The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-30
FREE sCHOoL-BooKs.

lCplCoCul OHi9 tAC NiONo Va hnS UAAsNAS'
FREE SCHOoL-BOOKS.
Some Reasons Why the State Ought Not
to Furnish Books Free to ALL.
Editor Call Permit me to call your attention
to a BILL now before the Legislature, which pro-
vides for the furnishing of schooi.books Tree OF
cost to the children attending the public SCHOOLS
of this State. Among the many reasons why
this bill should not become law there Is one
which demands special attention. namely, the
expense In which il would involve the State. AT
present the burden of taxation weighs TOO heav-
lily on the people OF this State. The cry goes up
from all quarters: Taxes are too high; taxes
are enormous; taxes are unbearable." What Is
to be done TO remedy this evil-to stop this ex-
Iravagance-this waste of the public funds?
Some Of the papers OF this city are fully alive 10
this eyll and just in their condemnation OF the
extravaganza of The last State and city admins
fratl0ns
Politicians eaten up the popular cry, and, to
insure public patronage, insert panks IN their
respective pIatfoi pledging their party, TO a
reduction in taxation. The one dollar limit for
this city, and the 5ocent limit tor The State, or
any limits that may be called for by the people
are cheerfully adopted by both political parties
but scarcely have these men assumed power,
when. IN many cases, their pledges are forgotten,
broken.
This, surely, has been the case in the past, and
may or may nor be In the introduction of the bill
III question. The gentleman who Introduced it,
and the committee that reported II back favor
ABLY, may have acted IN good faith. as they
thought, for the best interests OF the hubble
Iht bill at first sight looks plausible, and may
meet WI b The appreciation of those who give It
only superficial glance. Yet. il properly d.
eested. II VIII BE- seeu that 1t is dangerous BILL
caicua ted, should IL become law, 10 involve The
STATE In an enormous expense and the already
oVerwofked teachers In unnecessary toll and
aDor. HOW much, lei me ask, Will IL cost the
State TO supply Tie schoobO0ks gratis to all the
children attending lie public schools? Who
can answer the question? WHO can solve this
problem? Is there any man in the State who
can answer il? Can any member of the Leglsla-
ture now IN session answer il? Your CORE
spondent ventures to say that, OF The 100 menu
berS composing that body, there IS not one who
can solve Ibis problem Some. indeed. may say
TINS question is answerabie; this problem can be
easily solved. The statistics show The number
OF children attending the public schools OF this
Ihey also show how much 1t costs for material
aud labor in the getting up OF Them. What, then,
Is 10 prevent tile State from aScertaining, at
glance, how much 1t VIII cost 10 supply them
gratis?
THE RESPONSIBILITY.
Your correspondent admits that the State
| Knows The number of children attending the
| public schools The number OF books necessary
| TO supply them aud lie cost OF material and la
| Dor, but should size assume the responsibility OF
| furnishing them free of cost? Can she tell now
| many Of hem Will be necessary IN course OF time
| TO supply lie wants OF all her school children
| She cannot, nor Is there a man living who can
| give her this Information. THIS IS a mystery
| which time, and lime Ony, can unravel. When
| children get these books Tree OF cost they VIII
surely abuse them, and as no one tell
| the extent TO which this abuse may be carried so
| no one can tell whai ii Will cost the Stale TO fur
| nish Them gratis. AT present children must ap-
ply TO their parents for money to purchase their
| scbool-books. and should lhey prove Indifferent
| In their treatment OF them or lose them, they
| must Apply again Tor money 10 replace them.
Ihey also know thai, Ia applying 10 their parents
| a second time for money for such purpose they
| lun the risk of mourning their dsuleasure, and
| fhpmspiyas tn
| punishment. This Of Itself max them careful
hot 10 abuse or iose them. Parents themselves
| having TO supply The necessary funds 10 their
| children for the purchase of these books exeT-
else certain Salutary supervision over them In
| The use OF The same, and in many cases after some
| OF lhe children have passed on 10 higher grades
| thty preserve these books for those who are com
| ing aitri. Let the Stale, however, assume the
responsibility OF furnishing these books free of
! cost 10 all The childlen OF tile schools aad what
VIII be tlIe result? " III school children know.
| Ing that they can have these books gratis. he as
| careful oil them as they now are? They Will not
And 10 Npect this of them would be the height
OF Ieily. VIII Parents, not having TO supply the
iuads necessary for the purchase of them, exer-
else tDe same supervision over their children in
thelr treatment OF them that they now exercise?
