The record-union., 1896-01-06
IN NJup1c1oUs POLICY.

Among the powers and duties" of
the State Board of Education it is set
forth that lit is to designate ''some edu-
aationa1 monthly journal as the official
aream of the Department of Public In
structiona" Each County Superintend-
snt Dis required to place one copy of such
journal in the district library of his
school district in the county at an ex-
penee not to exceed 81 so a year.
There are over 5000 school districts
in the State, some of them are joint dis
triots, SO that there are over S,1O0
whfch pay as a subsidy to maintain a
useless journal the sum Of somewhere
between $4,000 and $4,000 a year. This,
while not shown in the reports of the
State Treasurer and Controller, is as
direct a draft upon the pockets of the
tampayers Of the State as If it were
monthly dRawn from the State Treas
uFy.
It will be observed that the law
makes this designation" one of the
powers and duties of the State Board
of Education. It may we'll be
doubted If this is mandatory,
and whether the board cannot
refuse to make the subsidy paya-
BILE. However. it has held that the law
is a mandate to it, and accordingly an
educational monthly has been desig-
mated, which lives upon this subsidy,
and without which it could net be q
means of profit to it's proprietors. The
struggle for this sum of money has al
ways been bitter and dernoralizing. At
one time it divided the Board of Edu-
cation, and even threatened to culmin-
ate in a law suit. The money thus taken
from the taxpayers pocket is the only
reason for the existence of the Journal
that wins it, and always has been a
means of bringing one or more technical
claimants for it into the field, started
fer the sole purpose Of enjoying the
State bounty.
It is an injudicious and indefensible
expenditure of public money, because it
does not give value received. Tt is safe
to say that of the 5000 school teachers
i'm the State, not e-twentieth ever
read the official journal, or a page in it,
which IS purely a technical magazine,
and possesses no general interest and
aRtmactiveness. As for it's being a con-
ventence for the Department of Public
instruction for the dissemination if its
instructions and decisions, the fact is
tifa& these decisions and orders are in
vaE9ably communicated directlyto those
to whom addressed, and their publication
is always q secondary and later matter.
In fact, the present Superintendent of
Public Instruction is on record as say
Ing that ths department has no use for
taae oaiofaA journal. and that the pres
en& system regarding 1t Is indefensdble.
Thas. because 1t really has no reading
clientage. One copy goes into the school
library OF each school district, and
there remains to cumber the shelf So
il May be safely asserted that not even
the diStrtct school officials outside of
the SupezantsndenA read It, at least not
one In tea do SO.
EhsRa aEae ina San Francisco 900 teach
eFs. "A Los Angeles 325. In Oakland
zoo, Ia Sacramento 125, and eorre-
spending numbers in Marysville,
Fresno, Stockton and other cities and
towns. Yet each of these places consti-
tuee q school district into which one
copy OF the official journal is sent It
having Little other circulation than this,
it may be easily fancied how valueless
generally. while the people at large
never see it or hear Of it. There is there
fore Ro value received for this payment
OF over $4,000 a year from the pockets
OF the taxpayers. The late Legislature
knew these facts, but had not the cour-
age 70 modify the law SO that real serv-
ioe would be rendered for the money
pa6a.
We are not. however. decrying an
official journal OF the proper order, but
the system that renders a journal val
ueless. II the sum of money paid were
given to an influential established
monthly magazine OF wide and general
circulation. and having such attractions
as to invite the attention of people gem
orally, it will be easily understood how
the subsidy could be made to return
full value and be a means Of great good
to the educational system. and at the
same time forward State interests gem
orally. which cannot be done by tech
nical educational magazine that has
no reason for existence except the de-
sire ta handle the taxpayers money.