The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-01-19
FREE SCHOOL BOOKS IN THE COUNTIES

Among the matters of high impo lance emu
the Senate which should, in his opinion en-
gage the attention of this Legislature is the
furnishing free books in 'e public schools. At
the session of 1892 Mr.. SIN tn introduced two
bills having this object in view. They were
enacted by the General Assent ly but failed to
received the approval OF the executive. One
of the bills appropriated $25, 900 annually
from the State treasury for the purchase of
books and the other continued the tax of Il
cents which had been levied for the treasury
relief loan of 1878, that loan having been ex-
tiuguished, and appropriated the proceeds of
that tax also for the purchase of school books.
This tax of II cents would produce nearly $50,
600 and the eLtire annual appropriation would
amount, therefore, under these two bills, to
some sos 900. Senator Smith in advocating
free books for the public schools expressed the
opinion that many of the children OF poor peo-
pie are deferred from attending school because
of lack OF means to provide books for them
selves and from disinclination to apply to the
under existing laws, are supplied to INDECENT
pupils.
The secretary of the S ate board of educa-
ton in his rer ort to the Legislature in thr. ses
sion of 1892, after advising the appropriation
of some 1926, 900 (returned to the st ale by the
federal government) for the purchase of school
Libraries, made strong demand for free books.
He declared that "the teachers work is con-
tinully embarrass ed and the attendance upon
school lassened then ant of free text books"
The secretary then went on to say that in only
fiveStates of the Union are sch 1ol books sup
piled by the State governments:
Governor Brown, in declining to sign Sena-
'"- Smiths bills, declared that however desira-
looks might be, the condition of the
would not admit of the naces-
IONS.
tistics puSIiehed it may be
the amount OF sppgoprla-
Smith bills or the amount
dietary of the State board
ave been sufficient. The
Sincrease OF the State tax
ion of cents on 500 for this
This tax would yield about 500.
.imore c ty the pupils Of the public
.re supplied by the local school board
- books, and the annual cost of renew
he WORKOUT books and buying such
ltional new ones as are required by the
creased number of pupils is little less than
10000. In the report to the last Legis
AZURE already referred to the number of en-
rolled public school pupils IN the city was Is,
1853, and in the counties the number was 123,
456. The number in both city and counties
has increased since that time, it is probable
that the came proportion is preserved, namely
one-third in the city and two-thrds in the
figures that~ the coast of renewing the books
in the city ale lie is $4,000 annually, in the
whole State it would be three times as much
namely $3.50, 90. But it must be remembered
that . much larger initial outlay woul be
required in the counties to buy. the first
supply of books. After that supply has been
bought then the amount for annual renewals
would be reuired.
1t is believed that under existing laws each
equity has the same power to buy school books
that the city Is now exercising. The tax
must be paid by the people, and the opinion
ia expressed that it would be better for the
counties to levy the money and use it directly
instead OF going through the formality of pay
ng it into the State treasury and having it
Iedistributed from there. Any incease in the
State rate of taxation will delay the time
when all direct State taxation can be abolished
which is now in sight and which is so eagerly
anticipated by patriotic citizens. Others
oppose the whole principle of free books upon
the ground that books are cheap and the tax
upon each pupil is small and should be
willingly borne BY those receiving a free
education, especially as there is already
provision for Supplying books to the poor.
The matter in any aspect is important.
Anything affecting public education has alwys
excited interest in Maryland. All classes of
citizens are warmly in favor of free schools
and no public tax i. more willingly paid than
for the support y 'sdncation.-"sun"