The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-08
HAD A Lively SESSION
An Interesting Meeting Of the
School Trustees.
HALL STIRS UP TROUBLE
Jnsinusted That Money Had Been Paid
for Books Which Had Not Been Re-
ceived He Got Decidedly
the Worst OF II.

The board Of school trustees held a
lively and interesting session last even
ing. 1t was made SO by o. NJ. Hall.
n Of the three-year trustees who is
about to be busted from his place on
h board. Mr.. Hall had made up his
min to stir up some trouble as a part
ing act, but he rather got the worst Of
1t. He had a letter from State Super
intendent Carleton and a lot of figures.
from which he drew the conclusion h a
much money for it's text books and in
simulated that money had been paid out
for books that had not been received.
He said the Butte district had paid out
10000 for its books. while Helena had
paid only $1,450 for all the necessary
books. Butte has an enrolment of
5;14s pupils n Helena 1000: He de-
clared that Helena had all the books
required by law and that Butte paid
more for its extra or supplementary
books than Helena paid for all the
books in its schools. Mr.. Hall quoted
Mr.. Carleton literally n figured out
that there was a discrepancy some
where of $2.s27.16 paid out for books
dIu lOI WHICH tucIt was UO dCCOuntiuB.
The purchase of books is largely
managed by Superintendent Hendricks
and Clerk Richards and the s~uperinten-
dent mad the following report in an
swer to Mr.. Halls criticisms:
Butte had a collection of books val
ued at about 500 at the opening of
h school yesterday, Notwithstanding
the fact that 5000 was paid by the
district last year. 1861, for free books
for INDECENT pupils
Helena is not using the Prang draw
Ing books and models as provided by
law, nor are the Whiting music books,
two language books, Reed and KEEL
logg's graded lessons and Reeds intro
ductory lessons and the Harpers' read
ers used in the place of these books.
Two special teachers, one in drawing
and the other In music are employed
at the cost Of 81, 800, and ! am informed
another teacher of methods receives
$500, a total Of 81. 200 for special each
ers. Butte is using books provided by
law, n this district has now a full
equipment for drawing. such as models
and materials, 5000 music readers. over
1000 supplementary reading books and
primers and teachers manuals in draw
ing and arithmetic. The Office teacher,
besides substitute duty, assists in pri-
mary classes n drawing.
The following shows the cost of
books not in use in Helena: d.. c.
Heath & CO., music readers, S446. so:
Maynard & Merrill. language books,
$s42. 40: Maynard & Merrill, supplement
tary books s237.47. Prang company,
drawing and material, 1851 %;
American Book company. readers. ST.
1856. 80 CHM & Co, primers and primary
arithmetics. $134.50. Freight on above,
about $40. Total. $4.375. If you add the
additional cost of special teachers, and
a into consideration the fact that
the schools are provided only in part
with text books. 1t will be found that
Helena's system Is far the more ex-
p~ensive. AS to the results of the Hell
ena experiment / have no doubt. The
so-called new education without text
books has been thoroughly tested In
schools of the East. 1t is not a success.
1t is visionary and %ruinous. I am sat-
isfied Helena will buy text books before
another year closes. Helena boasts of
the financial advantages under the So
called new education's system. If to
the costs of free books for the pupils
enrolled (2,0lS)) claimed to re 81. 800, the
cost for special instructors. said to be
81, 700, be added. IL will be seen that the
cost is $4,30O. or $2.13 per pupil. The
cost in Butte for free books, regular
and supplementary, for pupils. 5,141V
enrolled. is &c. 900, or 81 2 per pupil.
There is no high grade schol system
without at least one set of supplement
tary and sight readers. Many have two
or three sets.
I'm regard to supplementary books I
received the following from State Su-
p~erintendent Carlton: Replying to our
communication of the 14th inst, where
in you ask for an opinion concerning
section 2002 of the Political Code, de-
string to know whether said article is
mandatory or not. and whether the
trustees must set aside at least $50 for
each 500 children and fraction thereof.
/ am of the opinion that the section is
mandatory. / will a in this connec-
ton, however. there will be no objection
to the trustees selecting a part oil even
all of their books from the supplement
tary reading list. which includes al
most every department of knowledge.
The supplementary list of readers will
soon be published and distributed. 1t
contains a great mine of information.
BY ordering from this list you will be
killing I'VE birds with m stone. You
will be complying with the law. as
found in section 2002, and thus supply
your school library, and at the same
time procure a large amount of valu-
able matter for supplementary reading.
i shall approve the list for supplement
tary reading as among the books to be
selected for library purposes, a~greeably
to section 2002."
Mr.. Hall had a previous report made
by Mr.. Hendricks nat differed in ma
terial respects from the above. and he
charged the superintendent with max
ing misstatements.
Mr.. Morgan said the difference in the
cost of books between Butte and Hell
ena found an explanation in the fact
tina Helena had special teachers in
place of special text books. and was
also trying a new tangled educational
system that did away very largely with
books altogether. and the two districts
were therefore conducted under entire
ly different systems.
Chairman Long said the question
raised by Mr.. Hall was whether the
district had books IL had paid for. II
il had not. the superintendent was ac-
countable for IL n the clerk would be
looked to for an explanation II the
books had been received n poor judy
ment had been used or extravaganza
pra cticad retreuchmeu would he uec-