The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-06-03
STATE SCHOOL BOOKS
A STATEMENT FROM THE AMERI-
CAN BOOK COMPANY.
"Eoss Amount of the Business, Prices
and Other Informal
tion.

PORTLAND, Or, May 27.-(To the Edi
tor)-Much has been published of lat,
: regarding the American Book Compan!
ana the cost of school books furnished b!
that company to the people of Oregon
interested persons have persistently cir.
cuiated mlsstatements. I feel that the
public should be told the truth, and, tfiere-
lore, beg space in your paper for the
following brief statement, which mas
throw some light upon the much-mooted
and grossly misrepresented textbook
question.
| The American Book Company invites the
| 'ioS|st investigation of the school-book
| queSio knowing that every person who
| investigates cardidly and without preju-
dlce VIII be convinced that it has DEALT
| With the people of Oregon in a STRAIGHT
forward, business way, and that it has
eHdeaFored 10 serve the people faithfully
ard to promote the best interests of their
schools We could not hope to retain the
good" i'll and business of the people in
any other way, We obtained our contract
.cur Years ago against heavy competition,
AID The prices Of our publications were
as low, if not lower. than those CT any
oher concern Offering standard text
books 10 this safe
lie official records show that there were
about l00,c0o pupils enrolled in OREGON i'll
iSJi- Our total sa.es of books CT all knds
IL oregon during the ycsir 1897, including
I'll BOOKS sold to dealers. private schools
colleges, academies, pedagogical Wor1s
"ho miscellaneous books, as we'll as all
DOORS for public schools, including high
SCHOOLS, were $4S,J41 So OF this amUunt,
$42,t9i Y was for books for the pubic
schools More than onc-half of these
oo---:; were purchased by the people at
catalogue prices, and the balance at the
dealers contract retail prices-10 per cent
above Hst-so that the total amount paid
by The people for the books could nol
exceed Si',SS4 %. Therefore, the total cost
or lle BOOKS to the peor.e was less than %
cents per pupil attending school, and the
total amount received BY us for the sarn;,
was les than 43 cents DlI pupil. These
are actual figures They demonstrate that
tAe cost of school books in Oregon is not
excessive. They also show the utter alb
surdity OF the statements published by
some OF our more ignorant detractors, |
that our annual business in Oregon |
;si--oun4s to $501,Uj and that We sell books !
ing to $iU0,000 a year in the city OF |
i; oft-tiId. InCTe are but two states in the |
mon tArkansas and Alabama) where the |
LOST OF school books per pupil is less than |
i'll Oregon.
Enemles of the American Book Company |
are attempting to confuse the pubic mind |
Iy publishing tables of the cost of books
i otntr sta.es purchased under different
and comparing them with the |
re.al CT highest prices at which books /
uoptod for use in the pubic schools of
Is state may be sold by the retail deal
rs. The no. wholesale or contract price
Il Chicago or New York (Which is uniform
o all statcs) is taken as a basis of COM
'arison with the maximum retail price al
owed by tie contract to be charged in
)fr;; on; and. GiSreGa riding the relative |
merit of the books. the cost OF n worth
ess or inferior book used in some states
5 compared with The price OF standard
'ooE used IN this state. 1t is Il we'll |
ROWE law OF production and sale that an
rt!cie can be purchased at a less figure
{ first cost from he manufacturer at the
'i2ce OF production o. manufacture than |
some place removed thousands of miles
'id when sod at retail me cost of
transportation must be added to the COS
! 2:;%ntifacture. as well as tkn profit made
= :he rniddleraan or retail! t-..'ar Is
SCr assil.ants have asserted that Idaho
i;i>hases our school publications cheaper
aan does the state of Oregon. This is not /
tie n fact. in Oregon the people buy !
&c school books .frora the retail dealers
ter several localities. In Idaho the |
-":c purchases the books in bulk in Chi
go at the net wholesale contract price I
"a pdSS the 1relght from Chicago to G
d3ho and the additional expenses of | +
and it'g and distributing the books to the =,
Sr.ous schoo! districts as they may be =
Gu REQ. If the amounts paid by Idaho | r
w fre!2hts and other expenses in dis :
|butrg the books be added to the prices
nd for the books in Chicago it VIII he | .
'uI?d that the books actually cost the peo-
e OF idaho more than they do the people | .
Oregon. The total cost of school books | .
Oregon last year. as shown above was
$ than 30 cents per pupil. Idaho last {
>"r paid for its school books in Chicago
ore than siG.GG9. not counting freights I
expenses of distribution. Their schoo! [
irollment was about 5000 pupils There I
,rr. Their school books cost them at Chi u
'~o more than IS cents per pupil. Freights e
I'd expenses of distribution make the | 4
tai cost still greater. The maximum IL
scount from the trade list of publishers j
co we'd by Idaho the books being del:v- =
ed in Chicago) is 20 per cent. In Oregon .
e discount to the retail dealers 1--WE de- II
-erinG the books in Oregon). is 10 per cent r
nrn the list. The cost of freights and
stribut.on. in fact, exceeds the difference p
tween these discounts, and we would q
AXE larger profit on our Oregon busi- a
SIS If the state bought the books from Us | Il
our wholesale prices in the East, and La
:pred and distributed them at it's own n
oense, as Idaho does, than we make in Il
eGon under the present system. In e
2ho TIE state purchases the books in "
"aco at, the net wholesale price, 20 per