The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-06-25
THE NEW SCHOOL BOOKS.

There are tory papers on earth, as
there was in 1776, and a whole lot of
them are in Kansas. When the new
school text book bill was passed last
winter, there was a general acquies-
cenCe in the measure and belief that
it was a good thing, but some bell
wether has started the war against It's
operations, and a lot of chuckle-head
editors are following. They admit that
the books selected by the commission
only cost half as much as the old ones,
but they insinuate that they are "no
good" they are as "cheap" as their
price. Whether this is true or not is
an important question.
There we're enrolled in the schools of
the state the past year, 378, 389 pupils.
Estimates based on actual experience
show that the cost of books is from one
to two dollars per pupil per year. A
low estimate for the cost of school
books to the people of the state per
year would be 100000. In a letter
written to Superintendent Stryker by
the American Book company, the claim
is made that their business for the
past year in the state was only $4,000,
and that the whole business of the
state did not exceed $4,000. It is also
claimed that books cannot be furnish
ed at the price established by the text
book law. This letter, like every other
statement given tOthe public by this OF
any other of the giant corporations is
a tissue of falsehoOds. Their business
has not been less then 100000 to $780,
900 per year, and emitting money spent
to bride, and buy, and in other improp-
er ways influence and secure adoption,
at least One-haif of this is profit. This
concern refuses to bid for books under
our law, they say, because books cannot
be furnished at the price. The facts
are that this refusal was for entirely
different reasons. They not only stay
ed out but did everything in their
power and succeeded in keeping most
of the book publishers Of the country
from bidding. in the hope that no
books would be offered, and for the
further reason that they would be com
PEELED in other states to come to our
prices. They spent thousands of dol
lars in attempts to bride the legisls-
ture, and when that failed went into
the courts, and now failing in that
they are seeking some other means to
thwart the law. One of which is to
buy space in any paper that viii sell it
to declare the Law a failure, and the
books adopted inferior; that the com
panies contracting cannot furnish
them, and other equally false state
ments too numerous to mention.
When asked about the books ADOPT
ed Superintendent Stryker said: every
book thus far adopted is first-elass in
every respect. Quite as good the very
best now in use. The Rand-MeNally
is recognized everywhere as
one Of the very best and it is used ex-
sensivsly all over the United States.
The Biographies ana penmauship are
IN Use in Topeka and many other of the
arge cities of the state. The CODY
books viii be sold for Just one-hslf
What is nov being paid, and are the
same thing exactly, except that they
Rill now be . per cent larger than be-
-ors. The arlthmstics are used in the /
Chicago schools and in many other
srge cities. l might continue in this
way through the list. Everyone is
splendid book and it Is the regular