Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-20
TEARS THE NEW SCHOOL Hook LAW
WILL BE CONDEMNED.
SCHEME OF THE BOOK TRUST.
ARRANGING TO "PaC," STATE
TEACHERS CONVENTION.
Idea Is Not to Overthrow the Kansas
Ia>y. but 10 influence IeGi>Ia-
tion in Other Statcs--stryI>-
rr Fighting: The
scheme.

Topeka. Kas Doc. lJ-,SpecialD State
Superintendent Of Schools Strykcr Is great
ly excited today over u rumor which has
reached his ears 10 the effect that an ef
fort would Toe made TO rush through a res
oution coudemnin@ the new school law
at, the coming convention OF the State
Teachers Association. Just whore the in
formation came from he won't say, but
H. is certain that i AGht viii be made. As
rf-uli. u, accuses the American Book
Company OF being behind the move. Az
c0rdinE TO the runner. he says. the trust
has been sounding teachers throughout all
portions Of the state and arrangements
have been made whereby all teachers op
posed 20 the new law will be in atroHd-
;lnc". The trusts forces. il is claimed. are
well organized and prepared TO put up
IE fight.
Superintendent Stryker is alarmed, be-
cause he Is afraid that the teachers who
are friendly To the now law VIII not attend
the meeting. and in that way the other
side will be able TO carry out its plan. lie
viii endeavor 10 enthuse the friends of the
law 50 that ihey viii Ice fully represented
at the meeting. He feels certain that If
The teachers who are friendly to the law
turn out they viii be able TO snow the res
olutlonS under.
The object of the fight. as outlined by
Strykcr TO one of the publishers OF the
present textbooks. Is 10 help the trust out
In its coming light in Kentucky and Ohio
, this winter. In thos. states. he says, bills
VIII be introduced in the legislature provid-
ing for state uniformity and maximum
prices. The trust wants Kansas teachers
TO condemn the law; then it will be able
10 show 10 OHIO and kentucky that out
here in Kansas. where the system has been
tried, it has been proven IL failure. and III
order TO back 1t up will cite the resolu-
lions adopted by the State Teachers AssO-
citation. The fight Will not be made for the
purpose OF aiding the trust to defeat the
law in Kansas Stryker says. hut simply
10 influence legislation in otner states.
The state superintendent has sent out
hundreds of letters begging teachers whom
he knows can be relied upon TO attend the
meeting, which takes place in Representa-
tive nall during the holiday week.
In speaking about the matter to-day. a
publisher of textbooks, vino received some
good contracts from the state textbook
commission. said: II would not be sur
lrisrd II StrNkcr s fears Were well found
cd. The tact Is. il is not hard work TO
get q crowd OF teachers to do almost any
thing of that kind. a concern can make
everlasting friends of hundreds of teach
erS 10y simply giving them few books
occasionally, with lis compliments 1t is
just AN easy way To bribe teachers: proba-
bly, they don't regard il that way, but
that's what il amounts to. They are sim
ply selling themselves for Il few cheap
books. Teachers bite readily. Then. very
few teachers care about the cost of school
hooks. They don't have to buy them.
Nearly all they use are given to them. The
parents are the ones who feel the burden
Some of the books the state has adopted,
] Will admit, are off color little notably
the history; but. taken as an average,
they show up pretty well for the price.
The only thing probably that will prevent
the adoption Of resolution condemning
the new law VIII be the fear of the teach
erS to face their constituents afterward."