Mesa free press., 1898-10-07


amounts to millions of dollars, and
when such an aggregation of wealth
undertakes to accomplish an object it
can call to it's aid, by mere attractions
as 1t were, some of the most influential
of agencies.
1hus, at every session of the legisla-.
ture, from the adoption of the consti-
tutlonal amendment above alluded to
until that of 1897, the corridors of the
state Capitol have been crowded with
the agents and attorneys of
the trust whose endeavors have
been chiefly directed toward, the
abolition and destruction of the
State Printing Office, the object being
10 deprive the State of the ability to
publish the books at cost to the peo-
pie that would justify continuance of
the system. For it can be easily seen
that the cost of publishing the books
must be much greater when the, entire.
expense OF power, maintenance, admin
lstration, insurance, etc., is borne by
the school-book fund, than when such
general expenses are divided between
That fund and the fund usually provid-
ed for general State printing. These
efforts of the trust were entirely abor-
tive until the Legislative session Of
1897, when the governor did, with the
stroke of his pen, that which the book
trust had for years failed to accomplish
he vetoed the appropriation, thereby
causing a suspension of all State print
ing. thus throwing the entire expense
|Of publication, maintenance, power.
administration, insurance, etc., upon
the school-book revolving fund.
The books of the California S.ate
series will compare more than favor
ably with any similar books published
in the United States. Important re-
visions and new compilations have
been made, and although this branch
of the work has not always been en-
trusted to friendly hands, still, in spite
Of the fact that the development of the
series has been beSet by enemies on
almost every hand, the texts of the
books are now much better than those
of any other series which have under
gone repeated revisions.
The firm stand taken by A. J. John
stOn, Superintendent of State Printing,
in behalf Of the State books, and the
determination he displayed in main
tanning. them in popular favor, in so
far, at least, as his department could
do SO, has called down upon him the
displeasure of the private school-book
trust, and it is now their desire to pre-
vent his reelection as superintendent
Of State Printing if possible, for, at
every stage of the contest between the
trust and the State books, he has met
and baffled the attempts of the former
to uprOOt and supplant the State sys-
tenn KS
The present stage of the contest is
most interesting, and one in which the
people are much concerned; for if the
Influences friendly to the trust can rid
the printing department of this stall
wart defender of the State school books
their fight for their destruction is all
but won. That the stake is worth con-
tending for is shown by the statement
founded upon official statistics, that
during the incumbency of A. j. john
ston as superintendent Of State Print
ing alone, there. have been printed and
sold by the State nearly 10000 000school
books, and at prices representing a
saving to parents of about 100000, or
a saving per capita of something like
$3.50 for every child attending the pub
lie schools of California; and that, too
within period of less than seven
years!
/. The danger that threatens the very
existence of this institution of the peo-
pie had become SO manifest that a
number of the friends of the State
school book system formed an associa-
ton, some months ago, called the Cali
fornia State School-Book League" for
the purpose of presenting an organized
resistance to the efforts of the school
book monopoly against the life of the
State system. That association or
league now has a very large member
ship, is bipartisan in character, and
carries upon it's rolls the, names of
many of the most prominent citizens OF
California. The league has recently Is
sued an address to the people of the
State, in which the rise and progress OF
our school-book system is very fully
recited, and the benefits to the people
arising therefrom most interestingly
and infinitely stated. The league also
lays bare to the public eye an inner
view of the succession of cOnspiracieS
that have been entered into by the
agents of the "book ring" in their re-
peated efforts to break down, cripple
and destroy the popular State system
The figures given in the league pamph-
Ilets are taken from official sources, the
accuracy of which have not been, and
cannot be, questioned; and the saving
to the people shown to have been eff
fected since the State began the pub
| lication of her own school books
amounts to a sum really startling in it's
proportions. Tabulation after tabula-
lstion is given, showing the prices of the
books prior to the adoption of the State
system, those now obtaining in Oregon,
Arizona and Nevada, and those being
paid by parents in California at this
time, and the comparisons show saw
ing of AZ 1-3 per cent in favor of the
California State series.
Under the old system a parent NOV
ing from one county or district to an
| other was forced to discard the school