Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-02-27
Another Tax TO Pay.
Is TIA NEEDED ONE! IFNor WHAT ARE
YOu GoING To DO ABOUT II!

sclloOl-DoOk houses nave duflng lHe
month, been dancing attendance on the
several county boards of education, that
have adopted books in nearly every
county for the ensuing five years
Each agent has been persistent in his
efforts to influence the members to vote
for the adoption of books published by
the house which he represents, and
books have been freely distributed, ann
ong them eight dollar dictionaries. One
striking feature OF these adoptions is
the variety of books adopted, the lists
varying widely in the different counties
but still more starting feature TO the
tax payers and parents is the fact that
without exception the books adopted
are radical changes from the books now
in use. Where books of the same
name as those formerly in use have
been adopted it has invariably been a
new edition or revision of the old book
which will necessItate the purchase of
an entire new outfit of books by the
parents of our pupils in every town in
this State and by the taxpayers, pro-
viding the people are too poor to in
dulge in this wild and unnecessary ex-
travagance. In most cases the books
discarded are in general and satisfacto-
ry use in thousands of towns and cities
outside of this State.
In face of this record stands the fact
also that the legality of the whole ac-
tion is in grave doubt, the law being
construed differently by leading law
yers of the State. Many claim that
the present Boards whose term of office
expires at the March election are not
the proper parties to make changes and
adoptions which the law says must be
made by April LIST and advertised in
the county papers during the first sew
en- days of April, but that the Boards
to be elected at the coming election are
the proper parties. Among those who
construe in this latter way we under
stand is the father of the present school
law who has since become a just
ice of the Supreme Court. 1t is esti-
mated that it will cost the parents of
the children of Vermont more than one
hundred thousand dollars to make the
changes ordered by the several County
Boards.
For instance, in Orange and Wind
sor counties the amount necessary TO
furnish the pupils with new books
would be equal to tax of ten cents ON
dollar of the Grand List.
1t can be said to the credit of a res
pectable minority of the members of
these boards that they took sensible
view of the situation and were in favor
of adopting such books as were salts
factorily in use.
Let those members who are respOn-
sible for putting the burden OF this
change of books on their constituents
stand up and be counted, and when the
voters 90 to the polls next Tuesday let
them see to il that conservative men
are elected in their places, men who
will do what they can TO lessen this
useless expense. Besides all this, the
subject of free text book bill is already
talked of and in view of the action of
these county boards would seem the
only refuge of the oppressed parents
who have difficulty enough already to I
keep their children in school Without ,
the unnecessary burden and expense of ,
too frequent book changes. True,
there is no method for compelling in
iignant parents TO purchase an entire ,
new supply of books for their children 7
and throw away those they already 7
have, and in one notable instance in
,he history of this State, the people re- |
;ented successfully such an imposition
and refused in such large numbers to T.
purchase Frenchs arithmetics ordered G
" the board of education as to practi- "
ally nuIlify the law. fl
At any rate we advise the people to o
70 slow in spending any money in this o
way until the legality of the past ft
months action has been fully establish e,
d and until it is definitely known b
whether this State like Mass. and some b
ther States is to provide free books II
or all of the pupils. Of
1t would be an extreme hardship for ic
he parents of three or four children to ..
ay out fifteen or sixteen dollars for b,
ew books in Sept. if the Legislature in bl
November should ordain free books.
Let ms await the action OF the legis- ri