The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-07-31
DRIVING OUT ALL RIVALS.
WORK OF THE SCHOOL BOOK Trust.
The syndicate's Plan of Killing or Com
petition--Its Operations in Missouri,
Illinois, Minnesota and Louisiana
"A Brazsn Monopoly.

tion touching the operations OF the trust in
Missouri and elsewhere and the popular agita-
ton against it. The Post-Dispateb says:
In an investigation OF school-book matters
and the operations of the school.book syndicate
some very curious proceedings come to light,
in Missouri particularly, as there IS no general
school-book law in this state. In Illinois il is
different, as the general law there does not per
nit change OF the line of books used Oftener
than once in four years. That provision offers
some encouragement. and as a result the oppO-
sition 10 the syndicate has obtained some stand
ing there. An attempt has also been made to
cain foothOd in this state, but unsueceSsfully.
A couple of illustrations will give an
insight into the reasons for this fail
ure. At Pacific, Mo-, very small town, the
school-book trade of which, it would seem,
could hardly be worth having, the opposition
succeeded in placing its books. The trade did
not amount to much, but il was an opening for
general competition and threatened the con.
tinuance of the monopoly. To head 1t off the
syndicate agents were sent to Pacific and they
worked around the school authorities until
they succeeded in getting them to throw out
the opposition books and reinstate the syndi-
cate publications from the Van Antwerp house.
To do this, however, they had TO exchange
book for book. taking up those of the opposi-
ton in exchange for their own, and then donate
500 worth of books toward a library. The
opposition could not stand such competition as
this and hope to live and so was compelled TO
submit. Pacific viii, however, IL is safe TO say,
pay for every dollars worth of the books re-
ceived on increased charges on future pur-
chases.
Jacksonville. Mo-, furnishes another illus
tration. The opposition got in there, in the
face of the fight made by the syndicate. But
the syndicate did not give up the fight by any
means. Ii continued it by every means in its
power, and finally a change was made in school
principals. 1t was given out that the change
was due to the desire of the old principal TO
take up the study OF law. But, however this
was the syndicate then succeeded in dis
placing the opposition books giving Its own IN
exchange. and also enough 10 do the second
year. In addition each room in the building,
ten in number, was provided with Ene Web
ster'S unabridged dictionary.
There were also dealings of similar charac-
ter at Peirce City and other small Missouri
towns, none of which furnished a trade large
enough to give any great profit, bit which
combined gave good fOothOld to an infantile
opposition, and which combined under an ex-
tortiOnate scale of prices could be made to
repay the cost Of the syndicate's method OF
competition within q short time.
The Illinois law is very different from that of
Missouri as stated. There, once adopted, a
line of books must continue four years
Under this law tue opposition has
placed its books in number of dis
tricts but not until after they had had fight
driving out competition adopted in Missouri is
not possible in Illinois, but the syndicate ap-
proaches it as nearly possible as is shown at
Carlisle. The opposition after hard struggle
finally succeeded in having its readers and
spoilers adopted there The arithmetic and
the syndicate publishers. To regain lost
ground and TO obtain q better footing for the
approach OF the end of the four years term,
the syndicate has just presented each child at
tending school there new speller and a new
reader, the presentation being made through
the teachers. The opposition books however,
must remain in use, as the teachers cannot
order them out.
The syndicate has also been unable to make
a winning fight in Utah, Washington and Mon
tana. In those territories the opposition has
succeeded in placing its series in almost all of
the schools and the school authorities, recog-
niZing that the fight IS one OF monopoly against
a single enterprise, have persistently refused to
displace them.
The Minnesota law is similar to that just be-
ing placed in operation IN Indiana, with
the exception that il names the man
who is to furnish the books on
contract. Its operation, however, shows the
enormous profits that have been falling to the
book syndicate. The contractor named in the
bin is D. ID. Merrill, large iobber, and his
prices are somewhat above those charged in
Indiana, as gwen in the Sunday Post DisDdtch.
exception as in Indiana that higher prices
were charged wherever the syndicate agents
found an opportunity to extort them. Mr.
Meuills contract was absolute, and the syn
dictate could do nothing to interfere with it ex-
cept by driving him to the wall and forcing
him to throw up the contract. This it pro-
ceeded 10 do, employing every means to ruin
his business. 1t looked for a time as if the
combination against him was certain of success
as by reason OF it he lost almost all Of his job
bling trade. He made money, however, not
withStanding his prices were more than 50 per
cent below the tribute that had been levied by
the syndicate, and now he has fully re-estab-
lished his iobbing trade, has his own printing
house, and is beyond the reach Of the syndicate
Mr.. Merrills experience shows more clearly
than any other evidence at hand the extent Of
the profits of the monopoly when Ii has full
swing, and is free from competition under its
division Of territory arrangement
Another convincing illustration is furnished
by the history of the school book reform agita-
ton in Louisiana. That state has a new law
under which the state board of education adj
yertises for bids for furnishing the books
needed for term OF years. Under this the
board mailed notices to the school book pub
fishing houses, but for some reason unexplained
the opposition company failed to receive its
notice until Just before the time for opening
the bids. The manager left on the first train
for New Orleans, however, and endeavored to
have his bids considered, but the board de-
clIned to do So giving as an excuse that there
was not sufficient time TO examine the line of
books offered The board then adopted Nc
Gufys readers and speller, Hasseli's arith-
metic and copy-bOoks, Nitchelps geography,
and Read & kellogg's grammars The J. b.
Lippineott company, then free from entangle-
ments with the syndicate, offered TO exchange
its line of books for the old ones in use, book
for book The Van Antwerp house had refused
to do this, but It's agent consented TO do so
when he learned Of Lippincott's action. Then
the board of education Of New Orleans which
has half the school children of the state pc
titioned the state board not TO make any
change, and this being followed by q propo-
sitiOn IRON the Van Antwerp agent to reduce
his bid % per cent, the award was made.
The cheap book agitation has also spread to
other sections OF the country. The Chicago
board of education has advertised for bids for
books. and there is a regular free fight there
into which well-knOwn st. Louis agent has
been called within the last few days as the
representative Of the syndicate. The result
will probably be that Chicago viii obtain cheap
books, as the bidding will at least come down
to Indiana prices.
Vermont and Maine have both recently
passed laws, but have not as yet made any con-
tracts. In the former the first bids will be re-
ceived in July, 1890. The bidding will also be
delayed in Maine. Though it is going long
way from home the opposition will put in bids,
and hopes to receive the contracts. 1t will at
least force the syndicate 10 come down to a
level with 1t.
In Massachusetts,, where the free book sys.
tenn prevails, the books are all those of syndi-
cate publishers, and are purchased by the state
at wholesale prices. Three or four sets of
readers are in use there, while the arithmetics
are by the superintendent of one of the Boston
schools The only change in books made re-