The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1896-06-13
TIE OFFICIAL EDUCATIONAL
JOURNAL.

In January last the Record Union"
called attention to the fact that there
was an official educational journal, re-
quired by law to be placed in the 3,1OO
school districts, which have to pay for
the same; that therefore the State lit
orally pays bounty to some one to
print an educational journal that in
the nature of things being technical,
is limited in its scope, and without the
subsidy could not exist. Moreover, that
as but one copy goes to each school dis
trict it cannot be much read by the
very class it is designed to reach.
The law is a mandate on the subject,
and therefore the wisdom of the policy
was not then under debate, though we
held that as carried out it was an inde-
feasible p1hcy, as valuereceivedwas not
and is not given, since not one-twentieth
of the teachers and officers of schools
are reached by it. We showed then that
there are in San Francisco 900 teachers,
in Los Angeles 325, in Oakland 200, in
Sacramento 125, and corresponding
numbers In other cities and towns and
districts, according to size, yet for each
of these groups but one number of the
official journal is furnished.
There came before the State Board of
Education at that time a proposition
to make the Overland Monthly the
educa tional journal. and the Record
Union" favored the idea on broad
California's leading, If not only mag
azine Of high literary character, and
being a journal of general circulation,
wide reading and devoted almost wholly
to California historically, industrially
and intellectually, it would carry edu-
cational matters to the largest number
of teachers and school officers, and
thus with the aided value of an official
educational department, it would come
fully up to the mark of giving value
received, and accomplishing what was
originally intended by the law.
The matter is again before the State
Board of Education, and will be consid-
cred this morning. We therefore i'm
prove the occasion to frankly indorse
the application of the publishers of the
Overland Monthly" simply and solely
because we believe it will far better
conserve the interests of the State and
the educational department than to adj
here TO a technical little read and
wholly subsidized magazine as has beer
done for so many years.
An official journal Of the proper order
can be an influence of moment and
great good, and such a journal will have
greater value and fill a far larger field
of usefulness, If IT is at the same timt
magazine that reaches the people
generally, whereas the technical jour
nal is not seen of the people at all. I'm
der the proposition of the Overland
we can be assured that thousands o.
citizens viii have placed before then
monthly the business interests and Off
cial statements of the educational de
partment Of California. who otherwis'
would have no accurate reading infor
nation of the subject. Interest IL
school matters will thus be quickenet
and broadened. and az a matter o
course the people be still closer relates
to the State system.
We trust, therefore, that the STATE
Board will to-day see its way clear Il
accept the offer of the Overland" II
become the official educational organ
of the Department of Education. 1t Il
now really question of good judgmen
and as between a widely circulating
high-class. pure-toned and representa-
tive illustrated literary magazine, ad
dressing all clean and elevated tastes
and moving upon high moral grounds
and a cold, statistical and unayoida
bly, dull and detail official pamphlet
For, without any desire to underrat
!. the present Journal" it must be con
: coded that it Is just that and nothing
!. more. and. In the nature Of things
Z