The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-29
School Director Lambs Opinion Of
New Text Books.
SAYS THEY ARE WORTHLESS.
Condemns Harr wssner's Geography
ne Befng Grossly Incorrect and
unnt for trse IL fbe DsesftIe
schools-Dfscusscs the New Arith-
metic From a Moral Standpoint
Board 20 Meet on October z.

John Lamb, president Of the Seattle
board of education. last night I'm an In
terview with a Post -fntelligencer report
err arraigned In severe terms Harr Wag-
ner'e notorious geography and the arith-
metic adopted BY the state board Of edu-
cation for use In the public schools OF
Washington. without questioning the
motives that actuated the state board
in IT'S adoption Of these two books. Mr.
Lamb describes the works as being
grossly incorrect and demoralizing IN
their effect upon the pupil.
As In well known, Mr.. Lamb II not
affiliated with any political organization.
This fact, taken in conjunction with his
extreme Independence In his views, gives
more than ordinary weight to his opn-
ion on the two text hooks What action
the city board OF education win take
in the matter he does not know, but ne
himself. n all else fails, would be IN
favor OF paying fer the books and then
substituting propof ones In their place.
This sacrifice OF money. he says, would
be better than to teach the school chill
dren Of Seattle from the books In Ques-
tion.
II have no opinion to express ms to the
motives of the men who adopted Harr
sbut I have decided opinions az 10 the
quality Of the book itself Schools ex-
ist 10 teach truth and not error. and this
book Il full Of errors and will constitute
a continual example 20 the children OF
the very things they are taught to
avoid ~
Has Few Maps ~ Any Value.
There are few maps In the geography
Of any value whatever The two hemi-
anpi he 90 Rsen sq
the lettering In most cases Is Iliegibie.
The appearance and coloring OF the maps
are Of the poorest nature and Of the poor
est class of work Sorne parts NJ them
are grossly Incorrect. The errors OF omis-
sion and commission In the text are 30
numerous and 80 giaring - 70 make the
For instance, the fora and fauna OF Az
RIGA are referred 10 IN ouch general terms
nr 70 convey no specific Information what
ever The whole book impressed me as
being the work OF man who was In too
great q hurry TO describe In detail the
knowledge which he wished to impart II
y had been the work Of an unknown aiI-
ne had expressed In general terms what
he knew nothing about In detail
nome Of the statements In the geog-
rnphy would seem 10 be more NJ for the
nursery than for the school room. AZ an
example. the author states that bear
can climb one sort OF tree more quickly
than another. and also that certain birds
lfkc 10 sit on mosEy logs and Zap their
roadway
such defects ms these ere not due 10
typographical errors. They mark the book
as not only having been compiled hastily
but cnrelcssly, and tho work In therefore
unit Tor use IN the public schools Of Sc
attic.
biography Caps tas climax.
~ fully Understand that when man
Expresses an opinion In controversy Oh
this KIND he win be set down by the ma
lority 81 people as taking Side with ona
interest or the other. I don't care fig
Tor the aScsnaancv OF either aide IN thls
matter. but do care Ia have the children
81 our schools furnished with good hooks
We endured the Columbian spaller and
arithmetic for Ave years, and both Of them
were bad enough but this reoeranhv
caps the climax
'Tha situation II serious In many wavs
y superintendent Brown persists IN the
looks 20 be used In spite or their detects
y ~ my belief that II n for the esiuca-
ionai aavnnlaEe ~ the school children
q n ,h,s a al, that q b supplied with
money spent Tor the Wagner erorranhv
WAS wasted. II all else faiIs nroxlg.d
,nc law permits H. ! believe this should
- know OF nothing more demora,l.,nw
IN it# effect on the rhila's mind than m
" nave constantly kept before ia eyes
ban example ~ literary and Actentlne
work. Consider the result On a ehliJ's
TASTE y T. compelled 20 ioak Tor hRif
an an n9af eash day upon an Incorrect.
rs a model from " hich II Is ID learn 500
habits OF taste aud execution ID seier
,lon the 'eav, We can Do II 20 give the
and models 81 the printer and maprna kcT.s
art.
Moral En.es OF tn. speii.r.
As 70 the speiicr adopted hv the state
saatd g .dncation. think hat there
uAe OF book containing 40 many incar.
rectiN spelled words II tho rhnd.a st.lt
ms WAS corrected By the teacher the
the grounds that n tho book wa. wrong
the pupil cneia not ~ exrssisA 10 ~
ft&ht ~ ether words tha child feels
and Justly feels that q Sta elders and
snperiefe cannot give q correct Rneft.
inK-hnok' u a. 80 aarue vNtsut ruofeiix
Justified ~ nisEpelling words itself .rhs
pupil rapidly insea respect Tor a teacher
No tsi,s 70 umtart What he maniscstly
prestige " a book disappearN Ia tho
same way. u y the rsychaieefeal est
that works the decentralization The chna
h h an innate perception q the eternal
zone thing snust Ne safa ahout tsssa
books They have baeh Subjected a. a
lssrotty Thorough pfoQg-resdinw during the
shavr :, before thetv adoption hy are
estate beard 81 education
u wish 80 30 understood, however. 80
net casting any rNfertiens unhH The 81.
segsi,y az these Who hpd the adoption II
sthe Ntste text eonk@ IN charge Og tao
snesite& apd HefsngS - their acfiNn /
.tuew nothing, hut a. believe that ae
fsided error ~ iudEfaent Was committed
D. adopting these two toeks and Supply.
Ina them 70 the s-hcaix before they were
ahef0uxhly revised and corrected
.o,N.ra a. @ @Sp ss r T ~ n nc , ssnsr
'tas 10 en- October {. hat % nnt kuuw
what action viii ~ taken thep-"
STEAMER DIuiGo ARRIVES