The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-11-11
FREE TEX BOOKS.
The System is Proving Success
full Wherever Tried.

-=sS + Il
The following il from the Pioneer
Press: s.,. J. r. 1. "a ]. d ..#.
The free text book movement il the
public schools Of the state is. making
rapid Roadway, The free text book
law has been in operation, four school
years, and trifle more than 81 per
Of the districts, common, special and
independent, have awaited themselves
of its provisions and have supplied
books free of expense. 5s.7 .t..ts @t,ss! |
The reports of the county superiu-
tendents of schools, made July 81,
show a total of 1851 districts of all
classes in the state that are under the
operations of the free text book law.
This gain. of 10 since last year.
The number of school districts in
Minnesota is 6,515. it,. Il. =: ~ F..
The free text book lawAwas passed
by the legislature of 1898. Under
it's provisions the board of trustees
OF; the board of educations of any
school district is authorized to con-
tract for text books for the pupils of
the district school or schools under
it's charge, purchase thesame and loan
them free of charge to the pupils.
Contracts must be for not less than
three nor more than five years. If
the trustees do not move in the mat
ter, five or more legal voters of the
district may petition the trustees to
submit the question to the people,
and the trustees must call a meeting
of the voters. If decided in the af-
firmative the trustees must provide
the books. The funds must come
out of the school funds of the dis.
tricts. Thus the whole burden is put
upon the districts themselves. The
state does not lend assistance, as in
the case of library books. The teach
or is made responsible for the books
in the school, being compelled to &C.
count for them before receiving the
final months talary.
The per capita cost for the lower
grades for the first year is, about
$1.25, and somewhat more than that
in the upper grades. The expense
after the first year is very small, av.
eraging within so cents per pupil.
The average life of an arithmetic is
said to be about three years. Read-
ers and grammars and other books
last longer. Speaking of lthe merits
Of tho free text book law, Assistant
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Hyde said:
"There is no doubt of the entire
success of the law wherever it has
been tried. An evidence Of this il
found in the fact that only one of the
districts that adopted the system has
given it up, and that was a district
where there was strong prejudice
against the system in the first place
and very small majority in its favor
1t is generally found that it is not
the taxpayers that oppose the sys
tenn. 1t is more likely to be some
one that has half a dozen children ii
the school and does not pay a cent o.
taxes, aud therefore the one to bt
most benefited. The taxpayers ar,
invariably willing to give it a tria
; and to provide the money. ,aa.>
"The advantages of the free tex
book system are incontestable. Ii
the first place there is saving of no
less than 20 per cent on the cost o
the books to the patrons of tn
schools. Then every child is fur
, nished his books at the opening o
the term and can go to work at cnce
Under the old system it is sometime
weeks before the whole school is pro
3 vided with text books, and mucl
confusion and wasted energy is tn
!, result. It is noticeable, too, that th'
: children take better care of the dis
| tricts' books than they do of thei
} own. Some people make objection
to the system on the theory that i
tends to scatter the germs of disease
The same objection might be mad
against the circulating library. I
, seems to me that this argumen
: ought to have but little weight. AL
educators in the state are unanimous
in commenting the system, and
think it is only a matter Of a few
! years when it will be in operatio,
practically everywhere in the state.