Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-05-13
The american Book Company.


some incompetent emplOye who was
paid. We understand. 500 for the JOB
and il printed by the American Book
Company from the original plates "A
years Old. IL fairly bristles with mis-
takes and Inaccuracies; but uotwith.
standing this. IL IS adopted by and
used in the Portland public schools.
With M copyright to pay and using
Old plates. the cost Uf producing this
xretched book Is nearly all in the
heap paper aud psstebOard of which
il j. wade Up. Many other books now
10 Use here, this company would never
Iare u put on the marke, 10 aUy
great educational center. Such bOu Ks
ne for the backwOOds states and From
ier communities aud cauDOt hear
rec competition.
Pnrilsnd.-In 90 place 10 the state
is the bold II the company hrmer or
nUre complete than 10 tie city Of
Portland. and. 10 fact. from Portland
- rules the eBtire state. A majority
4 our buard Of s.hoOi directors seems
.ubseTyient to lis interests, and il
nay reasonably BE- suspected that the
0rk cUu pauy controlling our scnpOl
Tgauizatiyu aud peryertiDg il to its
Jwn purposes has dictated TO a large
eXieui the election Of several direct
Ors. The Interests Of this book CON-
pany and the subseFyieucy OF our
sclOOi board explain. as nothing else
can. tHe ate slaughter Of teachers 10
this district. 4. L. Edwards, who
va one Of the parties indicted for
the bribery in Washingion,i is and has
Ocen for some time the agent OF the
-nmpIBy in Oregon. Professor Frank
/ Rigier Is his close personal friend,
/ snJ, although not in name interested
il iiie American Book Company, has
oileu caused remark in teachers
meetings by bis familiarity with the
compaGI's plans and prices. Pro.
fessOr F. q. Young, perfectly satis-
factory teacher, against whom no just
complaint has been made, is displaced
from the high school and Professor
Rigler put 10 his place.
| THE selection OF books for the high
school, unlike the other schools, is ia
the board Of school directors Of this
district, and in making a selection
they naturally are compelled to follow
the lead Of the principal elected by
them. This secures the high school
for the company.
"About six weeks before Professor
T. II. Crawford was displaced, he de-
clined TO join ia recommendation OF
the Maxwell Grammar, a book pub
Jished by the American Book com
pany. 1t was little thing, but is
the only reason, except his general
unfriendliness TO the company, that
we can suggest as causing his dis
placement, and witnesses OF un'
doubted standing have testified be-
fore US that the agent Of the book
company has stated that no teacher
dntsgonistic TO the company could
retain his position and has referred tC
Instances 10 California, where, as he
said, the heads OF school officers. haye
been taken off for hostility to the
book company. Many OF the Other
changes, especially those in East
Portland and Albina, can only be ex-
plained as being part OF the consider
alton given for the muIe important
changes demanded by the interests oil
the American Book company. These
interests also demand. among Other
things, that the Portland teachers
should, whenever asked, sign recon-
mendations OF its books TO be used in
other portions OF the state, and hence
these removals are also effective in
obtaining more promptly favorable
consideration for the com pany's pub
locations
1--WE are Informed that many of he
Portland professors, as they are
called, haYe interested themselves
deeply ia the fortunes OF the Aneri-
can Book company, aud this commit
tee has heard OF them all over the
state working for the interests Of
this gigantic and INSCRIPTIONS con-
cern in the approaching selection of
school books for the ensuing six years,
and this with the distribution Ct free
books, dictionaries, stands, ETC., and
other Influences which have been
used freely for several years past,
together with the cry Of mo change
on account OF the hard times, is re-
lied upon TO hold the present mon
opoly enjoyed by the company.
The effect of this monopoly is dis
astrous TO our public school system,
aud is largely responsible for its nn,
satisfactory results ~ this state and
city. The very poorest books OF
concern directly interested In selling
It's poorest works are put la the hands
OF the children at prices far above
their real value. Respectable pub
fishing houses that sell upon the
ground OF merit only, unable aud
unwilling 10 compete against such
nnscrupulous practice, retire 10 more
enlightened states, and our entire
school system, veritable school |
is put into the hands OF a
foreign corporation for the further
ance OF It's own interests and the per-
petuation Of its own power.
"It Is not surprising that under