Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-02-26

time his stock is liable to be rendered
worthless by an unimportant revision
or the appearance of a new agent in
town or in the district The foreg ing
and many other considerations, some
weighty and some mere pretexts, con-
tribute 10 make a class of books for
which the demand is very large and
constantly increasing, and, unless
something is done to limit their cost,
they will continue to increase in price
in proportion as the dema d for them
increases, and this IS contrary 20 COM
mon sense and common justice.
a remedy for these evils should re-
duce prices to the consumer, prevent
frequent changes and secure as great
degree of uniformity as possible
without bringing about other evils as
! potent as those already in existence,
and from which we seek to escape.
! The remedies thus far proposed are
State publication and distri bu ton,
State purchase and distribution, and
purchase by districts or counties in
the open market. Either of which
plans may be on the free plan, or may
include sale to pupils at cost. For
any one of them it is possible to say
much if one will be a little ind and
fail to see the defects therein.
The plan Of State publication i'm
plies that the State can establish a
publishing house, compile and print
| text books and distribute them more
more large establishments already eX-
listing can do it. This cannot be done
by virtue of large demands, because
large as the demand of state is, it is
small in comparison with the aggre-
gate editions of some of the series now
published in this country. Nor can it
be done : cause state production is
habitually cheaper than that of fri-
vate enterprise, for the rule is that
state management of any kind is the
more expensive. The difficulty of es-
tablishing a publishing house, or of
compiling a text book, without max
ing fat job for political schemers will
be readily recognized, and in seeking
to escape the evil of no uniformity
whatever, We fall into the opposite
extreme of a cast iron leXibility-a
choice by central board far removed
from the people who are most inter
ested in the schools, taking no account
of local wants or wishes. If it were
proposed to select the teachers in our
country districts in such a manner,
the proposition would excite universal
opposition, and yet the necessity of
keeping the selection of he books out
of which the teaching is to be done as
near the people as possible, is just as
great as is the selection of teachers.
Several states have tried the foregoing
remedy and have clearly demonstrate
ed its mpracticability, and proven
beyond question that the evils and
dangers here pointed out are logical
result of the plan of state publication
and distribution. Most of the objec
tions enumerated apply with equal
force to and may be urged against
state purchase and distribution, as
has been exemplified in the reports
gwen of the situation in Minnesota
The chief difficulty, however, attend
ing state distri button is the cost of dis
tributing the books. Indiana has tried
TO to no anI ctr;h nt on6
reports from that st tie 60 to show
that, while the price to the state is
probably cheaper, it must be supple
menied by aD additional COS of thirty
five per cent. for distribution, thus
making the books cost the consumer
as much or more than they did under
the old regime. The possible cheap
ness, too, is more than counterbalanc-
ed by the impossibility of finding any
single set of books that will suit the
localities of the state. The unsatis-
factory results may also be inferred
from the fact that, during the years
the law was in force, none of the peo-
pie did or would not volun tarily use
the books furnished by the state, !
whole counties having rebelled against |
the law and absolutely refused to use
the state series of text books. The rem
edy proved to be no remedy at all, and |
the people are praying to be relieved;
the books are not cheaper and are said |
to be very inferior both as to quality |
of workmanship and subject matter.
Besides, this centralized system of |
state commission purchase depIives
the parents and school boards of all |
choice in the matter as to what books |
their children are to be taught from.
Local choice in matters of this kind !
should not be over ridden, and the
American idea of thought which re-
CARDS school matters as a neigh bor-
hood concern, will not take kindly to
any method which disregards local
wishes.
Those who are seeking remedies for
the school book abuses, would do we'll
to examine the plan adopted in Iowa
a year or so ago, after very full discus
sion and very thorough examination
of the systems in use in other states.
1t is a district purchase plan, with
uniformity in the district in the first
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