The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-09-04
The Free Book Law.

Liz ldlc AcSlSldUuIC WdS sup
posed to have passed law by
which books were to be furnished
free to the pupils of the public
schools throughout the State. The
sum of $15O,000 was appropriated
for that purpose to be apportioned
among the counties. School men
generally were of the opinion at
the time that the sum named
would be inadequate, and now that
the division has been made the
most of the counties will not receive
anything like enough to supply the
books required in their schools for
the coming year.
The law contained a provision
that the sum appropriated should
be devoted entirely to books and
not toinclude stationery, and further
that the books shall be supplied as
far as the appropriation would go,
commencing with the first grade.
That is if the amount received
would not furnish books for more
than four grades, the pupils of the
fifth and sixth grades would be
required to furnish their own books,
and the pupils of all grades would
be obliged to provide themselves
with pencils, pens, ink, chalk,
paper, etc. That is the sort of a
free book law we have.
Cecil county's share of the ap-
preparation will be about So, 500,
which will probably be 81, 800 short
of the amount needed to furnish
the schools with books and supplies,
but the School Board has deter
mined to make up the deficiency if
possible from other sources, and
will open the schools assuming to
furnish all grades with full supplies.
There is no obligation resting upon
the Board to do so, but it is DESTROYS
Of giving the people of Cecil county
what they have been led to believe
they would receive-free books. 1t
could have contented itself with
the requirements of the law, which
would mean that the higher grade
scholars would have been obliged
to buy their own books, and all to
have found their own stationery.
In it's efforts to make good what the
law lacks, the School Board must
depend largely upon the co-opera
ton of the teachers. They must
limit their requisition to their
actual needs and see that books are
well taken care of, and supplies
not wasted.
The free book law as it stands is
far from complete and satisfactory.
1t would have been better not to
have passed any law on the subject
if funds sufficient could not be
commanded to carry it fully into
effect.
There is great dissatisfaction
throughout the State, and in nearly
all of the counties the people will
realize that the great gift of the
late Legislature-the free book law
is but half law.
The action of the School Board
alone prevents the people of Cecil
county from a realization of it, and
so far as we know it is action that
no other School Board in the State
has taken.
The above account of the appro-
priation by the state for free school
books, given by the Cecil Democrat
seems ambiguous. The statament
places the deficiency for this county
at 81, 500 but says, or seems to say
the school board will by strict
economy be able to make the
fully answer the purposes
of the schools. 1t is the duty of
the board to at all times practice the
most rigid economy. The public
schools no doubt are in the habit
of wasting a great deal. Economy
is one of the most important quail
fications of a teacher, and should
60 far in teacher securing prefer
ence in appointment to school.