Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-30
THE SCHOOL BOOK MONOPOLY.
Two Bills On the Subject Before
Iowa's Legislature.
CONCERNING PUBLIC PRINTING.
A Proposition For the state to Open
an Establishment OF It's Own
Farmers Unable to Ship
Their Grain.
Getting Down to Business.


BEE. THE legislature has had nearly a
week of preliminary work, and will soon
settle down to business. So many members
seemed to feel that they would not be earn
ing their salary if they did not introduce
number of bills, that it has taken some time
for them to unload and get ready for work
instead of buncombe. The com nittees have
been organized long enough for them to sire
up the task before them and begin to dispose
of some of it. This coming week there will
probably be a number of bills reported back
to the house in which they originated, ready
for action of some kind.
FREE SCHOOL BOOKS.
The school book question is one of the
prominent ones before the legislature so
far there has been no well-defned policy in
the minds of majority of its members as to
what should be done. There is general
feeling that some relief from the monopoly
must be afforded, but it is not so clear what
that relief should be. The bill most dis
cussed so far is that of Senator Finn, chair
man of the senate committee on schools. His
bill is quite broad and elastic in its provis-
ions, and provides for using the executive
council as special school commission, with
out extra expense. This commission is to
state at the lowest contract price, aud if sat
lsfactory terms are not offered then the COM
mission can publish a series of text books
themselves. The feature of having the state,
under any contingency, 90 into the business
of publishing books is regarded by many as
the unfortunate part of this bill. There is
very general opposition to move of this
kind.
Senator Harsh, another new member, has
also prepared a school book bill. His bill
provides for submitting the question of free
text books to the voters of any school district
or district township at the time of the school
election. If they vote for free text books,
then the district, at public expense, must fur
nish all the text books needed for a period of
not less than three years. If so ordered. the
school board, in consultation with the county
superintendent of schools, and city superin-
tendent when such officer exists. shall select
q series of books aud the necessary paper,
states and pencils and furnish them to pupils
free of charge. The board, however, is not
compelled to be bound by the advice OF the
county superintendent, thus leaving it free
to act in case he shall seem to be unduly in
fiuenced by any publisher. The advantage
claimed for this bill is that it secures uni
formity in the district and furnishes the
from one district to another it will make no
pecunlary difference to them should another
set of books be used, for they would be sup
piled without charge. Senator Harsh's bill
thought that this or something like it will
pass.
THE STATE PRINTING.
One of the reforms that is being discussed
relates to saving in the matter of the state
printing and binding. At present the state
printer and the state binder are elected by
the legislature and are permitted to charge
for their work according to an established
schedule of prices. The bills for this work
amount to a large sum every year, and some
tr,lyt hn r,nr tnn1 fhn
state were to furnish IA printing and binding
Office of its own and do its own work. SEN
ator Weber has introduced a bill for that pur
pose, which provides that the executive
council shall set apart rooms in either the old
or new capitol, where the printing shall be
done under the direction of foreman, whose
salary shall not exceed s., 500 per year. The
foreman is to employ the necessary
printers and binders, and they shall do all
the printing and binding required by the
state upon the order of the secretary of state.
The fact that the old capitol is about empty
and being put to no service by the state, sug-
gests to many the advisabiity of turning it
into state printing and binding Office. 1t is
hardly likely that Senator Weber's bill will
pass, though some changes in the present
methods may be made.
MORE CARS NEEDED.
The scarcity of freight ears in northwest
and often hardships to the people of that sec
ton. Complaints are received by the COVER
non Ei i , Uii t,,is nutJuu.
I oNoiS uaS' -, LILY o,S ~ o,, weS'ot ~
roMa .lloi1 s nv " shai. oiosaIo opeh W
ny an u,Soi1 az W go
sllp away .loii n anu oo I,ies lcnuss
W 'afe amy iioi1 M, W. ao,o S"m @ oI oNeeu t
1uo " VIZ. Wy S nc "a, ;,s VIZ iia'o ooon
tooh,nS " .no oa u ] uo,' * iaiu ;oi iiio,ieS
W pay iniioiesI t ga a''d ,.Mo' oli
t%.i o,,os ~ 70 r,ot Sora 60 oSrnot ot
W. i 49,, i;n,,u 1o sou any
-; ,h uoii dir eai 20 f'ii, oiI baa & uO
~ w. s;th tno 1 t't 10 nanna ~, AZ t
.neS toeSiolS o,,i, ouo ~ ; M w moS
~ ~ ~; ,I ~ so ~ W nnntL,nnst nuonn
p SiUp' ,m pa, Vi tb 'oods on ~. wv go W
nr;Ii,, .,ratttad, than, 0- "' -0A'' 'N--p0i
E ,;oita -
soldiers, home Mt Marshniltown broupht hack
very flattering reports of its conditions and
the good work it is doing. This is the first
experience IOWA mas hau WIN sucn an lhsIitu-
ION 'it Tho bniidin% which ,n hnmdsondiW as
well as substantially, built, contains accom-
| modations for 300 old soldiers, and by crowd
| ing some, 400 might be taken care OF. The
nY,crais navo % pieitS % foou ioou 70 cav;
heated bv steam. They have games for,
| amusement, reading for entertainment, and
find the time pass very pleasantly. Their is
| some talK OF having the leslsiature pass a Dlli
ma,innal soidicps, home '"u nn condi,inn hat
i