Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-05-13

p. 1894. Vol. XIII No. .3s.
of lvision. Brakeman. Taylor s. Co
the same combination. except Apple
E ton & CT and HsrrPr. whn At that
time did moi belong init, furnished o.
( IT. agents, u ~ paid IU members q,
{ tie san FFaDci-co hoard Of education,
70. lump sum Of sl1.s.J9 -.
These are only specific instances
iut the history Of this company op
! sri:iOns in Mississippi, Missouri, Ohiu.
I NeE jersey and other states, give US
he itDpressibI inst is methods are
'OrruDt, and leads MS cOmrIittee t..
J h. almost irresistible c.nclusiOu that
this j. a well defined ppiirs u th.
country itself 10 tie selections II : nu
Of its agents and iBstrUmentaliies
When the fact is considered tlIa
brides are carefully offered and sue
cessful, bribery is always secret, aud
that for one attempt exposed many
more are successful, the demoralizing
and cOrrnpting nature OF this com
paoy in its dealings with public agents
and officers must be universally con-
ceded.
cit will also appear that is most
reckless and successful operations
have been confined to what it prob
ably considers backwoOds states. In
which category IL doubtless includes
West Virginia, Mississippi, Missouri,
California, Washington, as will ap-
pear further on, Oregon, and in New
England and many other places, its
success, il any, in mouopOlizing the
school book business. has been short
lived.
'Oregon-In Oregon the influence
OF the American Book Company and
OF the combination which IL repre-
sents lfor it must be borne in mind
that this combination, at least in
part, existed for many years before
tine Incorporation already descrIbed)
Is very early manifest. The combina.
tiOn was from the very beginning
represented by its attorney as a
member OF the house, aud the law
and rules and regulations for the
selection OF school books, when
analyZed, show plainly that
they were framed in the interests Of
thes combination, and bear its ear
marks, and every attempt at legisla.
tion las, for instance, the attempt to
obtain the right Of local selection OF
public school boOksl. though inmical
TO the interests OF this company, have
been promptly suppressed.
''Its success in this state may be
judged Of from the fact as IL ex-
lists, that every public school book In
the state, except Brooks Normal
Arithmetic and three very unimport-
ant other books. Young's Govern
ment Glass Book, Westlake's Com.
mon School and Westlake's Letter
Writing, are selected from the AmerI-
can Book Company's list. or these
excepted ones, three are published by
Chris Sower & Co.. OF Philadelphia,
NhA DhN " -sAnJ hatd ~ nCililiE
tically the American Book Company
furnishes all the public school books
for the State II Oregon, selection so
unanimous and unwarranted that 10
itself IL suggests occult influences aud
gives TO this corporation a profit, as
we estimate IL, OF oyer $4,000 year.
Character OF bOok.-Our commit
tee has been compelled 10 look into
this matter aud has made careful in
quiry upon this subject. The Amer
can Book Company has many excel
lent books, chiefly confined TO the
academic and higher grade, 1t is
very weak In the lower grades and In
mathematics. AS basis Of compaI-
ison, We have compared with the put
lie school selection the selection Of
books for educational purposes made
by the Bishop Scott academy, the
Portland academy, and other first
class private schools covering the
same educational ground as our pub
lie school, and all upon friendly
terms, so far as we know, with the |
American Book Company, aud find |
that IN these schools the American
Book Company only furnishes from 20
10 25 per cent OF the textbooks used.
the remaining 80 or 75 per cent being
selected from the publications OF
other houses. Such startling dis
crepancy as this OF itself shows that
the public school selection is not
made upon the ground OF merit alone.
Upon a critical examination OF indi-
yioual books this presumption is
greatly strengthened. IL Is cheaper
for the American Book Company 10 ,
print aud furnish an inferior book
than good one, aud it's profit Is
greater upon the poorer one. although
u may sell IL Al much lower price.
This apparent anomaly Is explained by
the fact that the authors copyright
on hrst-class book absorbs a large
part OF lts profit, aud first-class educa-
tionai works canDot be written By
mere literary hAcxs.