Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-05-14
s,aRdidet3 hot Afraid.
Prof. Lyman Denounces the
American Book Co,
FOR ROBBING OREGON PEOPLE.
Legislative Investigation Should
Be Had as to Cost in Oregon
[Daily oregonian May l2. 1881

] PORTLAND, May ll.-(IO the EditOTJ
A gentleman whose position entities
him To the highest credit in school
affairs in Our state is reported in the
Portland Telegram, Of April l5.as say
ing that he vas not entirely satisfied
with tue school books now furnished
the pupils OF the state and thought
that marked changes should be made
in the works on geography and arith-
inetic. He also thought that the
prices OF school books should be reg
ulated, as parents have to pay more
for them than the books are worth.
Examination of the prices OF our
school text books in Oregon and In
otner states fully bears out the asser-
tiOns OF this gentleman. 1 have re-
Gently received catalogues OF school
books with price lists from the state
superintendents of Montana aud Mis-
souri,. Whatever may be the result
of the present election, or whoever Is
placed in the office Of superintendent
OF public instruction, it would GER
tainIy be pity If this election should
pass by and the people OF our state
fail to learn how much they are pay
ing for their children's school books
in comparison with those of otGer
states.
In Montana, where population is
much more sparse, and the general ex.
penses or living are greater than 10
Oregon, the cost OF school books is
much less. For instance, the five
school readers, Stickney's series, pub
lisned by CHM e Co., cost Ia the az
gregate s2.09. In Oregon the FIVE read
ers, the Barnes series published by
the American Book Co., certainly not
superior to Stickney's, cost SO. The
two arithmetics in Montana, Walsh,
published by d. G. Heath & Co., cost
95 cents; 10 Oregon our arithmetics
Fish, published by the American
Book Co., serious notoriously infer
iPr, cost 81. In Montana the two
Biographies, published by Rand, Nc
Nally & Co., cost S1.33; in Oregon the
two biographies, Montieth's published
by the American Book Co., cost 81 80.
In Montana copy books OF The best
character are go cents dozen; In Or
egon they are 96 cents dozen to Sl.20
a dozen.
In Missouri, where the population
is much denser than in Oregon, we
find, as we should expect, even bet
ter prices than in Montana. The FIVE
readers, the Franklin series. by Shel
don & Co., cost in the aggregate, full
cloth, 81 52; or cloth back, $l.32. The
Biographies. the Rand McNally series,
cost, both, 1923. A first reader in
Missouri costs at retail, over the
counter. but IL cents, against ours at
% cents.
1t is unnecessary to particularize.
Any one interested-and who is not
that has to buy school books ?-may
study this out for himself by sending
direct to Montana 1r Missouri for
prices.
In view Of this condition, in which
nearly 80, 900 school children are daily
using books that cost from % to 100
per cent more than the children of
neighboring states are obliged to pay,
is it not astonishing that any one
should object to the charge?
1t has been currently reported that
| in 1894, the time Of the last school
book election, books were net changed
because the people were suffering
from hard times and did not wish
change. IL IT, were true that the peo-
pie did not wish change, il was ouly
because they were ignorant OF the
great expense that a continuance OF
books and prices were bringing upon
them. They ignorantly believed, or
else they were knavishly Informed,
that a change meant an increase OF
expense, whereas a change at that
time, or at the present time, or at
the next book election, means vast
reduction in expense.
The change that the people favor
will be chance, not necessarily Of
books, but of contract; change Of
prices. The American book Co., itself,
which has practical monopoly OF the |
book business here, and which with |
hardihood characteristic of all in-
trenched mOnOpolies, takes no pain |
TO furnish us its best publications, is
doiug business TO Idaho along with
some twelve other companies; in
Montana, along with some eight
ther companies; and in Missouri
along with some twenty,one other
com panies, and furnishes those states
It's best books at prices as low as any.
This election ought 10 result in com
pelling this concern 10 deal with Or
sSon fairly or else to quit the state
The demand OF the people, loud
enough to be heard fSom one end CT
he street to the other, should be for a
,hange OF contract, for prices as low
Is those in Idaho or Montana, or POS
IDLY IN Missouri, and 10 bring this
,pulent aud mercIless A. b. @. mono
by to the level OF descent cnmpe- /
ition.
ii, S. LYMAN.
Excursion Rates.
To the G.. A. r., encampment at ,
The Dalleg OT via Staau,..r AlsRna