The morning call., 1891-02-09
THE soHooL-nooK QUESTION.

1t should be worth the while of the LegIs-
lature at Sacramento to pay some attention
to the proceedings now pending in the Legis-
lature at Albany, n. Y, on the school-book
question. AT the present time in the State
of New York School Commissioners select
certain list of books to be used in the
schools, and parents buy them, except
w here they are too INDECENT to afford the
expense. when they are paid for by the
State. The publishers of standard school
books are free TO charge their own price,
nd they generally manage TO grow rich out
of the business. Thus the Fifth Reader
which is supplied to pupils at 81 0S, is
said to cost the publisher not over forty
cents.
Two bills have been introduced in the
Albany Legislature which differ in details,
but have the-same general object in view.
They contemplate The selection or compila-
tion of certain school books, to be known as
public school textbooks Of the State of
New ork." They are TO consist of one
spelling book, four reading books, two
arlthmetics, two grammars, one history of
the United States, one treatise on the Civil
Government of the United States and OF
New York State, ore hysical geography
and such book OF books on drawing and
W l4lluS us lue ItECllS VI tllC NlAi'OAiN "
the School-book Commissioners, as the case
m ay be, shall select When the Regents or
Commssioners-on of the two bills i'm
poses the duty on the former, while the
other confers il on the latter-Iave selected
or have compiled works which meet their
appreciation, they are to copyright them and
to advertise for bids for printing aud Dlnd-
ing them. The award is to be made TO the
lowest bidder. BY adding the sum paid
under the award to the cost of compilation
or OF copyright where a book already in cir
culation is selected, the exact cost of the
book is ascertained, and at that price the
State is to furnish the books to the 1914
Geo scholars who at the present time attend
the public schools in New York.
These bills meet with opposition in
various quarters. They are opposed, of
course, by the publishers of school books,
W hose monopoly they threaten. They are
also opposed by teachers, on the ground that
if the State goes into the publishing bust
ness and fathers a set Of textbooks they will
become fixtures, and it will be extremely
difficult, ii possible, to renovate them as
knowledge progresses or 10 supersede them
when they become obsolete. At the
present time when textbook is super
aEnuated it is dropped by the schools, and
its place is taken by newer publication in
touch with the evolution of modern thought.
is urged by the leaders of educational
science in New York that this could not be
done if the change involved the sacrifice of
a large quantity of books awaiting distrbu-
ton at the school headquarters at Albany
One ii the most prominent professors OF
! that science, Mr.. Cole. Superintendent OF
the schools at Albany, long ago tool
| the ground that the true solution of the
school-book problem was for the State tC
| furnish all books used in the common
schools. His idea is that If all pupils were
supplied with books at the cost of the com.
monN ealth the distinctions which now
exist between those who furnish their
| own books and those who are furnished
! with books on the plea of indulgence would
| be Ooiterated and the schools would become
| in every sense common TO everybody. By
supplying all the books required the State
would do away with the delays which now
| occur at the beginning of every school term
from tie neglect Of pupils TO supply them
selves with books, and the argument now
| used against the Introduction of new and
! more expensive works into the schools-tlat
/ the larents cannot afford the expense
! would lose its weight.
The debates on the new bills, which mem
| DerS OF the Legislature at Sacramento viii
find in the New York papers, will be found
full of information. Mr.. Coles argument
! that the children Of rich and the children of
INDECENT parents Should be plced On the
same footing in the SCHOOLS has more force
in New York than here, our INDECENT class
beins happily small. Still there is such a
class and its members are subjected to a
needless humiliation when they are ostenta-
ziy MI, bn ,.,.n e l.
| New York State Mr.. Coles phn is opposed
| by New York City and Brooklyn on the
! ground that they already pay an undue pro
| portion OF the State taxes and that the new
scheme would compel them to defray the
| cost Of school books for the rural counties.
| That argument would apply in this State.
If the common schools throughout the State
we're supplied with textbooks at the gen
| eral cost the practical result would be that
San Francisco would furnish school books
for Shasta and E Dorado.