Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-22
Special to the Register.

4G&Qdy 81 IS.
Special to the Register.
Charleston. w. Va. February I'll
The State School Book Board have in
yited bids for furnishing those text
books for the use Of the schools Of the
State adopted by the last Legislature,
which were not contracted for by the
State Superintendent OF Schools, ana
The bids are TO be opened on the 9th Of
March. provided there are any bids to
omen. IJ may be stated on pretty re-
liable authority that none of the school
book companies viii PUT in any BIDS
10 furnish books on the terms stipulated
in the act viz. To take up the old
books and replace them with the new
az even exchange The book publish
Ing companies cannot alOrd TO do It,
and they have said so. The cOnsc-
Ouence will be that the Board will have
TO meet and advertise for bids 10 fur
nish the books without any provision
to take up the old books at even eX-
change. III the committee should be
forced TO do this. the change of the
spoilers. readers and arithmetics, which
constitute the larger part of the school
books of the State would mean a loss
TO the people of an amount that it
would be difficult TO estimate It
would mean the throwing out of all
these books now i'm use. and cOmpell-
ing the parents OF every school child
i'm the State to buy these books new.
The Legislature sOl6mnly promised the
people that the change of the school
text books would not entail any loss
upon them: vet it is already discovered
that this great burden is inevitable.
To is the opinion of school men here
that the law as passed by the last Leg
islature is a most perniciOus one,
and that it cannot possibly be put into
effect; principal among many reason
is that the repositories cannot be So
cured TO keep the books and sell them
az the compensation stipulated. The
law fixes the compensation of the de-
DOsitOries at 10 per cent. OF the gross
sales. The repositories i'm the interior
counties will not sell more than $50
worth a year upon an average. His
compensation upOn sales amounting to
$50 would be S6 The law requires
the repositories to settle with the sher-
If of the county every sixty days. In
some counties the depository would re-
side twenty-five miles distant from the
sheriff In such q case he would lose
at least two DAVIS tire. and if he hired
a horse i- would cost him at least 20
cents q day. add 20 this the cost for
keeping the depository and his horse at
the county inn one night. and it viii
De seen that the cost Of making the set
Element with the sheriff would take an
the profit out Of the years sales. And
when it IS remembered that six Of these
settlements must be made each year.
the position Of the depository becomes
an expensive luxury. Their els moth
ing I'm it for the repositories and for
this reason they cannot be secured
Aeaiu. the people win have TO buy
the books twice The law provides
that the Board Of Education shall lay
levy from which 10 raise the funds
To- purchase the books. This levy viii
be not less than ten cents upon the
500 This the taxpayers will have to
pay. and then having paid the tax for
INC ||.LI ILllcN Nl N.IN N''.frr VIII iA.I NN tN
turn around and buy the books again
Cor their children TO take 20 school
Orcourso. the money paid for the books
tl the depository viii go back to the
district funds 90 purchase books for the
next year. but the first year the tax
ravers win have to- purchase the books
twice.
Again. the parents Of a child may
reside twenty miles distant from de-
pository I'm his own district and county
and within two miles of q depository in
On adjoining county. He of course.
goes to the nearest depository. which
fs i'm another county. and purchases his
books. The depository is paid II per
cent. commission on the sales. and this
commission is paid hy the taxpayers
fra the county and iistriC, FRI which the
depository IS located. For example.
NIr Blank. o book seller and school
book depository located i'm the city and
district OF Charleston while his sales
10 peoDle of the other districts Of
E9nawha county and the counties ac-
Joining Eanawha. amount TO $1,000
The commission ON the $4,000 worth OF
hooks sold 10y the Charleston de2osi-
tory to- people of other districts and 9th
or counties. would have TO be paid by
the tax-Dapers Of Charleston district