The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-04-01
A TRUST IN SCHOOL BOOKS.

We have had a trust in bread and
almost every article of diet. There
has been. and are trusts in steel, in
lead, and in almost every article used
by the people.
We had hoped that the greed of
monopoly would be satiated before it
should touch upon the food of the
brain, and that the little children's
school-books might escape it's clutch.
Aside from the robbery of the people
and the hindrance to education in
such a trust, it is the most obnoxious
of all trusts because it gives a monop-
oily of brains as well as Of trade. A
trust in sugar or oil OF any like article
has merely the effect of raising the
price. It does not compel any de-
terioration in quality. But it is not
50 with school books. Authors are
employed to write them for publishers
under contract. If the trust is main
tanned they will not pay for new and
improved textbooks, and there would
kbe deterioration in the originality and
character Of the works sold to the
people.
The New York World of a recent
date gives it's readers nearly two
columns of what it vouches for as
" FACTS" in brief, about as follows: A
few rich publishing firms, desiring to
control the entire business Of school
book making in the United States,
have formed Ga corporation in the
nature of a trust" It's purposes are
to ~monopolize this business and make
"gains at the sacrifice of the public
interest p" "The school book trade in
this country has hitherto been con-
Quoted by q number of houses sharply
competing with each other" One
result of this competition has been to
stimulate the production of better
books, as we'll a. cheaper books. GAS
a consequence" says the World, " the
school books Of the United States
have been recognized by educators
everywhere as the best IL use in any
country" But competitor grew 80
sharp that in order to lessen it the
principal houses in the trade some
time ago formed a syndicate for the
purpose las they said) to avoid disas.
trous warfare and soften the as perities
of rivalry" This "syndicate or
"gentlemen's agreement" like the
old courtesy of the trade" was not
sufficiently restraining on some, and a
/" more perfect union" and " closer
alliance" was desired and representa-
tives of the firm of Van Antwerp,
Bragg & Co., of Cincinnati, visited
New York and ~"proceeded to
brighten" D. Appleton & Co., A. S.
Barnes & Co., and Ivison, Brakeman
& Co., into assent to their plans by
pointing them to the fact that several
States in the West had revoIted
against the intolerable tyranny of
this Cincinnati house over their
schools. "The granger sentiment
rose in arms against it," California
and Indiana had provided by law for
estate publication of all school books
to be used in the State" and bills Of
the same import are even now before
the legislatures of Ohio, Iowa, and
New York.
The new corporation is to have
quarters of its own in New York,
under the management of Mr.. Cath
cart, of Iveson, Brakeman & Go. The
manufacturing is to be done by D.
Appleton & Co. ond A. S. Barnes &
Co. A reduction Of about 10 per
cent. will be made in prices until
competitors are either drawn into the
the trust or driven out Of business,
when prices will be re arranged to
suit the greed of the corporation.
And the World very truthfuIly adds,
"The outlook, if this monopoly should
succeed, is deemed by educators nat
urally and necessarily as a gloomy
one" in that a few people will be
employed with paste-pot and scissors
to patch up cheap books and put them
off upon people, and the rivalry
for excellence in their production will
be destroyed. And the LOBBY in1u.
ence of these combined millionaire
publishing houses will be immense and
dangerous in our State Legislatures,
if not in the National Congress.
To fight this trust the Chronicle
would commend a North Carolina
organization, recently proposed by
Maj. Jno. W. Scott, of Moore, to pub
lish school books for our schools. We
believe that such an organization,
properly managed, in every State
would kill the school book trust as
the Farmers Alliance killed tbs jute
bagging trust.-State Chronicle.