The Russellville Democrat., 1890-06-19
SCHOOL BOOKS.
Subject of Hs1craI Int~rest to Parents l hnd others Having Children to Eda.


 A sasIsct of tse1eraI Interest to Parents
 hnd Others Having Children to Edu- cate.
 The four leading school book publish. ing houses of the country which have heretofore been known under the fol. lowing styles and titles, viz:
 Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co, Clncin, natl. ivison, Blakeman 6 Co., New York; A. s. Barnes & Co.,, New York; D. Appleton &5 Co.,. New York, after a full and careful consideration of all the circumstances, have decided to form an incorporated company for the prose- cution of the school book business. They realize that the time has come when something must be done and. some means devised for reducing the cost of school books to the people and for enabling the patrons of the schools to purchase their supplies of books di- rect from the publishers at net prices wherever they desire so to do. They ness is seriously threatened by the pop ular prejudice which has been created by the exorbitant prices charged for school books by the local retailer. There have been too many profits made of of school books, and in reorga nizing their business into this new stock com pany they do so for the purpose and with the determination to establish closer relations with the actual purchase ers of the books and give them tho ben eft of the lowest possible prices. To accomplish this new departure in the manner of furnishing school books at reduced prices, a greater economy In manufacturing the books and In conducting the business must be practiced, and this is the object held in view by the firms above named in forming the new company. Under this new organization one plant and one force of clerks and agents will do the business which has heretofore required several expensive establishments. The saving of expense in this direction will be evident to any one, and beside this there will also be material advantage to the new company in the fact that 1t will be able to got better terms in pur- chasing the paper, printers ink and other material used in the manufacture of tho books.
 It has been stated by the competitors and opponents of this new company that as soon as 1t gets control of the trade in a State it will at once increase the price of books. The falsity of this criticism can not be better proven than by the willingness of the new com pany to give guaranty with satisfactory bond in any reasonable amount, con tracting as follows:
 First, that there will be no increase in prices for five, ten or even twenty years If desired; and second, that if at any timo the new company's prices shall be reduced to lower figure, that re duced price will at once become the established price under all contracts. To those who are informed in the matter 1t is we'll known that the majority of tho school books now in use in the schools throughout the country are published by the four houses which have formed tho new com pany. It is the earnest desire of the company to have these books contin- ued in use in the schools, and 1t will aim to make it for tho interest of the public to use them.
 By generous policy the new com. pany expects to increase it's busi. ness and to secure the widest possible sale for its books, realizing that the only way in which this can be accom- plished is by furnishing tho books to the people direct and at lower prices thar school books have ever been bought