Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-06-19
SCHOOL BOOKS.

/ A Subject of General Interest to Parent
and Others Having Children to Edu
| cate.
The four leading school book publish
ing houses of the country which hav'
heretofore been known under the fol
lowing styles and titles, viz:
Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co., Cincin
! natl; 1vison, Brakeman & Co., New
York; A. S. Barnes & Co., New York
D. Appleton & Co., New York, after q
| 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
have felt that the future of their bust
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
off 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 purchas-
ers of the books and give them the ben
eft of the lowest possible prices. To
accomplish this new departure in the
manner OF furnishing school books at
reduced prices, greater economy
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 it
will be able to get better terms in pur-
chasing the paper, printers ink and
other material used in the manufacture
of the books
1t has been stated by the competitors
and opponents of this new company
that as soon as it gets control of the
trade in 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-
tracing as follows:
First, that there will lie no increase
in prices for five, ten or even twenty
years if desired; and second, that if at
any time 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 it is we'll known that the
majority of the school books now
in use in the schools throughout
the country are published by the four
houses which have formed the new COM
pany. 1t is the earnest desire of the
company to have these books contin-
ued in use in the schools, and it will
aim to make it for the interest of the
public to use Them
By a generous policy the new COM
pany expects to increase its bust
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 the books to the
people direct and at lower prices than
school books have ever been bought.