Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-17
lFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENCE

lFROM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT,J
HARRISBURG, February 16.-Undoubt
edly more interest centers about the bill
framed to authorize the introduction into
the public. schools of system of manual
training for boys and of domestic economy
for girls than about any other measure thus
far introduced into the Legislature. The
proposed experiment is an interesting one,
and the commission that originated the plan
for it was composed of some of the best
brains of the State. A brief outline of the
plan has already appeared in THE DIS
PATCH, descriptive of the vital points of the
system, the general details Of which remain
to be slowly worked out.
But there are other matters of almost
equal interest to educators pending at Har-
risburg. Various bills are before the Legis-
lature, or in committee, which propose uni
formity of textbooks through the work of a
special commission, and the publication of
the same by the State, with an additional
proposition to make the books free to all
schools. As the law stands school boards
may now furnish text books free, but Dr.
Nef, of Washington county, is pushing for
ward bill to make the law mandatory in
stead of permissiYe. This plan is favored by
the Department of Education, while the plans
for uniformity of text books and for their
publication by the State are not. 1t will be
news to a great many people, that for about
20 years the city of Philadelphia has fur.
nished textbooks free to the pupils of her
schools, and that in ten cities and boroughs
outside Philadelphia text books are fur
nished free. In addition to this free text
books are furnished in 1.072 schools in 26
counties of the State. 1t is matter for sim
cere regret that in their annual reports the
county and borough School Superintendents
do not give more information on this very
interesting subject, but it is noticeable that
where they do devote space to it they speak
in highest commendation.
MERITS OF THE SYSTEM.
One point of importance is strongly
brought out by the Superintendent of
Schools of Nanticoke, who says: "The cost
to the district is much less than when the
children were required to furnish their own
books and supplies, since large quantities
are bought at great reduction from retail
prices" But of this, more further on. The
favor with which the free textbook system
is received, where tried, is indicated in the
case of Montgomery county, which supplies
them now in 80 districts, while they were
supplleQ III DuI 10 uiSlrlcIs SIX years ago.
There remains now but IS districts in the
county where the system is not in opera
tion, and it is being agitated in these
As to the cost of the system, it
is interesting to find from the
reports for the year that the levy for school
purposes in Montgomery county averages
but 2. "A mills, against an average of $50 in
Allegheny county. In Chester county, with
its 2S3 schools in which textbooks are fur
nished free, the average levy in but 2.67
mills. In Delaware county, in which text
books are furnished free, the average levy is
293 mills These figures do not include
the levy for building purposes. In Beaver,
where free text books are not furnished, the
levy is 7.42 mills. In Cambria, where free
books are furnished in but 275 of 2S3
schools, the levy is 1905, and in many
schools which have not adopted the free
textbook system, the levy is yet higher,
reaching II. % mills in Jefferson county. A
fairer test of the free textbook system
is to be found in the average cost per month
of educating pupil. In Allegheny
county the cost per month is 81 04. In
Chester county, where 282 of 341 schools are
supplied with free textbooks. the cost per
month for each scholar is but 9 cents higher;
in Delaware it is q cents higher, but in
Montgomery, with 235 of its 1868 schools fur
nishing textbooks free, the cost is II cents
less than in Allegheny county, or but SO
cents per scholar per month.
In other counties which do not furnish
free textbooks the cost ranges from SO cents
per scholar per month in Fulton to 81 "a in
Warren county. The average outside of
Philadelphia is "a cents. However, such
data is not sufficiently complete to afford all
the required information. 1t merely serves
- IL Tlo% %ha i L
textbooks are furnished. free is merely
matter of a few cents per month added to
the cost of each scholar. Philadelphia is
the most expensive place in the country to
educate a child, according to the last report
of the Department of Education, which
places the cost per month of each scholar at
81 rs. 1t would be interesting to know Just
what proportion of this amount is paid for
textbooks.
ETHICAL AND OTHER VIEWS.
There are many arguments in favor of
free textbooks aside from statistical ones
that were grouped not long ago in speech
made by Prof Wickersham, whose record
as Chief of the Department of Public In
struction is well-known. He argued that
the public is under as much obligation to
furnish textbooks as to furnish school
houses, seats, desks, etc. In other words
the system ought to be free in all its parts.
The furnishing of textbooks free to the in
iigent alone does not increase their attend
ance at school, as, singing them out as
objects of charity, it creates unpleasant dis
tinctions. "Any argument" says Prof
''that can be made against
free books is equally good against free
schools. The objection against free text
books is best answered when We say
that free schools are now everywhere
to be godsend to the indig-
1ant classes of society, elevating their So
,ial condition, making their labor more ef-