St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-16
TALKED IT ALL over.
At Last That VeXatiOuS School
Board Question Has Been
Investigated.
It Seems That the Board Acted
Contrary to Business
Principles.
Several Laboring Men Injured
by the Fail Of an
Arch.
Corrections and Charities
City Finances--District
Court News.


Que good effect, however. The board of
education will be likely to 60 slower
the next time before ordering
wholesale change of text books in the
public schools. 1t was not shown
that the members of the board who
recommended the change did it through
any but the most honest motives. 1t
was most clearly shown that they rec
commended the change without studying
the subject as it should have been
studied, and without due regard for
the pocket of the book buyers; also in
total disregard of recognized business
principles. That and that alone was
the result of the investigation, and 1t
was enough if it has the effect of max
ing public officers more careful.
There were few visitors to the meet
ing other than those directly interested.
The trades and labor assembly was rep
resented by o. T. Erickson, II. b. Mar
tin and j. l.. Mcdonald. j. S. McLain,
of the journal; Frank n. Stacy, of the
Tribune, and James Gray,of the Times,
formed the committee IF newspaper
men. G. A. Mitchell was invited in by
Mr.. McLain to give expert testi-
mony if needed. The board
of education was represented
by the text book committee, Rev. Nj. +.
Gjertsen, A. G. Austin, j. II. Rolfe and
! the following principals of the high
| schools: j. Z. Crombie, of the Central;
}. NJ. Greer, of the North Side; 9. NJ.
Jordan, of the Adams George B. Alton,
of the Holmes. Supt. Bradley was also
there. President A. T. Ankeny pre-
sided, and f. n. Stacy acted as secre-
tary.
Mr.. McLain explained his position in
the controversy, saying he had asked
Q. A. Mitchell to represent the Journal
at the meeting. The explanation OF the
textbook committee was
| MADE BY MIR. GJERTSEN,
who began by reference to the con-
scientious care that had devolved upon
the board of education in selecting text
books. He himself had made personal
Investigations both as member OF the
textbook committee and as a parent.
| In one branch of study, arithmetic.
| he had come to the conclusion that
the books used were cruelty severe.
His views he had expressed to DR..
Bradley and the members OF the board,
and had said that such books ought TO
be kicked out. He was convinced that
many of the problems in them could
| scarcely be solved by professors OF
mathematics themselves without good
deal of labor. The arithmetics referred
to were RobinSon's intellectual Arith-
meIic, Sheldon's Graded Examples Nos.
| and 2, and Sheldon's Complete Arith-
metic. The substitute he had been in
strumental in having adopted was
| Wentworth'S course of arithmetics-aS
simple and clear as the old book was
difficult and abstruSe. The saving by the
change was S1.10. The change in
language books was for much
the same reason. In conclu-
sion Mr.. Gjertsen said he had
never felt so happy as he did when the
change in arithmetics was made. He
was sure the children of the city would
rise up and call the board blessed for
giving them easier books.
Mr.. GjertSen did not go further than
the grammar school grades in making
his explanation, preferring to let the
discussion begin at this point. Follow
ing Mr.. Giertsen, Mr.. Mcdonald. OF the
trades and labor assembly, replied 10y
citing the burden that the board had
thrown upon the poor people of the
city by the change. He acknowledged
that mistake had been made in the
selection of the original books, but what
guarantee had the public that changes
would not be made whenever new blood
was injected into the board. He die
not think the board could comprehend
the hardShips such move imposed
The true solution of the whole trouble
in his opinion, was free school books.
Mr.. GjertSen arose to make an eX
planatiou when Mr.. Mcdonald had fin
ished. When the children advance
from low to a higher grade, he said
Il I'll nor
books. The board had decided to allow
such pupils to finish the old books fo
the present semester, so that no cos
was imposed upon them. Those whC
wanted to change could do so on pay
ment of the exchange price. Mr.. Erlck
son, of the trades and labor assembly
referred to the case of large families
where books passed from the older tt
the younger child. In such cases thu
change meant dead loss. Mr.. McLail
: said some had also bought their book
in advance.
School Books and Coal.
Mr.. Gjertsen said that CHM & CO
had agreed TO furnish books to children
{ free of charge who couldn't afford t
pay for them.
! 'Do you think many poor peopl
> would avail themselves of thisW aSke
3 Mr.. McLain.
mot one in twenty-five" emphat
A cally INTERCEPTED Mr.. Mcdonald.
The benefits of competition anon
the school book publishers was cited
o and here genuine bomb was throw
s into the camp of the board by Mr.. Nj
Lain, who read a dispatch he had re
: ceived from Columbus, O., yesterda
:, from the editor of the Columbus Di:
!. patch, saying that CHM & Co. ha
/ offered an even exchange of thei
!, arithmetics in that city fC
9 Wentworth's arithmetic. The sam
= exchange of books in Minneapol
was not an even one. He wanted
know why other places were favored
n aud Minneapolis not. The board W.
f somewhat nonplussed, and before
= could recover from its establishment NJ
McLain cited the case of spoilers,
i Detroit. which exchange was also a
u even one. He read dispatch from tn;
II city. Mr.. GjertSen in reply did NJ
- think it necessary for the board to 6
IS into the auction business in regard
le books.
u How does the board buy coal?' i
u terrupted Mr.. McLain. Doesn't it al
d verlise for bids and take care that it
81 not cheated in quality? Why won't Il
X same rule apply in the case of books?
From the books of the gramm
grades the meeting then passed to tt
consideration of the new high scho
n books. Mr. Gjertsen explained that t
- change in the histories had been ma
% because Myers history was fairer al
Ut better book than Swinton's in almC
ri every respect. Mr.. Martin said he II
II derstood that one class in the cent?
at high school was compelled to chan
he while half way through. Mr.. Ro
mt thought that was not true. 1t W
mt proved, however, by Prof. Crombie
he statement, that it was true. although
a resolution of the board, introduced
y. Mr. Austin, permitted the students
is finish out the term with the old boo
Evidence OF Evasion.
5s Mr.. McLain also brought out the Fl
that the board had listed the price