Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-02-18

Nineteen Houses In the Contest
mayor Pierce as Book
Agent.
A contest that has Disguised ma
jority of the members of the county
board of education came to a close this
|afternoon, when the contracts for fur
nishing text books for the next five
years We're awarded. The scramble for
Office prior to a political convention is
no marker to the efforts and scheming
resorted to by some of the horde of
agents on the ground here for the past
| few weeks, who are persistent in their
efforts to supply Marshall county with
books regardless of the merits of their
goods. and whose methods are some
times despica BILE.
For the past six months the book con-
Germs have been making plans to cap
| ture the business of; this county, and
agents have made frequent visits during
companies have had representatives on
the ground nearly all of the time, and
during the past two weeks from twenty
Ito thirty agents have been constantly
lin town making life miserable for the
members of the eductaion board, which
of County Superintendent
Morris'sey, who s chairman by virtue of
his office. County Auditor Hargrave and
1.-THE thee members of the board of SUI
lspervisors.
1T is not exactly apparent TO the gem
leral public how the book publishing
lshouses can afford to keep this army of
linen in the field for weeks for the sake
lSof securing a contract that amounts to
lSonly $4,000 in five years. the term for
Which the present contracts Will run,
but the concerns do it and it must pay.
| AT various times recently forty six
agents have visited the board. The con-
1 tst in this county, and presumably in
/ Others, Is, a fight of the field against the
/ big concerns known as the American
| Book Company and CHM ~ Co. One of
4 the representatives of one of the other
\ concerns says that is one reason why
an army of agents is here. as the small
Ter houes are making a general effort TO
prevent the American Book Company
and CHM d Co. from doing all the bust
iless. During the past five years the
American concern has mad 81 per cent
of the entire business of Marshal coun-
| ~. In the effort to hold that business
that company has had nine men here
recently. and there We're six present to-
day at the meeting held in the county
auditor's Office when me hide Syera
L w. a .x-s- -
TENT and numerous other p,,blishjnr
houses have had one or more re pre ..n.
ltatives on the ground.
MORRISSEY DISGUSTED.
| County Superintendent Morrissey.
chairman of the board of education. ex-
presses his disgust With the tactics re-
sorted to by the book concern represen-
tatives He says they can give the best
politicians of the. state pointers on Wire
Ipulling and scheming. Mr.. Morrissey
does not hesitate to say that some OF
their methods are dirty and that some
Isof the agents, but not all of them. are
scalawags who Will resort TO bribery
and coercion to accomplish their ends.
He gives another reason why the pub
Fishing companies are 80 anxious 10 se-
Icure the Marshall county contract that
\ they will spend considerable more than
4 the profits 10 secure ii. This county has
u splendid reputation in educational cir
scles of the state. and the fact that cer-
ltain books are used here gives the COM
lpanies prestige in other counties.
Some OF the tactics reaorted to in the
present fight for business are Interest
ling. The companies have sent agents
Tout into the rural districts and the
Ismaller towns,worked the principals and
secured their Endorsements of certain
books and induced them to labor with
members of the educational boards with
\ a View OF bringing about their purchase.
IN at least one instance the principal of
one OF the schools outside the city has
peen Drought to town and shown a
good time, with free board and room at
a hotel. Different agents of the same
concern have, for effect, fought each
other one representative standing out
Tor certain books and the other for GER
tain others 1t is openly charged that
agents who have friends in the city have
been sent her for the sole purpose of in
ducing those friends to make certar
candidates for Office line up in favor OF
inns or that book or lose their support
In the election. This line of attack has
mad no effect. be it said to the credit OF
the candidates, go far as known.