St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-07

cities give the cost for the first year
and for other years, showing an aver
age reduction in the cost of SO cents
per pupil. The average cost in these
cities was $1.37 per pupil for the first
year and 70 cents for the other years.
The average life of the books is from
three to five years, and the average
percentage of saving over the old plan
of private supply is from % to "a.
The experience where free text
books have been adopted by the states
has been equally favorable. For eX-
ample, in Maine the average cost for
four years has been 81 cents per year,
against S1.25, which was the annual
average cost per pupil when the old
method of private supply was in force.
I'm Massachusetts the average an
nual cost for the ten years that the
law has been in force has been $1.63
per pupil. This includes the cost of
MAPS charts, stationery, etc, as well
as books. In New Hampshire, where
the law has been in effect for several
years, the cost is slightly in excess of
the average in Maine. During the past
three years laws have been enacted
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nebras-
ka and Rhode Island making it oblig-
atory upon the officials of all the
schools of these states to provide free
text books for all the scholars. So far
the details, showing the expense in
these four states, have not been pub
lished, but the state superintendent
of public instruction all report large
decreases in cost.
F'The cost is only one of the advan-
tages Wherever free text books have
been adopted there has been an imme
diate increase in attendance and
corresponding increase in the amount
received by the district or county from
the state apportionment of school
funds.
'In Minnesota the optional free text
book law was enacted in 1893, and &C
cording to the report of the state su-
perintendent of public instruction for
1894 about one-half of the districts in
the state were furnishing books free
the other half being divided between
the old method of private supply and
that of selling at cost to the pupils by
the districts. The latter method has in
many instances proven stepping stone
to the complete free text book system,
as is evidenced by the fact that nearly
all of the districts which were selling
books at cost in 1894 have adopted
the plan of furnishing them free, thus
increasing the number of districts OPP
Grating under that plan to at least
tWo-thirds, and probably three-fourths
of the entire number in the state. Of
the fifty-four county superintendent
who reported to the state superintend-
ent last year on this subject, only three
thought it would be unWise to strike
out the optional clause Of the present
law and make it obligatory, while the
other fifty-one were strongly in favor
of the change.
"a careful estimate of the value of
the books now in use in the first eight
grades of the schools of st. Paul shows
/ a total of 81 1920 On the same basis
of estimating it would require for the
balance of the school year an expend-
iture of S2,513.52 to provide the addi-
tional books that will be needed.
There would, however, be an increase
in attendance, so provision should be
made for more scholars and the cost
would probably be not far from $4,000,
or about Is cents per pupil for the bal
ance of the school year"
There was short discussion Of the
resolutions, some Of the members being
fearful that the board would be disap-
pointed in the number Of parents who
would surrender their books. Inspector
Yoerg also expressed doubt of the
wisdom of the system on account of the
dangers Of contagious diseases, but it
was explained that there was only one
complaint on this score in all the schools
referred to by him. Mr.. McNamee in
sisted that he had introduced the reso-
lutions thus early in order that they
might receive thorough consideration
on the part of the public, as we'll as of
the board. He had no personal interest
in the measure, as he had no children
going through the schools.
Supt. Gilbert is in favor Of the change,
as at present the work of the schools
in the poorer districts is seriously handi-
capped by the inability of the parents
to secure the necessary books. He esti-
mated last night that fully 1000 pupils
in the schools were without full set of
the books which they were supposed to
study.