The Democratic advocate., 1894-12-01
FREE BOOKS.

School Commissioners and School Exami-
ners of MARYLAND held a two days session at
the State Normal School, on Tuesday and
Wednesday, The first day was devoted to a
discussion of free books. State Superinten-
dent Prettyman favored free books, but the
majority of the other speakers opposed them;
Here is a report of the discussion as reported
in the Baltimore papers:
The discussion was opened by paper pre-
pared by Mr.. Edward r. Goslin, of Caroline
county. -,
| lin. shave not been and are not now demand
ing free books. Our teachers, so far as we
have been able to ascertain, are almost a unit
against the plan. They argue that IN view OF
the fact that by taxation everything has been
provided for the health, comfort and educa-
! lion of the children except the cost OF books,
no further demands should be made.
''The great majority of the people who have
| children to send to school contribute so little
in taxation for school purposes that 1t cannot
be considered hardship that they should incur
the expense of textbooks. Free books are
furnished upon the judgment and order OF
school trustees to all who are unable to pur-
| chase them.
ssWe are emphatically in favor of increased
appropriations by the State for public schools,
but we want them in such shape that the ben
eft will be recognized and felt. If the State
of MARYLAND can afford an appropriation OF
$500. 900. give it to us where we badly need
| ito nav our teachers for an additional month
| in running our schools.
Mr.. VIM. II. Dashiell, of Somerset county,
was down on the programme for paper, but
he was unable to be present and sent instead
a letter. in which he wrote: u have always
been an advocate of free books The plan
| appears to have worked well In our nelghbor,
ing States of Delaware and Pennsylvania, ana
to the advantage of the schools as IN bain-
more city and elsewhere. The MAN oDlecuon
seems TO be a question Of expense.
Said Mr.. H. G. Weimer, secretary OF the
Alleeany county school board; Free books
NAV be a great advantage for q city like Bal
timore and essential for the prosperity OF its
| schools. but it strikes me that il is wrong
| step for the counties, especially in view OF the
free hook bills passed by the last two Legsla-
lures. Neither ofthem really meantiree books;
They meant free books in one sense and closed
schools in the other.
"Allegany county would have received s.,
900 as its share of the appropriation IN the
last bill. and would have had to pay out al
least S15, 1000 to provide free books for 9,Ooo
pupils. .o.. > I.,. ,o.L;no
xt.books really free, it would be acceptable
to the people in our county, but as the matter
now stands. it would inevitably cripple our
schools. Ii would mean that they would run
only six months instead of nine, and it would
be poor economy as far as the schools are con
cerned.
s!The State gives us free schools for the
purpose of bettering its citizens. 1t is posi-
ble to help people too much, and it seems to
me that free books will be help in the wrong
direction 1t may make pupils more lndolen'
and careless. There is something in the idea
of separate ownership; books would be more
appreciated by pupils owning their text t-books.
1--WE are told that attendance would be bet
fer: that the classification of pupils would be
better if the schools had free books. This
NAV be all right. but our first object as school
men should be to improve our schools. II we
were to get more money, we could get more
use out of il than by free books. We would
spend il in better school buildings; in better
nav for our teachers. As soon as these OBJ
iects are accomplished, then ] am in favor OF
free books :,
.'Were | a resident of Baltimore, ] would
he in favor of the plan now. Here can be
gotten all the money wanted for schools by
tax levies, and not by having to apply for it
every time to the county commissioners AS
a resident of one Of the counties, ! would cast
nv ballot against free books.
-"Where is this matter going to end 2
oueried Mr.. George C. Pearson, of Washing
ton county, II was riding ON a mountain
road the other day and | met boy who told
me. in answer to question, that he didn't go
to school. well. why don't your | asked
him. Because ! haven't any pants to go,
was his reply The next thing we know it will
be not only free books, but free pants, free
shoes, free everything. The people who need
| free books get them nowadays. Why should
we give them to the people who can pay for
them? / am opposed to such law;
Mr. Samuel Dutrow, of Frederick county,
said; s.One of the chief objections to free
books seems to be the great cost of intrGduc-
| ing the system into the county schools on the
amount appropriated by the State. Why
wouldn't If be feasible to introduce free books
into the schools gradually, using the annual
appropriations for several years for this pur.
| pose, putting books, let us say, into the third
and fourth grades during the first year, after
such bill was passed, into the first and sec
| ond grades during the second year, and so on?
| The surplus, if there were any, could be put
to other useful purposes More money for
running the schools is what's wanted.
''Our teachers would have more control
over their pupils if they had free books, was
the opinion advanced by Mr.. G. Worthington
W
particularly the case,' he continued, I'm the
| lower grades. / have known of numbers of
| leases where pupils have been advanced too
| far or 700 fast by one teacher and thus become
| the source of great difficulties to that teach
| er's successor. She tells them to buy fourth
readers. and when they have gotten them she
learns that they ought to be still using the
third reader, and yet she hesitates to ask their
parents to spend more money for the addi-
tiona books.
Others who took part in the discussion were:
] James A. Diffenbaugh, deputy collector of the
port of Baltimore; DR.. James l.. Bryan, Of
Cambridge, and Thomas S. Stone, of Aqnasco,
Prince Georges county. The latter said that
no man can object to free books They are
an advantage to u.s. Free books are coming.
DIR. Bryan said he was heartily in favor OF
free books, and that no man in Dorchester
county could be elected to the legislature who
opposed them.
Eben F. Perkins, of Chestertown, declared
himself as being opposed to free books, and
said he believed the thinking people of the
state sustained Governor Browns veto of the
late School bill, (which only the idea of sen
atorial courtesy allowed to pass.
Henry A. McComAs, of Hagerstown, was
opposed to free books, and said: Washing
ton county was the first to give an opinion
opposing free books and endorsing the Gov
errors action. We are all in favor of free
books if the state can afford to give them tc
us We would like TO see more money ap
propriated for teachers and sehoolhouses.
4 Charles w. Humrichouse, of Williamsport
Washington county, said he was not opposed
to free books if the state could afford to give
them. 'We could expend $4,000 in ON
comfy in improving our schoolhouses. W.
want to keep our schools open nine months il
the year. but we cannot do so with the pres
ent appropriation. That is why am opposed
to free books
The question would have been further dis
cussed but for motion to refer the subject tt
committee which is TO look up the question
and report at the next meeting of the associa
tion.
Assessment the Issue.