The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-24
THE COMPANY'S SIDE.
The American Book Company
Makes Reply To
RECENT NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.
A Statement to the People OF Penn
syIvania Which IL Declared TO Apply
to Kansas

10 Kansas.
The school book question is now being
much discussed in the legislature and
among the people generally. AS one of.
the statements in the case the fol-
lowing article just now will
be read with interest. 1t
Is taken from the Pittsburg (Pa.) Dis
/ patch of January %, 1895, and is declar-
| ed to apply to the school book situation,
in the other states including Kansas as
well as to Pennsylvania The commun-
/ lcatiOn reads:
/ 10 the People of Pennsylvania:
A sensational article has recently ap-
peared in many newspapers of Pennsyl-
vania attacking the free text book law
now IN force in the state, and referring to
a so-called school book trust" and its
dealings with the school boards
Four years ago joint special commit
tee of the senate and house of represen-
tatives of the Pennsylvania legislature
made an exhaustive and impartial inves-
/ tigatlon of the organization, plans and
methods of the American Book company,
and it will be remembered that its report
was creditable not only to our organiza-
ton, but to our plans for furnishing
| school books at lower rates to the public
This investigation also fully establish
/ ed the fact that this company is not in
any sense trust, but regularly consti-
/ tuted corporation, doing business legiti-
mately and properly in the state. Assuin-
ing that now as then the fashion set by
some Of our business rivals has been fol-
lowed IN the newspaper articles referred
to. and the term 'trust" is meant to apply
to the American Book company. notwith-
standing the fact that the legislature of
the state has shown that this term can in
no way properly or rightfuIIy be applied
tn M OF Lot
| without notice.
The facts are so simple, plain and so
much at variance with the alleg ations
/ made, that they need only to be stated to
carry conviction of their truth and the
absolute error of the newspaper articles
| above mentioned.
The attack appears to be aimed at the
free text book bill, the school officials of
the state, and at this company. The
friends of the bill and the public at
large are fully ompetent to judge of the
merits of free text books in Pennsylva-
MIA; the school officials of the state are
an honorable, intelligent and unselfsh
body of men fully able to defend them
selves for their official acts before their
own constituents; the American Book
company's dealings in the state have
been equitable, just and uniform in all
districts of the state.
company are two. First, Unfortunately
large sales of text books; and, second,
that in supplying books under the free
text book act, it has Disseminated in
favor of some districts and to the disad-
vantage of others in the prices of its
books
The free text book act of 1898 provides
that school directors or controllers shall
purchase text books and other necessary
school supplies for use in the public
schools of their respective districts as
such new text books and supplies are
required in addition to those at present
IN use in the hands of pupils, or, owned
by the school districts" In carrying out
the intent of this law, the districts pur-
chased greater or less quantities of books
as their several needs demanded. 4
very obvious cause of any considerable
difference in the amount of said pur-
chases in different districts, localities
and counties is this: In some cases dis
tricts thought it advisable to purchase an
entire new supply of the books then il
use; while other districts only purchased
enough books to adequately supplement
the old ones then in the hands of pupils
| Another cause for this difference con
sisted in the fact that many districts took
occasion to make all changes in tex
books which they thought desirable and
: in purchasing new supplies purchased
new books in. place of some old books
, which they thought best to discard
An editorial in the Lancaster Inquirer
: of January IL, under the heading of "a
, FaIsehood Nailed" analyses the figures
/ / quoted for that county. Whereas, the
attack alleges that 500 go was expended
> in Lancaster county fer books last year
= this writer shows from official figure.
| compiled from all the districts of the
:. county that the total amount expended
for books purchased in the county was
only $50, 434.42 The entire untrust
worthiness of the figures set forth in the
= attack may be judged by this specimen
} But after all, the serious accusation
, against the American Book company i:
that of dissemination in prices as be
t tween school districts of the state, anC
this accusation is absolutely false so ia
as it relates to this company, whatever
may have been the practice of other pub
fishers for which this company is not il
any way responsible.
Immediately upon the passage of the
free text book act, the American Bool
company sent to the secretary of eN err
district in the state its proposal for fur
nishing books to the schools of Pennsyl
vania The same proposal was sent T.
the largest as we'll as to the smallest dis
}. trict, without variation or discrimination
and the uniform discount of 20 per cen
from wholesale prices was quoted I
each and every district, as is shown b.
the following copy of the proposal itself
Proposition for the supply of schoo
books under the free text book law O
Pennsylvania, approved May 10, 1898.
To the school board of -----