The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-24
The Governors Board of Education PerpetrateS an
Outrage on the People.
State Superintendent Browne Involved Worst Scandal States
HistOry Worthless Text Books Adopted at Great
COst--G0y. Rogers Part in Deal

Ellensburr J. p. Walker. OF Spokane, and
w ]. Hughes. OF whatcom. Instead OF
reappointing the oil board. or any Of It's
members. although Il does not appear that
they were guilty OF malfcasance. Gov.
Rogers retired then. by the appointment
of an entirely new set OF members Febru-
ary Is. Is9a These men were named
j. l.. Dumas az Huntsvile: II. T..
Friars, OF Everett; w. ]. Meredith, of
Seattle and L. II. Plumb, OF North va
kima.
About this time there was pending IN ths
legislature a bill introduced by Judge +.
A. Mcdonald. member of the house from
King, which. had IT become a law. would
have protected the larger school districts
from the rapaeity az the westland Prh-
fishing Company and GOV. Rogers board
OF education. Tho bill. In effect. prov'd-
ed that IN any district In the state whore
there was high school or whore the
district provided free text cooks for the
pupils. local boards should be created
which would have power 20 adopt text
books for the district,
This bill passed both houses and senate
but was fatty vetoed by the governor
after the legislature adjourned. The veto
was made but a short time after he ap-
pointed the present school board. That
there was deal then hatehing for the
adoption by the ctate board Of the tex,
books selected last May seems entirely
probable In the aght Of recent events.
Law Plainly violated.
In order 70 make the conspiracy profit
~.
supt Browne and the state board Of edu-
cation violated The law. n Is alleged. In
more than one instance In the award OF
the contracts for the school text honks,
The code OF scaol laws adopted bv the
legislature OF 1897 provides specifically
Z tha, the board In letting the contract fo
( the school books shall provide that the
( exchange price for old books shall not
Z be IN excess OF one-hfth OF the retail
I price Of the books in use IN 1890. The es-
/ change prices fixed by the board OF eduoa-
/ ton IN It's 1909 contract are in many in.
/ stances IN contravention % this require
I ment.
! For example the Hughes spellcr. which
rivals tho Wagner geography IN multitude
/ ~ errors and general inferiorlty, r. cx-
( chaneeahle for the old spelier az 10 cents.
] whereas the price should be but s cents,
\ which is one-nfth 81 the price Of the
/ speller in use in ISa. The exchange price
on the primary arithmetic II fixed hy tire
state board at Is cents, whereas Il should
/ be but cents. according TO the scele -
1890 and the requirements ~ Tho statute.
| The exchange price OF the grammar arith-
/ metic is 70 cents which is more than
/ 4t.A G4.n
The first reader adopted by the board
| 0f education Is pnrchaNahie. according 20
| the contract, on exchange al 70 c.,nts
which is double the amount Saat 4 shonil
be according 10 the law. Tne hoard. bow
ever, hxsd the price 81 the third reuasr
on exchange al . cents. which is ! cent
less than a 9th X the retail price ~ the
reader supplantsd IN 1850 A q matter ~
fact however, the new reader is an IN.
ferior work. being cls'sy-ons pages shot,
Of the book which Il replaces.
Another provision of the contract let
BY Gov. Rogers board uf education will
| cost tho patrons ~ the public schools of
| Washington thousands " dollars. This ia
the limitation % The date % exchange ~
old books fnr tbe new ones 20 January
! 1891 Mr Brownies first purpose was TO
| limit the date 81 exchange 20 October l.
/ fssa rnt. ar,,,-.4 .,,.t, !, ..orv, - ..,.,
t ..-.e,
| AIRY ] next. This leaves bat a little over
three months IN which the puriis can ra-
| cure she new books st the exchanges
| price by exchanging thalr cid ones me
/ ola rule was "a allow ~ leas; slx rsentla
/ .,,.. ,.,.t,.. =. 49, ..4i,.., r., 49,. -. -
/ suBerints-deet nraune h finin. The pers
| ,.,.sa ,nat A.. ssla al ,be fall ,s,aii ,.-t,.,
the greater she profit 70 The publishes