The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-02
THE SCHOOL BOOK TRUST.
LEGISLATION TO ROOT IT OUT.
Bills Prepared to Place school Books Under
State COntroI-Agents on the Ground
Fighting the Reform-Publishers
Cannot Form Committees.

State Senator Boyd of Hamilton county in
/ conversation with SENTINEL reporter Satur-
day said that he was preparing bill to be in
troduced early in the session, which. il passed,
would break up the scho0l-book monopoly in
Indiana. Mr.. Boyd has given the subject a
great deal of study and is prepared TO show,
conclusively, that the school-book publishers
doing business in this state are in n trust for
the purpose OF keeping up the prices and to
arrange for the exchange of books when
changes Of text are made by county
boards. 8fr. Boyd's bill will provide
for a state board to take charge of the
matter. The duty OF this board shall be 10
prepare suitable text books, which shall be
published by contract by the state. The con-
tractor will not supply the books to the trade,
but he shall deliver them to the state board
which will supply them direct TO the parents
OF school children, through the county superin-
tendents and township trustees. Under this
system parents will be able to supply their
children with books at contractors prices.
The representatives OF Van Antwerp Bragg
q Co, of Cincinnati, and A. s. Barnes & Co,
OF New York, are already upon the ground to
fight this much needed reform.
For arguments in favor OF continuing the
most burdensome monopoly in the country,
they say that states which tried the experiment
OF regulating the school books have failed to
relieve the people. 1t may be true that in GER
tain states, where the contractors supplied the
trade instead Of turning the books over to the
board. books printed on inferior paper have
been imposed upon the public. Mr.. Boyd's
bill, however, provides that the board shall
specify the quality of paper to be used, and
n
tractors. an examination shall be made
to ascertain whether the contractors have
complied with the specifications. Mr..
Boyd thinks that there are enough honest and
competent men left in Indiana to compose a
board that will not allow themselves to become
subsidized to render the law OdiOus or imprac-
ticable, as the agents of the book trusts claim
has been done in Minnesota and California.
The court reports are now printed at prices
fixed by the state. While many complain OF
the excessive rate, no complaint IS made in re-
gard to the quality of paper or poor binding.
Mr.. Boyd says that the state had no trouble to
select honest men for state-hOuse commission
ers-men vino did not allow a defective stone
to 90 into the building-and he has no doubt
that a board can be composed which viii be as
faithful with the books OF the children of In
diana.
The most absurd argument?) against Mr.
Boyd's relief bill is the one the reporter heard
4 representative of A. s. Barnes q Co. urge
mar or a geography acceptable in one county
might be obiectional in another county. Claim
ing To be a democrat this young man thinks il
would be undemocratic to take the power
away from the county boards TO adopt school
books and centralize this power at Indianapo-
lis. Local option "hOme-rule," "centraliza-
ton" "undemocratic," will be the arguments
of the democratic book-agents, while the re-
Dublicans will rely upon the failure in other
states and poor quality OF paper to convince
the members of the legislature that the great
evil of school-book monopoly cannot be eradi-
Gated.
Senator Boyd is not alone in this reform.
Senator Byrd of Clay county told the reporter
that he regarded the school-book reform OF
more importance 10 the people of Indiana than
tariff reform. Mr. Byrd went before the people
of Clay and Owen counties upon this issue and
a reform in mining laws and carried his
district by a vote exceeding that OF the national
ticket.
The reporter has had occasion to obtain the
views OF several members OF the house upon
this subject OF school-bOok reform, but he has
not vet met one opposed to it.
The first step 10 be taken toward school
book reform said member from the south
ern part of the state lis the appointment of
members on the committee OF education who
are known to be reformerS We don't want
the book trust to form these committees / aln
not pledged 10 any candidate Tor speaker, and
before | cast my vote in the caucus will ind
out who is the candidate of the book-trust /
will not only do this, but | shall be here on
Monday preceding the caucus TO work against
any candidate for speaker who is not a pro-
nounced school-bOok reformer. The only hope
of the book trust is in the election of a speaker
who Will appoint members on the educational
committee picked out by the book
and if We should O. home without
passing reform election law and breaking up
the school book monopoly, the democratic
party viii not have much capital to bank on at
the next election. But this is not party meas
ure II is a movement that every taxpayer
every man who has child to educate in fact
every honest man ought TO Join, regardless of
party. However, the democrats will be re-
spOnsible if the book trust is not destroyed in
this state within the next sixty days. But let
us watch the committees; let none but anti
tional committees of the senate and house-men
who have made a study of this gigantic mo-
nopOly'
Mr. Boyd has not yet determined whether his
bill will make the superintendent of public in
struction ex-Offco member of the school-boOk
board. As the present superintendent is not
friendly to the movement, and as il is generally
understood that he harbOrs in his Office paid
agent Of Van Antwerp Bragg & Co, it is not
probable that the legislature will include him
in the board.
The board must be composed OF men in SYM
patty with the reform, and not with men who
will render the law odious.
Gov. HOvey is strongly in favor of a radical
change in our schoOl-bOOks, and II Is under
stood that he will devote part OF his inaugural
message 10 this subject.
THE sESTINEL's fty dollar pri:e-guessing