The advocate., 1894-06-13
TEXT BOOKS IN KANSAS.

rendered a decision upon the author
ity to change text books in our pub
llc schools that is of great import
snce to the people of Kansas at the
present time. The attorney general
says:
Section 1854 provides in substance that
school districts may at their annual meet
ings indicate by a majority Of all the votes
cast their desire for county uniformity of
text books. Section 1866 provides that when
majority Of all the districts Of the county
in any one year shall indicate their desire
for a county uniformity Of text books, the
county superintendent of public instruction
snail notify the district Of such vote and at
the same time call for one delegate from
each municipal township and city Of the
third class in the county, to be elected at q
meeting Of the school boards of Suoh town.
ship.
Section $50 provides that q county text
book board may be elected once in every
five years in each county in the manner pre-
sOribed in this act. Section 5S72 provides
that when uniformity Of text books shall
be adopted in any county in purs Of
this acb, no change shall be made in such
county for a period Of Ave years from the
date Of adoption for any particular series Of
text books. / take il that where majority
of the districts decide in favor of a uniform
ity Of texb books, then the superintendent
calls for an election and q text book board
iS elected; Chat when this board meets and
adopts series Of text books that It's power
ceases and that such series 80 adopted shall
be kept in use for a period OF Ave years
without any change, and at the expiration
of said Ave years the superintendent of pub
lilo instruction has no power to cause an.
other text book board to be elected without
again submitting the proposition to the
county.
That where q text book board adopts
series Of books that they may continue after
the expiration Of five years, and until a
majority Of the district can determine in
favor Of the uniformity Of text books. By
adopting this rule text books cannot be
changed after a series is once adopted, and
compel patrons to adopt new series with
out their consent.
Great complaint has been made about
the changing of text books. II the rule we
have mentioned is followed, text books
can not be changed after a series is once
adopted without the consent Of majority
of the districts Of the county.
This is not only good law, but it is
good sense, and especially at this
time the question Of changing school
books is a most excellent one to let
alone. With wheat at 30 and 35 cents
q bushel and thousands of Kansas
people out of employment the prob
lem of life is sufficiently serious with
out imposing the unnecessary tax of
providing new school books. The
burden Of the school book tax always
falls heaviest upGn the poor-the
class least able to bear il. Why
then, at this time, when 1t is all that
thousands of people can do to olive,why |
talk about imposing upon them the
additional burden incident to change
Of text books. The attorney general
says such change cannot be made
without the people vote for il. Why
vote for it in these hard tlmesG Let
us first settle some of the great prob
lens upon which a return of pros
perity to the people depends, and jog