The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-03

UnderIeak in Favor of Having
the Work Done at Reformatory.
A public hearing was given H. F. 90
by the committee on education yes
terday afternoon. This measure pro-
vides for the printing of text books and
charts at the state reformatory A sub
stitute bill was presented and dis
cussed.
The substitute bill drafted by the allied
labor unions Of the Twin Cities gives the
state high school board authority to furnish
text books, charts and maps for use in the
schools. Manuscripts submitted to the board
are to be referred to two experts and by
them separately examined and the findings
reported to the board. If the board deem the
hist satisfactory the right to use the text
may be purchased from the author for publ
cation in Minnesota only. Preference is to
be given to work Of residents of the state
The high school board is to have control and
management Of the publication of all hoods
charts and maps and receive advice and
assistance from state printing commission
and expert printer. The work of printing
binding and manufacturing is to be executed
on contract to the lowest responsible bidder
All printing contracts shall provide for plates
used to be delivered to the high school board
in good order at the expiration of the con-
tracts. II any subsequent editions of the
books are needed they shall be printed from
BOARD
has the power to purchase plates, maps or
charts if they can be obtained advantageously
from other sources than the printing contract.
Within three months after the passage of the
act the high school board shall begin the
work by commencing with books and charts
suitable for primary education adding from
Tune to time other work required in higher
education.
The state superintendent is to furnish
copy OF the list of books maps AMI charts
published. together with price the same
at To fhA ole
school district in the state. The books charts
and maps are to be sold to any school
district which has adopted or NAV adopt
the free text book system as now provided
by the present law. The price is to be fixed
by the high school board but not to exceed
10 Der cent Of the actual cost to the state
and maps are to be paid into the state treasury
and placed to the credit of the text book
publication fund. The bill covers an arpro-
priat1on OF $4,000 for carrying out Its provis-
ions.
]. W. Hayes. of the Minneapolis typo
graphical union. favored the substitute
Dill. The first question to be settled
was whether the state should do the
printing of the books and charts If 1t
was decided that the state should do the
work, then the substitute bill providing
for the best text books should be Sc
fected for If the books were not the
best it would be folly to print them.
state having a plant, providing politics
was kept out of the plant. In Boston
state plant was in operation and the
first year the net. profit had been $1,000,
but this plant was run on business
plan and without any politics. Under
the substitute bill there could be a saw
ing of so per cent on the present price
of books.
Mr.. Robertson, of the state agricul-
tural college. questioned if the state
wanted to go into the printing Of text
books. The price of text books was
not so high in his opinion.
c. H. Dunbar. Of Minneapolis, favor
ed the state taking charge of the pub
fishing and printing of the books
There would be a saving in the cost;
an incentive to teachers to prepare
manuscript and better books as a re-
suit. AS it was now. the publishing
companies did not put out books for
the benefit Of the schools, but for the
money there was in It.
Mr. Robertson was of the opinion
that the same argument might apply
to the state going into the manufac-
ture of moving machines.
Mr.. Hayes thought the argument of