The record-union., 1898-04-21
ACTION OF THE
TEXT BOOK LEAGUE.
CONTINUED from Third Page)

similar books used in the public schools
in the neighboring States Of Oregon
and Nevada and in the Territory of
Arizona, as well as those which pre-
vailed in California under the old sys-
tenn. We might easily have made our
comparisons with any one of these
schedules of prices alone, and thus
have made the result even more start
ling than is here shown; but our OBJ
sect is to unfold to view the conditions
as they really exist, which are sutfi-
ciently significant to attract public at
tention and TO leave their impression
upon the popular mind. Indeed, the
very want of uniformity Of prices under
the private contract system exposes
one of the worst features of that sys-
tenn.
1t will be seen by these comparisons
that the cost to parents Of school text
books under the private contract sys-
tenn, as compared with the prices there
Of under the present State system, is
as follows:
Per Set;
California State series. s.................. 81 30
Contract books under old system in o e-
sacramento INTO. =, .a, %
Contract books in Arizona. ........-.... II ~
Contract books in Nevada............ Z 50
Average price per set under contract
system ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. %
This shows saving to the peoDle Of
California, by the publication Of their
own school books, Of the following per-
centages:
Cent.
Over cost of series used under old
system in Sacramento. .............. 81 Id
over cost OF series now used IN
over SSC5 cost Of series now used in
Arizona @ - ;,sod y;
Nevada ......,............'..'.' 10
Average saving by State series. ....47 1-3
The above is a very impressive show
ing of the economy Of the State series of
textbooks. But there are two other
elements of extra expense entering into
the use of private contract books which
will very considerably increase the fig
ures above given; but of this we viii
treat later on.
The first two tables following will
show the number of State school text
books of various kinds sold each year
for the past six and a half years, cover
ing the period of the incumbency of the
present State Printer. and the total
number of each kind of books sold dur
ing that period: also, the amounts re-
ceived from sales of such books for the
several years named, and the total
amount of all such sales.
It is upon the basis of the figures Civ
en- in these two tables. derived as they
are from official sources, that we invite
the attention of the reader to the COM
parisons between the expense to the peO-
pie Of books used in the public schools
during the past six and a half years un-
der the present State system, and what
the expense would have been had the
private contract system continued in
force during that period These COM
parisons are made in the third table
here given, and are of the most
striking and comprehensive char
acter. They furnish the reader with
much food for serious consideration and
study. The figures have been prepared
with much care and exactitude. This
is the first time such comparisons have
been made in a form so plain and sue
Vinct, but we feel assured that the show
ing made fully compensates for the Ia
sons are made between the cost of books
of the State series, and the cost of sim
liar books under the old system in this
State and in Oregon, Arizona, and Ne
vada at the present time. The tables
speak for themselves.