The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-04

plying with our part OF the agreement
and produced the books. They are now
in the hands of the dealers. ready to be
exchanged for old books, according to
the terms of the contract
Last Thursday morning / commun1-
Gated with the city superintendent to
learn his desires as to the manner of
making the exchange. / suggested
putting books in the school rooms to be
exchanged with the pupils there. He
suggested Certificates" one to be given
to each pupil. signed by teacher, naming
the book the pupil would be entitled to
exchange. Certificates of this kind were
prepared by US, and shown the superln-
tendent Thursday afternoon; he said that
he had anticipated the matter and had
supplied all of the teachers with blanks
for the purprse.
On Friday all of the teachers were
notified that as the exchange for new
Fourth and Fifth readers would take
place on Monday, they were to notify the
pupils who had Harper's Fifth readers,
to return them. and receive the Hilrs
readers which they had given up last
summer. This has been done, and the
pupils are unable TO effect an exchange
with u.s.
The facts in regard TO Hilrs Fifth
Reader are:-Six years or more ago, they
were adopted for use in the Topeka
schools. Afterwards, the American Book
for the purpose of suppressing them.
They~hav not since been advertised, in
troduced or offered for sale. Last spring
| the company refused to supply them to
Topeka dealers. Your board authorized
the city superintendent to select some
other book to be used instead. He select
| ed Harpers' Fifth Reader. SOmatim
before the fall opening of the schools, a
sufficient number of Harpers Fifth
| Readers were delivered by the American
| Book com pany at the high school to take
up the Hills Fifth Readers.
The scholars were forced TO exchange
their HIPS readers, whether they wanted
| TO or not. In some instances they want
cd to retain their books and buy she new
| Harper, but this was refused them. Since
| then the Harpers' Fifth Reader has been
| the adopted reader for its grade.
| Our contract calls for "free exchange
for the corresponding adopted old books,
now in the hands of the pupils and in use
IN the schools" Also this, ''to entitle a
| pupil to exchange i *
! it is understood that he OF she has been
| attending school, and at the time of ex-
| change owned and was using a book of
| the same grade for which an exchange
| IS desired; and that a pupil desiring a
| book of given grade will no. be en-
| titled to exchange book that has been
| bought or traded for, for the purpose of
exchange. Also that nc book will be ex-
| changeable unless it contains all of it's
| lessons complete and has on its original
cover" These provisions were contained
| IN our written proposition, were discuss
| ed agreed TO and adopted, and are incor-
porated in the contract ON file with the
| secretary of your board.
What we claim is: That Harper's Fifth
! Reader has been, was at the time of max
| ing the contract, and is, the adopted
Fifth Reader for which we are entitled
under the contract to make exchanges.
That the American Book company,
i when they sent their readers to be ex-
changed for Hills Fifth Readers, for
| feited all rights to the books.
| That they now have no rights, what
| ever, in the matter and that the pupils
should not have been commanded to
make a re-exchange.
That after the pupils paid 80 cents
| each for their HILLS readers, they were
their property, and the pupils had the
right to retain them and buy Harper's If
they wished to, after Harper's were
adopted,
That after they exchanged their Hills
for Harpers, the Harpers then became
their private property and the city su-
| away; but that if any pupil desired to
retain the old book for a keepsake, and
| buy the newly adopted book, he or she
had perfect right to do so.
That Hills Reader has no market
| value whatever, because its owners have
| suppressed it and will not introduce il;
and, there thus being no demand for il,
it has no value, and we should not be
asked to accept in exchange for a new
| book.
That the superintendent ought to as
| sist in defending US against fraud in
! making the exchange, by allowing the
teachers to issue to pupils entitled to
| exchange, certificates which show what
| books are exchangeable. This system is
| simple, expeditions and not burthen-
| some.
As a remedy and that the pupils may
| be relieved from further annoyances. but
| that future trouble in the matter may be
put on US rather than the pupils. we
| would suggest that we will now go on
with the exchange and accept Hills
| Fifth Readers from the pupils in ex-
| change for new Excelsior" fifths pro-
vided you will afterward exchange these
readers for the Harper's fifths that have
been taken from the pupils.
GEO. w. CRANE,
Manager for Crane & Co.
On motion of Mr. Miller and amend.
ment by Mr.. Squires that the five year
clause be stricken out, the board voted to
| adopt in the schools the Thompson
| primary and advanced text books of free
| hand drawing. The books cost ten cents
| and fifteen cents each.
The bill of Silver, Burdette g. Co., of
| $500 for music readers was referred to
the finance committee with power to act.
NATL FARMERS ALLIANCE.