The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-16
VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR
or THE LAW REGC.
LATfNG SCHOOL TEXT BOOKS.
Eject Would he lnIurfo as-Ob3ec.
tion 10 section - OF House Bill
ls2-RatlrosA Employees Cannot
Arrest Persons stealing Rides.

a.
TIE adoption and use of sehoo. text books
In school districts including or Included
within cities or towns maintaining ulsn
schools His veto OF the bill follows
81 am una Die to approve Ii. +. i9S. This
bill. although entitled, an act 10 provide
for the adoption and use Of scnoo. text
books In a.! school districts Including or IT.
eiuded within cities and towns maintaining
high schools saould have ueen entitled:
An act increasing TIE number, variety ard
cost Of school text books 70 be used IN the
state OF Washington To promote this
latter purpose the bill Is PROFESSIONALLY
honestly supported by many sincere men,
those upon the watch tell Tie trat the book
companies unQneS aonaDiy made use OK
money 10 an illegal manner 10 facilitate
its passage through the legislature. This,
OF Itself, was sufficient TO arouse suspicion.
The constitution Of the state OF Wash
ington provides.
Section .. The legislature shall pro-
vide for general and uniform system OF
pubic schools. In pursuance OF this end
had IN View the legislature has provided
far uniform standard for the aaalifiea-
ton OF teachers, for collecting and dis
tT!butiEg a state school tax and for adop-
ting and enforcing q state course Of STUDY
for the common schools. Evidently uni
formsy OF text books is essentially q part
OF the constitutional requirement The
books used in the public schools form the
course OF study 10 be followed. If the
state Ii required to adopt a general and
sariiy follow that IL should also adopt uni
form text books adapted TO that course. In
ne other way could such course Of study
be enforced.
III each city and town adopts books in
dependentiy and without regard 10 those
In use Ia other cities and towns, a great
variety OF books Will result and every pu-
PHI who may change residence VIII lose
both the cost OF exchanging books and also
the loss OF time and energy required in
adapting himself TO new conditions A new
"a a frtarf rs n
study Will Inevitably entail serious loss TO
the great number Of parents and, pupils
who by the exigencies of fortune may be
compelled 70 migrate FROM place 10 place.
uniformity OF tex; books tends to de-
crease the number OF books 10 be pur-
chased Under the provisions OF this bin
eAca town VIII! be subject 10 the temptA-
ton inssdiously presented by smooth
tongued book agents Of buying every new
book published under the guise Of Keeping
up with the time But in reality by means
OF the peculiar qualities of the aforesaid
book agent. the local school authorities
can be Induced 10 make purchases to graft
~ those who have wares 10 sell. Under
che provisions of this bill, should It become
law, the state would he quickly covered
cy horde OF perfpatetie. philosophers ben.
upon increasing the difficulties OF those
school books for their children. Nor is this
difficulty supposititsous one The legis-
.ature OF 1887 was called upon TO deal with
the evil and law was passed preventing
directors from purchasing school supplies.
maps. etc. withou, the consent OF me eoun.
~ superintendent.
That the above ideas are in harmony
with the progressive educational thought
or the day may be seen by refcrenceTto
the report OF the recent educational com
mission OF the city of Chicago. This
board says.
. The board Of education should give
careful consideration TO the very general
complaint of the loss OF time and the
waste or effort In schools due To the need
la e,tf1s Rf &ffh In a
grades, and 10 Il consequent loss of i'm
tellectual power in the child. which re-
suits In spending eight years on course
OF study which might fairly In many
cases. be covered In much less. In con
sideration or the above the superin,end-
ent and his assistants should be instruct
cd carefully 10 consider and to revise the
course OF study In order that the work Of
each grade may be- simpler more progress
sive and better unified. The supersntend-
snt will ind that more text books are
row required than are necessary for
school purposes, and a condition results
which imposes improper expense on the
pupil
into law would have u marked effect up
on the financial side Of the book gues-
ton. Uniformity OF text books mani
testify decreases the total sales and there
by saves the public very unnecessary ex-
penditure To increase expenditure In
this direction is one of the main objects
of some of the promoters OF this bill. But
formity preserves In one contract the
business of the entire state, and under
the laws of business life the larger the
contract the better terms can oe made
with publishers II uniformity IL de
stroyed which this bin proposes each
town viii contract fer It's own Books ana
prices will have tendency TO Increase
over such prices would be submitted
for the business OF the whole state IT is
estimated that about tive-eigntbs OF the
pupils In the public schools In this state
reside In towns and cities having high
schools. This would leave subject TO
state uniformity ent thrce~elsAtns in the
country schools The operation of the
provisions Of the bill. If made into Law.
would &c nanifeStly 10 the disadvantage
OF the country districts "a the rural ais
tricts would suffer from the eject ~ bids
made under unfavorabie circumstances.
Thus both town and country would he
sornualled 10 make unnecessary e&pendi~
ture for hooks. And fhls expense will
he Increased also from the fact that Il Is
more expensive 70 Publishers and agents
10 t5Isra their books properly before the
sersyfrsl esiors ~ ali she towns iii she state
tran tn canvass ouo hoard fav the state.
Ard all THIS Increased expense must ia
evitahiy fail upon the patrons or TIE
As further showing the bad character
81 the legislation proposed. II may hc mott
"a fhat TIE hiH proposes te make each ds-
trfei coninE under ia PROVISIONS maintain
sptian aRs.nEt any publisher for Viola
ton - "A contrast entered int1. tuaer the
present jss taa state eNfcTces Contracts
agstuSf any Violation an ihe Par. % ii
publisher ara the 6.at~lrt IS not required
~ sxpenH tts m@sgre funds ln litigation
The putstt3@r hss every motive for living
up "a his contract wtth fae state. His
i,3sssse-a with sac entire etsss = leo
pas.iisea ssy 8sgesicftou asa hls part tuaer
Fae ysupnsel iaW each district must r3aia-
tAlH aFtitp AgStO~t 80" PUBLISHER and il
i. Wxaf kHnwn tS&t tne cssf ~ litigation
canneF 30 tavns rs da'fiyts already eyeg-
tf4rssTe - jF 8eef. ana aUh. sassy sstef.r.
ts5 tu bs 9fs~rEt r1-latsez eoas{ guTC5stf ssaaF-
81 tesgn6 hooks oe osa - Hons pTivg.4
g. ~ psates iafg sias-a sGpsa1aiesI oS re-
NtSeS au& ue@er @Elzia1s aus tFg i.S:rfct
eest3z uct AFFORD - enforce tA4 t,a,frase-
~ expensive tg5xagioa IL exchanging
books sse. gaoef she prpyssEaas % fhfs
las i = ntst grpaeeie shsy any hlaw could
be aafaiaed IA exchange Tor the srhBos
rzasks s4sp0lsmtst