The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-01
nc he AP" BOOKS
The Statement Made by Mr.,
B. F. Johnson Refuted--
The Experience of the State
CT Indiana with I" CHEAP +"
Books.


call attention to a few of tn many
mis-statements of r. f. Johnson 4 Co.
First: In circular prepared and dis
tributed by that concern were the fol-
lowing statements:
North Carolina without State aGop-
ton. Primary Grammar, mailing price,
50 cents; Advanced Grammar, mailing
price, - cents"
The fact is that the mailing price of
the two Grammars referred to above
is ~ cents and 81 cents respectively.
The Johnson Publishing Company, had
they desired to be ut all accurate
in their statement, could have procured
proper information and could have OBJ
tanned the mailing prices OF our Gram
mars in exact figures from the Wake
county contract (which is identical with
our contracts all over the State). 1t did
not suit their purpose to do so, as their
evident intention was to mislead those
who might read their circular
Second: In the same circular they
made this statement: Virginia with
State adoption, Primary Grammar, %
cents Advanced Grammar, 50 cents
This was and is absolutely untrue. To
be exact about the matter l telegraphed
the Virginia State Board of Education
asking for the exact price of the Gram
mars constituting the common school
course in that State. The following is
the reply from the Virginia State Board:
'Hyde's Practical Lessons in English,
30 cents; .Hydes Practical English
Grammar. IS cents; Whitney and
Lockwood's English Grammar, 60
cents" Total Slab. Total for Gram
mars in North Carolina, SLOT
1t is true that some one representing
b. L. Johnson & Go. stated before
the Committee ON Education that %
cents and 30 cents respectively Were the
prices at which they submitted their
Grammars to the Virginia State Board.
The fact of the business is that their
Grammars were not in existence when
State adoption was made in Virginia,
and / have received information direct
from the State Superintendent, Hon.
j. II. Southall, to the effect that they
have not contemplated the adoption of
III - of oil
From the day the circular above re-
ferred to was distributed. r. +. John
son & Co. have on every occasion en-
deavored to misrepresent publishers who
are conducting a legitimate business in
a legitimate way.
In the News and Observer of Febru-
airy 26th, b. +. johnson 4 Co. inserted
ii garbed extract from the Ownesboro,
Kentucky, Messenger. Before making
answer to that extract, l have investiga-
ted the matter and have received the
following definite information, relative
thereto, from a thoroughly trustworthy
and reliable source: NONE OF THE
INDIANA BOOKS ARE USED IN
KENTUCKY. THE STATEMENT
REFERRED TO GN THE OWENS
BY, KENTUCKY AIESSENGER) is
ABSOLUTELY FALSE AND MIS-
LEADING. INDIANA BOOKS ARE
SO INFERIOR THAT THE EDU-
CATIONAL SENTIMENT OF THE
STATE IS AGAINST THEM. THE
INDIANA BOARD IS NOW AID
VERTISING FOR NEW ARITHME-
TICS, NEW BIOGRAPHIES AND
NEW COPY BOOKS, AND HAS OR
DERED A REVISION OF THREE
OF THE FIVE READERS IN USE.
INVOLVING A CHANGE OF OVER
80 PER CENT OF BOOKS IN
EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE
STATE. KENTUCKY HAS COUNTY
ADOPTIONS AND FREE COMPE-
Triton"
In a word, Indiana tried the expert
ment of so-caled 'cheap books" and
the result has proven to be a very eA-
pensive failure. 1t was only 4 few
years ago that Indiana made the adop-
ton of ''cheap books which have
turned out to be enormously expensive
and very unsatisfactory. Think of it;
to make thefchanges ordered and invited
by advertisement of the State Board
will necessitate the changing Of more
than 80 per cent of the books i'll every
public school in the State. ''CheaI
books and inferior books" are the
most costly books that can be had OF
this green earth. Indiana's experience
shows this to be so. 1t seems thai
that State is now suffering greatly OF
account of the expensiveness of 'cheal
books and that radical changes mus
| be made because the "cheap books
adopted are so bad that they canno
| be longer continued.
1t is useless to attempt to recall The
many misleading statements of certain
publishers who seem to desire ct ever,
point and in every way to say or to dt
something which they seem 10 thinl
will be calculated to injurc our inter