The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-29
THE BIC
QUESTION
At the State Teachers Meeting
That Assemblies Today
Is ssShaH SchOolbOOks Be Free
to All Pupils.
BOTH SIDES OF 1T
Have Advocates Who viii Pre-
sent Their Views.
Also Shall Pupils Write Slant
ing or Vertically

The two leading questions which Will
come before the State Teachers asso-
ciatfon which assemblies at Topeka to-
dav viii be the uniformity OF teNO
books and penmanship- The eonlro-
versy over the latter subject arose lasl
year between the advocates ot vertical
and slant writing The prospects arg
that 1T viii be renewed again TINS year
with additional vigor
While no particular opJeclloh mas
been offered to state uniformity OF text
hooks the most popular idea seems 70
be the district ownership QI IeAl DooA7
which shall be furnished free 10 pu-
pills ,..-4..+
Those who are opposed to distIlet l-lS,s
ownership urge as an objection the 14cl
that the use of books from year TO year
bv different pupils would tend e pro
duce dangerous hygIenlc cohul llltl-7-
That is to say a pupil who ha4 peell
afflicted with courageous ulss--S
might use q book for a time ana there
after il should fan into the hands OF a
healthy child who might become lnIecl-
ed and thereby aid in the propagation
of disease
Another reason urged against this
plan is that it wiM- if adopted atAN5
the small dealer in the small towns ana
country villages out of business " mere
as if permitted TO handle school BOOKS
his business would be such that he
prived of the school book trade thesup-
p0rters OF small business enterprises
urge that a plan tending in any man
ner TO destroy such business is NOT ue-
The third and perhaps most import
ant objection made TO the district own
ership plan is that such a system would
destroy the property right OF q chlld,
who if books were furnished. would not
learn the idea of ownership Then
little sentiment Creeps into this argu-
ment in the idea that it is always
source of great pride. as well as an ed
ucative influence. for those who have
perhaps ended their days in school to
look over in after years the DOCKS
Those Who advocate district owner
ship say that. as school districts are
now meagerly supplied with supple
mental reading matter.their plan would
have a tendency and would in fact.sup-
ply the schools with what is needed in
that line. As an example a conserva-
tive school man, Wen known i'm Kansas
said today
with a single text book. say Of ge-
Ographies. che pupils are now confined
solely to that one book for their 5nfor-
nation upon that subject. suppose
district ownership We're i'm vogue. text
books upon the same subject. probably
from other publishers. would find their
way into the school room and with the
additional opportunities, widening of
minds and increases of intellect upon
this subject would follow.
again, the advocates of district own
ership assert that it would be cheaper
for q community as a whole to have
books purchased direct and taken care
Of by the school authorities. than it
would be for members of families to
make individual purchases. Following
this comes the argument that less mon
ey would be expended for books dur
ing a year than is expended under the
present system
The district ownership system it is