plan
@ suggested 10 YOU suits all with whom
II have couvorsed, Would like To he
a. from your company, ami II they are ss
iShed | can put the matter In course
= once. Have got bill ready aud ha
=. put the price as ! sugg slcd, and
:, seems % please all. No one has {
l. jpeiei 10 10 years, What, u ouythit
i have pou heard. Please answer by
turn matt Yours etcp
:. ID. CARPENTER
)" What answer was made eau not
m learned,nor can It be ascertained how
l- the agent ol d.. Appleton X Co. We
l Into ths scheme, but Judging FROM
~ standing OF the house ana the shrev
or ness OF iis agents 10 may bQ inter-
OF that he went lust tar enough.
h. Some heavy lobbying has been do
~ In behaltof this bin.
OF WHAT WILL THEY DO WITH Try
ar The members arc all fAvOrably (
In posed to the bill, ns ON lts face II L
very fair one. What they will do "
10 now, should Il he reported nlvora
10y Mr., Ball, itls doubtful. IL " llk
a that they will take ~ Senator Vance
.,,o nil, or some other ono equally aS iu
~ Some interest Ia felt rs 10 what Mr.. {
'en tors report, ~ chairman of the spe
led school. nook cnmuditee of the house,
tad be. It Is not Likely thai the penitonti
no will he called ON To furnish the bn,
my however, after these revelations, no
iva it likely that the Democratic eN'sih,
'ny OF this state will lobby during the
- mginder uf the session with all the
,"d vor which they have shown thus far
would not be y bad idea on the par
Senator Ball 70 move the appOintm
of an investigating committee, and
tho newspaper correspondents he
ny chance to get still further into the In
uul workings OF the new schOol.hook !
aud Special Correspondence Glo0e-I
~ NJ ocrat.