lhey VIII not. Ii is an ola and true saying that
what we get without cost or labor is not aDpreci-
ated by us, aud III The matter OF school books
should this become law, this saying will be
surely verified. Again. when children 90 from
one school district 10 another or from one county
10 anolher, will they go to The iiouble OF packing
| up tue books they have from the last school in
|
can get them gratis at the schools OF the district
| or county 10 which they remove? The question
| suggests It's own answer Suppose the teach r
of The district, into which iney have moved,
should call Tor the books they had from tie last
| schools they attended, and they tell him that
they ett them III these schools, how is lie TO find
whether they are telling the truth? Must lie
lake The names and addresses OF the teachers
under whom these children studied last and
write 10 them TO know whether such
and such pupils bad any books from
these schools, and what sind OF books
tleV naQy Or musl lie himself
tie books OF these schools 10 get this nfornla-
ton? Shall he refuse to give books 10 these chit
lille TIL all is over? What is 10 be done with The
| school books during vacation? Are they to be
| Kept Ill the schOO-rOOms, aud large boys and
| giris sent home To spend their vacations without
| class book TO look at for six or eight weeks?
| WHAT WILL BECOME OF THEM?
Or II the children are allowed TO take the books
! nome during vacation, aud should not return To
| school any more, what is TO become OF The books?
| VIII They so to the trouble of returning Them
II Is nor at al likely that they Will Is ii not
| eYId III, then, that uader such law, no matter
what system may be adopted, no matter what
| supervision may be exercised by the teachers
| the DOCKS VIII be badly handled. and In many
cases lost? Moreover, should The books be given
Tree OF cost, viii be necessary 10 provide each
! classroom with booS-ca>e and each Teacher
with a set OF books, so that lie can open an ac-
| count with each pupil; and should he not be an
! eAprrt at housekeeping, he will fud himself In
| heap Of trouble.
This bill then should he entitled an act 10 in.
| crease laXatlOni 10 hold forth Inducements to
| child EN- TO abuse the gifts of the Stale. aud BY
! way OF excuse for having done so, 10 resort 10
lying; TO add 10 he labors of tile already over
worked teachers, and 10 set he whole machinery
| OF the pubic schools in disorder. Suppose now
ever, although 1t IS false supposI.lon that there
| were no dagger of tn sc abuses ever occurring
is 1t not short-sighted policy for the State 10
assume responsibility which, properly speak
lns, belongs 10 parents, which the parents Of this
| Stale have done In The past without murInur
and VIII continue to bear, IL ouly permitted To do
SO! IS u not enough Tor the State 10 proVIue
schools, iuel aud teachers gratis for her children
ana I'D ADDITION Tree books for those who cannot
| afford TO uicha>e them? Wler she has done
THIS, she has done her duty, her whole duty in The
matter Oi education; but when she goes further
| IMAM lhis, when she assumes a responsibility
when, properly sleakiD belongs TO PARENTS
! she Is 1eadiug on slippery ground; she IL out
! stripping The limits OF her duty and Jurisdiction
and imposing unnecessary burdens on the tax
payers. a. well might She assume the right 10
lax her subj cts 10 provide articles of dress for
lie Children OF The schools. as 10 tax them to
| provide Tree schOol-bOoks for them. II Is diff
cult TO tell where legislation In this direction Will
end, except the press and the taX-payers SCI
themselves against IL In time. The sooner IL Is
STOPPED me Tier, or We shall some day find
ourselves confronted by legislation authorizing
the School Directors 10 provide daily. free OF
cost, hot lunches for the children OF the schools
ambuances TO take the little ones TO aud from
scnOOi In vet weather, and umbrellas rubber
| coats aud boots for The larger ones. Let the
o,aie pr oVide properly for her insane, her deaf
uuuhp, DIlnu ana ieeble-mnded, her aged and in
MN, hef orphans, hall orphans and abandoned
children, aud she will have as much as sne can
accomplish Tor years TO come. To provide far
snese y Necessity and duty, but 10 provide
SCHOOL BOOKS Tree Of cost Is useless and uuneces-
| gary work. Such bill as the one 10 which 7
| refer was mp before The TWO last lerislaiIres
! and was defeated by able statesmen because in
their opinion. II would involve the STATE In an
| unnecessary and enormous expense and would
be contrary 10 sound policy for the State TO az
sumo responsibility which, properly speaking,
deyOlyes on parents.
I A CITIZEN AND TAXPAYER