The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-26
|KENTUCkYS EXPERIENCE
With The BOOK TRUST
The American Book Company.
Lebanon Ky.) Democrat.)

In Senator Goebel's opening speech AT
Lebanon he paid his respects to the
American Book Co. and introduced in
controvertible data 10 show how the
people of Kentucky are being held up
by this gigantic trust amid made TO
pay tribute TO its grasping greed
That the senators remarks fell upon
fertile soul rs evidenced by the space
the State press is now devoting to the
Book Concern, and even papers inimical
to the senator candidacy agree with
him that the sch0cl children of Ken
lucky should not be denied opportunity
to acquire an education because of n
gigantic corporation putting up the
price of hooks until they are beyond
the financial reach Of those not blessed
with an abundance OF this worlds
goods
From the Owcnsboro Messenger we
take some interesting figures along this
line, which we commend to the consid-
GRAFTON of the thoughtful reader, and
voter. The two tables appended show
the relative prices Of the same books
furnished by the Book Company in In
diana and Kentucky:
(Here follows a comparative STATE
ment of prices charged in the two
States)
Eliminating those books used in Ken
lucky which are not used in Indiana.
very striking example is had of how
the people of Kentucky ire being rob-
bed by the book trust To buy one of
each of the series Of text books used
in the common schools of Indiana
costs $3.50 while the same books in
counties in Kentucky. costs S7.76, a diff
ference of $2,96, or owe. ~ per cent.
To buy one of each of the series of text
books used in the country schools of
any of the counties of Kentucky COSTS
1915, ana at the rate for which the
same books could be purchased under
law similar to the one in Indiana would
be $3.50. a saving of $40.
Agents of the book trust land they
are to be found in every hamlet in the
State) will deny that the foregoing fig
ures are correct, because the full course
of books would not have to be pur,
chased for each child, as in families of
two or more children the books pur-
chased for the eldest would be used by
The youngest, and so ON, but when it is
considered that there is new list Of
made necessary by immattrial changes
made i'm the books by the publishers,
rendering useless, books nearly identical,
already bought, together with the fact
that children are very destructive of
books and not infreqHently two text
books of the same kind have to be pur-
chased for the same crild, the saw
ing gained by passing books from the
elder to the younger children is entire
ly offset.
The Messenger says that the people
of Davies county are ANNUALLY paying
800 Il year more for school books
than they would under Il law similar
to that of Indiana. where the furnish
ing of books is LIZ TO the Sowest bidder
and an enactment by the Legislature
fixes the maximum price to be paid.
A little figuring just here is interest
ing Say that the 119 counties in Ken,
lucky only average 1000 to the county
more than they ought to pay, or more
than would he required to pay under Il
law similar to that Of Indiana, it will
be seen that the people Of the county
school districts of tilc State pay trib-
ute to the book trust to the tune of
$: Sc, 600 per year. and these figures do
not include the cities and towns of the
State which have public school systems
of their own, and in which the course
of study is much more extended, and the
saving to be had by Il school book law
in Kentucky much greater 90 each EuGil
completing the course IF study than
to each child in the county school.
THE POWERFUL LOBBY THAT
THE AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY
MAINTAINS IN NEARLY EVERY
STATE CAPITAL IN THE UNION
HAS DEBAUCHED MANY LEGIS-
LATURES AND COMPELLED THE
PEOPLE, THROUGH THEIR MIS-
REP REPRESENTATIVES.. TO PAY
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TRlB.
UTE
WE BELIEVE THAT THE NEXT
KENTUCKY LEGISLATURE WILL
ADOPT \ SCHOOL BOOK LAW
THAT WILL BE JUST TO THE
PEOPLE OF THE STATE-A LAW
THAT WILL GIVE THEM FRO
LECTION FROM THE AVAR:CE
OF CORPORATE GREED AND EN-
ABLE THE YOUTH OF THE
STATE TO ACQUIRE AN EDUCA-
TION-AND WOE TO THE REP
RESEAt1 sE THAT PLACES
OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF
SUCH AN ENACTMENT, OR BE
TRAYS THE PEOPLE WHO non
OR HIM WITH OFFICE, BY A
VOTE FOR THE TRUST.