The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-20

saving of from 25 to 80 per cent in the
cost OF school books. The text book
question is one that has been discussed
considerably within the last few years
and legislation concerning it is likely
to be proposed in the near future
Some charges are made like the follow
ing: That there is a ''ravenous monop-
oly'' arrayed against the people That
there are combinations among publish
erS to keep up the price of school books
Ihat these prices are exOrbitantly high
so nigh as to make it hard for many
people to supply their children with
books That this hardship is felt the
more IN a state not yet old enough to
have a fixed, settled population. Two
or three remedies for these real or
fancied ills have been suggested.
First-That the state, through it's leg
islature, shall empower some person or
persons to contract for books for a
term OF years, to be uniform through
out the state.
Second That the state shall publish
the books most used, and that arrange
ments shall be made for their distrib11-
ton. The work of compiling the books
would, in this case. be intrusted to
some person or persons designated by
| the legislature.
ThiId-That school districts. town
| ships or counties be authorized to Sc
| lect books for a term of years, and that
| these books be furnished free to all pu-
pills desiring to use them.
have no hesitancy in discussing
4
| way There are at least two sides to
| every question, and I admit frankly
| that it is a burden, as school district
| aHa1rs are often managed, to purchase
| BOOKS for a large family. But the cost
1 OF school books is often unduly magni-
/ fled The price has been materially
reduced from time to time, and I feel
| warranted in asserting that-consider-
! ing the great excellence that has been
| attained in these books, and consider
| ing the copyright upon them-school
| books are today among the cheapest
! manufactured articles on the market
| L believe that any law looking toward
| state uniformity would be a great in
| jury to the cause of public education in
this state. My reasons, and 1 am not
| alone in my belief, are as follows:
| State uniformity would be certain to
! increase an already present tendency to
! routine in the work of the schools No
| single set of textbooks would meet the
| requirements of so many different COM
| munitieS as there are in our state State
| uniformity would necessitate the loss
| of all books now in use. ITO read one
| story, study one book, and sing one
| song through the long years of school
| life, however weariSOme and monoton-
| Gus that may become is not cheer
! full prospect.
| My objections to the states publish
| ing the books, briefly stated, are as
| follows: The great improvement that
| has been made in textbooks is the re-
| suit OF competition among publishers.
| books would be liable to abuse be-
/ cause of the magnitude of the pecun-
! larry interests involved. There would
| be a great lack in the matter of neces-
/ Sary revision of books from time to
| time. 1t would be hazardous to in
trust the preparation of books to any
| person whom the Legislature might des-
| 1gnate for the work. 1t would be i'm
| possible for the state to prepare books
as good as we have at present. Ex-
| perience in California, the only state
| publishing portion of it's school books
! has shown that there is no economy in
| the plan. 1t might not be out of place
| to relate briefly the experience of the
state OF California in this matter:
In January, 1883, the state printer
! submitted to the legislature a report in
which he asserted that books as good
! as those in use in that state could be
! printed by the state at prices ranging
| from 81 cents to 35 cents. and esti-
| mated that an appropriation of about
! $4,000 would be sufficient to carry out
| the plan. The plan included the pub
! LEGATION of a speiler, three readers, an
arithmetic, grammar, a history and
| a aphy-eight books in all. But
! in 18S5-When the plan had been finally
! adopted by the state-the same state
! printer asked for an appropriation of
$ZoO'oO0 TO begin work, and the legisla-
| ture appropriated S150, 600 for the printer
! and $4,000 for compiling" Again in
| 1887 an appropriation of $197, 500 was
| made for this same work, and in 1888
another state printer asked for $65 900
as an extra appropriation. To get at
| the matter briefly, the following tables
! are given:
Actual permanent investment in
state school books up to the close of
1890.
Legislative approp'tion of 1885. $40 900
Legislative approp't ton of 1887. 1877, 500
A sum more than ten times the origi-
| nal estimate, and the list of books is
| not yet complete.
To the amount invested by the
state ...-:..--.--. $685., 500
| Add what the people have paid
| to the state for books. ..... 22O 600
And we shall find a total of $751;. 500
! Which has been used by the state in
| producing the state school books and
! this total does i1,cI111l. In,