Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-04
scuooI-pooK PUBLISHING.

| To the Editor or inc DiSPa'~" 49,.
why could not the Legislature OF VIZ.
e,n,a enact law TO adopt series "a
| text.books for use ia the pupnc sc"oo'S,
have them published by the o'a.e, anu anu
| sell them to the patrons Oh inc
at cost of publication? Wouiu ,n,s 40.
save the people a large amour, -, " ~,
| in a few years? Please puo s'',,'.
views OH ii's suo'N X. G..
Tho man suggested has been trieo III
california for several years. ana ~ s'hi
e., o,orotton there. we believe. other
s,a,es have tried It and abandoned IL.
The first difficulty that presents i'seii
IN our mind is that OF oJtainins eop''
rights of suitable works. Nearly e'e''
school-book now in use Is grown
is 70 say. its present state Is the result
=, oor.ect,ons and changes made upon
former editions.
No hook IS ever as perfect as IL can
be made when first put forth; pu' e"o"
succeeding edition brings, or ous"' "
bring improvements. New editions couiu'
OF course, be put forth by 'hoSe ""o
are especially equipped for th's "oiN
easier than by the State.
At the outset, our State would nave
TO acquire copyrights or secure oiisi''a'
MSS. In either case 1t would pe ''eie
~ a matter of cost; but we rear that
the cost would be heavy.
When the State had secured the need-
cd "copy" to put into the hands Oh the
printers. 1t would have TO cohs'uer
whether It would establish a puphshi"s
plant OF its own. or would let the WORK
to contract The former plan wouid re-
quire a large outlay of money as INC
complete plant should include types anu
presses, engraving establishment pooh-
binderv. etc. Furthermore, every pooA
issued would need careful editing. Few
men can prepare for publication DOORS
that do not require critica! readihs III
MS. and in proof both. The great
publishing houses have many eNper's'
and each book of theirs passes through
MANY critics' hands. An error passed
nv the first reader may be detected Dy
the second reader, or the third, sor the
fourth.
Again, when we came to print geo.
graphy or history, we should ma that
we had TO have pictorial illustrations
and maps. and these are costly. After
we had secured the drawings we shoulu
have to have the engravings maue-ho'
an insignificant matter, either.
AS 10 some of the books used in high
schools. etc, it would be out of the ques-
ton altogether for the State to nave
them printed upon her own account. Not
many of them are needed. and the cost
of each would, therefore, be enormous.
Finally. we believe that the most dis
tinguished public educators are opposed
TO the system suggested by X. G. They
do not approve the idea OF having their
pupils cut off from books which have
been long used; which have passed
through many editions. and been perfect
ed year after year by the help OF the
greatest experts in the world.
These are some of the objections that
occur to us. We think they are valid,
but others may be of a different mind.
We do not wish to be, or to seem to be,
dogmatic about the matter, and we do
not claim TO know it ALL" We are in
sympathy with every reasonable and pro-
per effort TO secure cheaper school-books.
But inefficient school-books are not cheap,
but dear-the dearest possible.