The San Francisco call., 1897-08-12
Over $4,000 Extra Expense for
Heart and Other New
Culture.
no INDECENT FUND PROVIDED FOR.
The Law Imperative in the Case of
0rphans-Those Agents Cham
pagne Suppers.

Never was the hardship that has been
wrought upon the poor parents OF this
community, who are struggling to give
their children the advantages OF good
public school education, by the introduc-
tion of useless textbooks into the course
of study more forcibiy demonstrated than
at a meeting of the Committee on Supplies
of the Board of School Directors yesterday
morning 1t came to light at that meet
ing that the number of those who are
forced to take advantage of the INDECENT
fund is something precedented, and
thus far aggre gates about 1000 persons,
with the list constantly swelling.
The three new books added to the
course, Swinton's WORD Analysis"
Heart Culture" and Harr Wagner's his
tory, are resposible for this lamentable
condition of affairs. Heart Culture
and other forms of culture, il is estimated
by School Director Head, will cost the
taxpayers of the City somewhere in the
neigh borhood of $4,000. But the worst
of the story Is not yet told.
When the question of the new books
for the children was brought up by School
Director Bantell, the rolls of petitions of
those parents who are obliged to take ad
vantage of The relief supplied by the in
digent fund were laid before the commit
tee, and an estimate made of the neces-
sary draft this would make upon the fund,
it was found that as affairs now exist there
is no INDECENT fund upon which to draw.
"At the present time" said Director
Head, mo appropriation for the School
Department has been made in the tax
lavy. Until some official action is taken
in the matter and the committee is au-
taE 10 II n in
can be done. OF course no appropriation
can be made for this com mmiltee until it is
known how much is going to be allowed
for the use of the School Department in
the new tax levy.
$50 much talk about the Mayor Veto
ing the next tax levy unless it comes
within the party pledge has been INDUCED
in that dealers are not willing to furnish
goods until they are sure that they will
receive the proper remuneration, so We
are perfectly helpless as regards furnish
ing these books.
"Ohe thing is certain-these books must
be supplied to orphans. The law makes
this obligatory. But what is to become
OF the others? 1t is going to take an i'm
mense mum Der of books to 20 round. The
largest demand ever known is coming in
from INDECENT parents at this time, which
shows that the adding OF these new books
TO the course OF study is far-reaching IN its
effects.
Parents of children who are too poor
to buy the new books and too proud TO
ask aid from the INDECENT fund will keep
their children at home until such time as
they are able to purchase the books and
send their children to school again. This
will not only keep the children back in
their studies, but will give them an oppor-
tunity to roam the streets and meet the
temptations due to idleness. ! have op-
posed this proposition and have always
stated that nobody wanted these books
and nobody asked for them, except the
agents OF the different book panies
in San Francisco. They are the ones most
enthusiastic.
You have doubtless heard of their
giving champagne suppers TO certain
mem bars of the board Immediately upon
the adoption OF some new book. l am
glad 10 say, though the School Directors
were invited at various times to join them
in these banqueIs, l know of none who
accepted"
The public seems to look upon the m after
in the same light as School Director Head.
and to think that some persons, like Esau,
have sold their birthright for a mess OF
pottage. They think that champagne sup
pers may be all right intheir way, but that
when by indulging in them many parents
are obliged to keep their children from
school for longer or shorter period, and
q demand is made upon the INDECENT fund
for thousands of doll there is some
thing rotten in Denmark. Especially Is
this believed to be true at this time, when
there is as yet no INDECENT fund upon
which to draw.
A gentleman who lives in the Denman
district and has children attending school
said last night:
THE CALL has been doing an immense
amount OF good by the stand 1t has taken
regarding hoolbooks. But there are
lot of impositions that as ye; have not
been set forth. For instance, take
the Denman School. There is lady
teacher there who has published little
book of her own exercises and rules IN
arithmetic. This book is not laid down
by the Board OF Education as necessary,
but the lady has got 1t out as snort cut
CT sort of compendium. she explains that
The book is not required TO be bought by
the board, but al the same time II IL is not
the children have 10 spend time copying
the substance of it, so that the cost OF the
book. 35 cents, is dead cheap compared
with The work
80 the children buy it, and thus it is
quite a profitable private snap Tor the
leacher 1t is a book that it does not cost
cents TO publish. This book matter does
not stop therefore with the Board OF Edu-
cation. II does not atop with the princi-
pal even. The teachers had play at it.
AT the Denman School the order ar
rived yesterday for change OF books.
wrong list mad previously been given.
and had paid 81 for them. Luckily for
my part I only had to get one book
changed.
Il can't give you my name in connec-
tlon with this for if it was published that
teacher would see in my child only little
heathen, and she would probably have to
est oct and 90 into another sc.OOl.
The other day one of my children
brought home blank about renting a
piano which reads some thing like this:
l may bring cents per month
lor deraying the expense Of renting
piano.