New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-16
THE SCHOOL-BOOK TRADE.
ITS CONTEST WITH THE BOOK AGENTS.
SUIT BROUGHT BY ONE FIRM AGAINST THE

STATE OF INDIANA.
AN important struggle Is now I'm progress between
INC icadihg schOolbook publishers OF the country and
the army Of agents thoy have employed At a con.
iefonce held early last summer the publishers decided
" uo away with tn, Of so many intermediate
agents. and. far as possible TO transact their bust
hoss directly with schools and school boarls The
lniuohce OF the agents throughout tho country Is a
i"ieo one and this action gave rise to a general
movement on their part against the publishers Tho
Ior houses doing most Of the school book trade are
lNISoh blskeman Co., 4. s barnes 4 Co and D.
NpPc'oh d Co., OF York and Van Antwerp,
hragg Co.. Of Cincinnati. Harper & Brothers. and
Llppihcott of Philadelphia. also do large business
III sohoot books, and arc in sympathy with tho other
hrIhS III the movement One of the phases OF the
con'e't Is the action taken by the Indiana Legislature
10 dnhul all contracts with book publishers and to
nave Inc state supply its books for public school
purposes. lvison, Brakeman & Co.. having contracts
extending over term Of years have Just brought suit
IN inc United states Court at indianapolis to test
inc validity Of the School Act passed by the last
Legislature
Tribune reporter called on this firm last week
10 obtain 'frth"r information on the point, involved
IN ths suit, and the schOOl-bOok contest generally
"eorge H. Cathcart. OF the members OF the firm
Sau mat the action was primarily TO restrain the
Indianapolis School Board from substituting a series
! or books for one published by his house. A breach
Oh contract IS claimed but other mora important con
stitnhonal questions will come up for the court to
pass on.
The public school system Of Indiana, Mr. Cathcart
SAID has for several years ranked with that of the
eaIlhS states Of the Union. Large appropriations
nave been made for its maintenance and liberal laws
nave enabled cities, towns AMI local boards OF cduca
non TO build fine schOolhouses and employ efficient
teachers Among the various powers thus delegated
to these boards that Of selecting tho textbooks
and making contracts with publishers for supplies
The patrons Of tho public schools those who pay the
taxes for their support and exercise personal super
vision over them naturally had the deepest concern
in their welfare; and would suppose they would
seek 10 buy whatever required for the use
OF the schools IN the open market whore the best ar
Gle could be had al the lowest price. through the
natural laws Of competition. But the blight Of the
soclaIlstc wave, which has bred such distress and
havoc 10 railroad and ohcr corporate and moneyel
Interests In of tho Granger States fell almost
un'owardly upon the school-book publishers and they
were quickly denounced a ring Of cXtortoncrs and
robbers and more lately great Trust combination
Of evil portcn in some Of these States tho school
book publisher has been made a party issue in poll
tics and every conceivable misrepresentation has been
put forth to blind the people to position and
to make them feel that arr really an octopus which
Will gradually strange them unless DESTROYED. Leg
Isatlve action ha, I'm some been sought. and
bills innumcrable seeking alleged relief have been pre-
scnted. The only serious outcome of 1t all has been
the present law OF Indiana, which passed by the
last Legislature Of that State. This law provides that
tho State Board Of Education shall ask for proposals
for supplying books 10 the publ: schools Of Indiana,
conforming a certain standard and at certain prices
which are named and that the books thus selected
shall be used throughout the State to the exclusion
Of all Others
Can they Just good booksl'
That is just the issue. The standard OF merit
and makeup required is that of books published
twenty years ago long before the present advanced
methods Of teaching which incorporated in the
textbooks Of today and In no way comparable in
style Of manufacture these books, and the prices
and conditions such that It obviously not
expected that any reputable publishing house would
respond the call for proposals, and as matter Of
fact, did. Some politicians Of Indiana and other
speculative persons then organized stock company
and went cunning for what they could find. They
succeeded in getting obscure set Of reading books
and anthmeucs from 81. Louis publisher. and an
equally obscure series Of geographical textbooks from
a Minnesota publisher; and these they propose, By
virtue Of contract with the state Board Of Educa
ton. under the law. to fost upon the people Of In
diana whether they them not, thus placing
tho enormous supply of these leading textbooks for
that great state IN the hands of political ring
Indianapolis
But what Is the ground" asked the reporter, for
which Is all inteuts trust! Is that not the real
cause for the agitation you speak Off
There is no combination, any combination
which can be twisted distorted into anything like
trust We have been amazed to see reputable journals
seriously publish statements with so little founda-
ton There are perhaps dozen publishing houses in
the United states which may be considered representa-
tive houses in this line of business They have grown
up almost with the public school system Of the coun-
inst lv credit
largely contributed the progress and high standing
Of that system with the increase of population there
came also an increase in the number OF schools ana
attendance and hence an increase in the number ana
kind of textbooks required; so that the competition
among these publishers became exceedingly sharp and
travelling agents were be found everywhere solicit
ing the introduction Of new books and the consequent
disbursement of those In use This In the course OF
time grew to be bad thing both for the publisher
and the public Unnecessary changes In books were
ofen made and the publishers were Kept III
nevcrending state Of excitement over the warfare
between the agents. This went on until ahout zen
years ago when three Of the largest houses in the
business came to an understanding by which mey
sought to put stop to these evils and 10 restrain and
control their travelling men. The publishers mem
selves were largely TO blame for the unhappy con-
dton of the business. They had allo"ed 'ner
travellers I'm many cases too much latitude anu Gu
couraced too often measures OF aggression winch eo
toward dcmOTalZatiOn lhefc was lTl''"'' a. ''i"'
well be siIpposed I'm the effort to carry ont this agree
ment But these houses pcr,evered until in time all
the school-book houses, with few nconSpcuous eA-
ccptions Joined in agreement OF SIM
lar nature. and that IS substantially inc
only combination that now exists or ever
existed. among the school-book puOIi'h'rS-dn
agreement seeking to control travelling a-'u'' an'
for the pdrpoe Of rectfyinc such abuses a. ha grown
ont of that system In connection with the Introduction
Of books There Is nothing in the agreement "ihch
in any way controls fixes prices or thdt p''Ne"'S
any house from Offering IT, books anywhere ana Oh
is own terms nor is there any provision Tor poor
ing or dividing profits: nor any single ie'''c winch
conforms to anything corresponding Win "nd' CIV
known a. trusts may we'll read 10 lou ron
the ,,,e.r,c,t ,yba, il siys in this respect. From