The Advocate and news., 1898-01-05
FAVOR NEW TEXT BOOKS.
County superntendentS Say That as a Rule
the Books Are Satisfactory.

Ever since the text book law was
passed and the new series adopted there
has been much criticism Of both the law
and the books. For the purpose of de-
termining whether or not these criti-
cisms were just the Advocate and News
interviewed q large number Of County
Superlntendents on the subject during
the State Teachers Association. The
work of the County Superintendent Is
such as to give him personal knowledge
Of school matters covering a large ter
ritory. In addition to this fact, the
Superintendent Is usually a broad
minded, well qualified and experienced
educator. ALI Of these things make their
reports Of special value. A large num-
Der OF counties are still using books
contracted for under old county uni
formity arrangements and are not now
able to state from personal experience
whether the books are such as to be
permanently useful. The following
statements we're secured
T. s. Johnson, Mitchell county: "The
new text books are In use In all the
schools of this county. So far the re-
ports from teachers seem to strongly
favor the new books. The patrons are
we'll satisfied now that the change Is
over. While not all the books are uni
versally popular, they are giving more
nearly universal satisfaction In all re-
spects than those used heretofore. The
law Is not regarded as a party measure
in this county"
Miss Carrie Hall, Pawnee county:
"The text book law Is in force in Paw
nee county. All the sixty-fve districts
are using the new books, and every
where both teachers and patrons speak
very highly Of them. The demand for
books of the best general arrangement
Of subject matter and mechanical exc
cutlon seems to have been fully met by
the text book commission In their Sc
lection Of the present common school
text books At recent meeting Of the
Pawnee County Teachers Association
the members expressed themselves as
especially well pleased with the vertical
writing system. We consider the text
book law a long stride in the direction
Of progress for our public schools"
l.. NJ. Knowles, Marion county: There
is as little criticism of the new books
as there would be with any new series.
Some OF the books are especially salts
factory and some are such that better
hooks might be secured In their stead"
o. l.. Lennen, Ness county; when
the books were adopted expected con-
siderable criticism but have heard
hardly any. All but two districts use
the books and these are preparing to
begin their use as soon as contracts
previously made expire. There is some
complaint with reference to the binding
Of one or two of the books, but taken
all in all there is hardly any criticism
and general satisfaction Is expressed.
think that the educators Of our county
feel very well satisfied with the new law
and that the saving in cost to the pa
irons will amount to considerable sum
Of money"
Mrs. Hattie Ham, Labette county:
"The new books are giving good salts
faction. Wherever teachers take hold Of
their work with disposition to do their
work we'll everybody expresses salts
faction. The fault-hnding, criticising
teachers are dissatisfied, Of course.
Some fault Is found with the binding,