Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-08-31
SCHOOL TAX AID soOGs.

NAb DDtDhrs AhS PNDPtN ~ e'D
hare got 70 take bold u this schO.'
book business and tell their state u
penntendent what they want They
cannot Leave it any longer TO be dealI
with BY political machine that b &c
Up 10 I've pc son ends, and tbrO0gi
legislative enactments dictated by trUS
influences. The proposition Ia ampI,
this. The state must print and furnish
at acsual cost the elementary tezi
books Of the rudiments Of common
school education.
There IL now set in motion Legislative
machinery that Is calculated 10 Rre-
vent the people Of Oregon from gettiAf
cheaper text books. While the peoplA
Of California get their common scbco.
books 1T an average price of3O cents, the
people Of Oregon are paying, according
10 the price lists In our book stores an
average price Of e8 cents, and the Get Of
books each oregon child must have e
get through school costs $3.50.
An average family Of five children
will cost the parent SsO50 II no change
are made. Now an edict has gone ouI
from our department of education thai
will compel changes 10 be made if'
nearly all these text books and the
changes now about 10 be ordered will
be an additional expense Of nesrIv that
amount upon every family In Oregon.
Let us investigate this act Of our de-
partment Of public instruction little.
Senate bill No. l42 passed by the last
legislature provides that the state
superintendent shall Issue q circular to
county school superintendente and the
persons composing the state board OF
examiners. containing printed list OF
all text books Published In this county
with prices as furnished by the pub
lIshers, and the above officials are to
select such books as they think best.
The selections are then returned TO the
state superintendent and "the text
books 10 any one branch receiving a
majority Of all the votes" shall be the
state text books for the next six years.
The "law" goes on TO provide that
the publishers OF the text books 30
chosen shall furnish printed Inst to De
hung up In every school house and
Establish at such convenient points
in this state principal depots Of supply
or repositories for general distribution
Of text books" etc. IT will be readily
seen that the result Of putting this law
into effect will be TO force upon the
people not only a great variety Of new
text books not now In use, but the es-
tablishment Of depositorIes In every
county Of the state for wholesale and
retail stocks Of books Will necessitate
buying Of hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars worth from the school book
trust.
Close examination Of the law shows
that the votes Of the persons named to
choose the text books for the next six
years would rot be flnAl as TO any text
books, but would leave the power Of
selection practically In the hands OF
the stats board Of education, which In
the absence or Illness Of one Of the
members, would devolve this duty
upon Mr.. McElroy who would thus TO
thrown Into direct contact with that
unscrupulous monopoly, the American
school book trust.
Ia conclusion OF this article we wish
10 call attention 10 the iact thht Mr.
McEIroy has waited until just before
hs goes out Of ofiloe before putting the
machinery Of this law into motion. II
this law is Of his own deyiaing for the
bsnsfIt Of the people Of Oregon, mod
esly would forbid his forcing psopo-
slilon upon bis successor which that
gentlemen might not Zee NJ 10 carry
out The greatest objection 10 the law
h that II would fasieD upon the people
Of Oregon . system of school bOQks u
preaenl iFuel prices ior sls yeeFs 70 come
u eilppluslly ipgmlells eompelislop 10
any form Cor ~ neat nis years anp
Isslens eopignal apep tha nseks q