New-York tribune., 1891-02-06
STATE SCHOOL-BOOK PUBLICATION
ARGUMENTS OFFERED AGAINST THE ELL. pm.
POSED BY AssEMBLYMAN KELLER
TO the Editor Of The Trihuno

/ EOoi+D Dt ASSEMBl1 MAN kEELER.
| TO the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: No who has at heart the interests NJ ~.
public schools of the United states ard the cause q,
education in general can be Indifferent to the fate a,
the measure recently introduced in the Le-slaure
Of New York by Asscmblyman Kceler of -. Lawrence
| County which provides for the publication BY the
| state Of the elementary school books n,cessay 10
supply the children attending the public schools. The
bill referred to, should 1t become law, practically
makes the state not only publisher, but a bookseller
also for the schOobOOks to be prepared BY II are h
be sold and distributed according to the BILL prices
sufficient to cover expenses. The project Is advocated
professedly for tie purpose Of furnishing the public
schools of NewYork State with schoolbOOks cheaper
than they be had in the open market.
If through such legislation cheaper
and better books the school system Of the State win
be vastly benefited, and the measure should receive
aid and encouragement from the educational men Of
the State without reference to any private interests
that may be involved in 1t. But II the sch0olbOOks
which it is proposed that the state shall publish under
the measure now before the Assembly are 10 be no
better and no cheaper than those now in through.
out the state, what justification or excuse can there
be for such legislative interference with private en-
terprse. IT, further. the books TO b. published by
the state should be inferior 70 those now in Use in
the intrinsic qualities Of good schoolbooks, they would
be dear at any price The schools Of NewYori state
are the pride Of every educator within Us boyders.
they have led the procession in every great educational
movement in America ard if such possibility as This
latter threatens IL, the measure should receive con
demnation from every friend of education IN the state
There is however, too much conservatism IN
civilized community like thai Of the Empire state 10
warrant Us in believing that any LEGISLATION OF
thi, nature can be placed on the statute
books Of the State. The efforts OF Nr.
Keller like other kindred efforts in other states.
are prompted by the belief that fabulous proht' are
being made ont of the publication of schooiooohs ana
that school book publisher, class, are rapidly oe
coming putocrats at the expense, somehow oi ue
public schools Never did wilder notion find lods'
ment in the human brain. There i probably no
business in the country in which competition has been
20 keen during forty years aS in THAI o school
book publishing and the result in this, a. IN every
other branch OF trade where free ard open compe-
tition has prevailed has been constant Improvement
in quality and steady dminutlon Of prices Inc
business j. a special one of great magnitude Fequr-
ing not only vast amount Of capital but great ex'
perience and the highest order Of ability for It's sue
ce,,tlil pursuit Among the school-book houses OF
the United states (and there more than huhdFed
Of them in business today there are only about nan
a dozen that rank a, great and successful, ana any
one who is curious enough to refer To the commercial
reports Of X. G.. Dun . Co., or BradstTeet d
Co.. and will compare the financial stdhu4hs
Of these with the standing Of other great neT'
camille houses will be convinced of the falacy
of the popular idea that the sclO0lONA
business is Iactolian fountain of wealth MoTeo'eg'
investigation will show that each OF the great houses
we have in mind has been in business about halt'
century Their growth, therefore, has been SLOW
growth From somewhat intimate knowledge Of
the trade venture To LAY tdt there j Ap IuN luudi
school book publisher in the INIT states today VINO VINO
Is worth ~ 100000 made exclusively III athD"i oopA
publishing The nature Of the business, NE lshs II
voved. the losses necessarily sustained III the publ
cation of improbable and uilsucccs,lul LOOM az
these minmized the profits OF the schooI-D -DoOe
bushes, and kept them far below those OF other s'ea.
National industries in which 20 large an dlhVul. w
capital is invested and IN which an elual an3al % ~
business Is transacted. ~ yet, notWthstasdns m ali
thi, the SchoObO KS ~ the nlted states Hlh NV
mechanical and artistic side, l. c., paper. pfAuH5'
binding and Illustrations are superior 10 those pup
lished In anv country In the world
Can the state give Us good books mechanically a.
a lower price, We do not now ask If the si2te can
1--WE H. yt book, Of equal merit. but simply II II can
furnish book, as well printed. "a strongly bound as
beautifully illustrated and on a. good l1Pr Is [ [ti'
today in tae hnGo OF thf S,le" uo, =" oT Wbd has
any knowl DE Of the method, of trn>1ctns the PIP
stat. or of the general Government. knows that TO
",,, " rbooI Io,s of The same de,ree of mechanical
excellence those produced by private nrm' even 81
suppose The state Of New York should embark in the
business Of publishing schoobOokN. What pirt .cusr cu
advantage would il have over the great publ-aus
house, of the country that would enable il 10 manu-
than these same house, ar" now doing The various
material, which enter into the manuiacture Of Sghoot
the private publ shcr. Indeed. some OF the mr;ter
houses manufacturing they do on larger = are & lr
materials In srelt'r luahu,a,' ana va
get them at lower prices Then, too. skilled liDr l'
school books is skilled labor cannot be controlled by me
STATE al rates lower tlan are now pau tor !" ~ ne
State As a school book publisher could have 20 al.
vantage over the more prominent ana h"tt'r hiiVMu
publishing houses in economy Of pr9dqsi,2,yv 1 "''
tribution ~ its output. I. /. DpHNtLLl'
Ncw-lork February > 1891.