The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-22
BOOKS DIRT CHEAP.
A Great Reduction of Prices
Made BY Proposed Bill
Teachers Association Commit
tee Report Against Measure.
1t is Withdrawn From Their Consid-
Grafton but Will be introduced in
Legislature, Anyway.

The legislative committee appointed
by the State Teachers association has
killed State superintendent STRIKERS
Dill for district ownership and adjourned
without further action.
Mr. STRIKERS bill provided for dis
trict ownership, set the price at which
the books should be furnished to the
districts, provided five year contracts,
made all books subject to the approval
of the state board of education and
provided safeguards against the pur-
chase of worthless books
The prices arranged by the bill were
as follows:
Spelling book, 10 cents; first reader,
10 cents; second reader, IS cents; third
reader, 20 cents; fourth reader, % cents;
fifth reader, 50 cents; arithmetic inter
mediate, 20 cents; arithmetic, complete,
40 cents; geography, elementary, 80
cents; geography, complete, rs cents;
English grammar, elementary, 20 cents;
English grammer complete, IS cents;
physiology. so cents; history of the
United States, so cents; copy books, 5
cents each
The bill also contained this PROPOSE
ton: IF any competent author or au-
thOrs shall compile any one or more
books of the first order of excellence
and shall offer the same as q free gift
to the people of this state, together with
the copyright of the same and the right
the state of Kansas for use in the pub
lie schools, it shall be the duty of the
state board of education to pay no
money for manuscript or copyright for
such book or books on the subject treat
ed of in this manuscript so donated"
Prof. Guy p. Benton of Baldwin of
fered the principal objection to the bill
which received the sanction of the re
naming members of the committee.
He said: 1T is unjust to require the
taxpayers of the state to furnish books
to children whose parents are better
able to buy them than the already over
burdened property holders. In many
of the towns and cities of the state
there are railroad men, clerks and men
in other business lines who do not pay
taxes and every poor widow who owns
small home and every poor farmer
struggling under mortgage must con-
tribute to buy books for children of
these well paid men.
1T is paternalistic If children must
be furnished by the state with books,
why not require the state to furnish
them with clothing and shoes? 1t wipes
out all competition by limiting the book
business to one firm Wherever state
been tried as q state policy ii has
failed.
At the prices suggested in this bill
no first class books would be offered
President Taylor of the state normal
school said: Under the district owner
ship plan disease would be transmitted
from one family to another by the
changing of books. These books would,
in passing from one child to another,
become vermin breeders. Where the
books are provided by the state the
same care will not be taken as when
furnished by parents.
Every member of the state board of
education and the legislative committee
opposed the bill.
Superintendent Swingle of Manhattan
moved to substitute a bill to Rrovlde
free text books to INDECENT pupils, but
this was not adopted.
Finding the committee a unit against
him. Mr. Stryker asked permission to
withdraw the bill, which was granted
Some member of the legislature Will
introduce the bill anyway.
The committee recommended the ex-
tension of the term of Office of county
superintendents and the admission of
graduates of common schools to city
high schools on payment of tuition in
counties where county high schools do
not exist.