The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-03-18
Fleeing THE STATE WITH BOOKS.
Surprising Results of an Examination by
tho Superfntendent of Education.

Surprising Results of an Examination by
the Superintendent of Education.
COLUMBIA, S. c., March 1.-For
some days State Superintendent of Ed
ucation Mayfield has been making prl-
vate examinations into the mode OF
charges for school books in vogue in
South Carolina, and has made the sur
prising discovery detailed below.
Superintendent Maydeld gave the
following to the press last night, show
ing that the state schools have been
annually feeced of nearly 100000.
| received the other day copy OF
the Arkansas Daily Gazette, published
at Little Rock, in which the prices of
some school books are given as offered
the State of Arkansas. To quote the
exact words, Supc rintendenv Shinn,
state superintendent OF public lnstruc-
ton, has shown us the school book
committee of the Arkansas legislaturej
a proposition from G. S. Burgs, manag-
ing director Of the American Book
company, of Cincinnati, offering to
furnish the schools of the State OF AT
kansas books at the following prices:
McGuffey's readers from II cents TO 80
cents each, Rays new arithmetic Qn-
tellectuaD, 20 cents; PracticaD, 40
cents; uarvey's grammar. elementary,
"a cents; revised, 81 cents; electric ele-
mentary geography, A cents: Red
paths history, 81 cents,
As these prices are so much lower
than zee no1C pGy, was led to make
some calculations as to how much
more we were paying than we ought to
pay. The result of the investigation
was so startling that could hardly be-
lieve had not made mistake IN my
calculations.
TO begin with, take readers. Apple
tons readers are used almost exclusive
" in the state. \ set of five books
cost 50 &c. A set of five books Of Nc
Guffey's is offered the state Of Arkan-
sas for SI.70. The difference is 56 cents
Divide this difference by the number
of books IN the series (5) and we have
an average difference Of eleven cents.
According to the last report of the
superintendent of education, the num-
Der OF children studying reading is
i40,l99, and assuming that only one
book each has been bought since our
last adoption (September, 1889, We lind
that we have paid over and above the
price of books offered another state
$l6,0S1S9 Q1 146,l99.
Barns United States history IS as
generally used throughout the state.
From pUblisht price list as per con-
tract made with the state board,
Barnes history is sold for S1.11. BY
referring to prices given Arkansas you
will see that Redpath's is placed at 64.
The report says that we have 34,5Ol
pupils studying history. BY multiply
Ing this number by the difference IN
price we have S1S,2SS.7l, which We pay
over and above what We ought to pay.
Take arithmetic, according to report
we have in
Mental arithmetic. c................l 1872
Written arithmetic. .SO, ,464
i OLdl 1cH1'O
The two books (Sanford's) and the
cheapest cost South Carolina 81. a
reference to the prices offered Arkan.
sas will show Rays (two books offered
for GO cents, a difference OF 40 cents on
the two books. Then suppose that each
child has bought one book. In that
case they will have paid an average
overeharee of 20 cents each.
2OX1o4,3I6 gives. S5U,S io.ZO
He takes biographies IN the same
manner, and shows that the state pays
19 cents per book more, or ST., ,2S9.99
more than elsewhere. For grammars,
it pays s5,497.57 more. Spelling, ST.
97S a.
He concludes thus: Now, if you will
add up these totals you will be as
startled as I was. Now, remember
that these figures don't represent the
cost of text books. They simply indi-
cate the extortion practiced upon us.
Look at the area of charges: oo
On readers. Slo,Ool.o9
On arithmetics ics............... $3.50 ~
On grammarS. S................ o,49LoI
On histories. eS.................. 1920. ~
On biographies. ieS.............. ll,2S999
On spoilers. 1905
Total. .sSL0l20S
What am l going to Go about 1t?
Sec. 995 sub-dlv. 5, says: That the state
board of examiners shall not have pow
er, without permission Of the general
assembly of the state, to change text
book within (5) five years from date OF
it's adoption. When was the adoption
mades September, 1888. So We yet
have two more years under our adop-
ton, and if, after a demand has been
made to reduce prices, the book people
say they cannot reduce the prices of
books we are now using, shall report
the matter to the legislature and ask
them to relieve the people of this un-
lust tariff.-The State.