The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1901-03-29
Gunderson Bill Vetoed.

OLYMPIA, March 24-The following
is Governor Rogers veto of House Bill
No. 50:
1.-The object sought to be attained by
the passage of this bill is the destruct-
ion of state uniformity in the selection
of textbooksfor use in the common and
graded schools of the state. 1t is
claimed by the advocates of this mea-
sure that the selections made by. the
state board of education, for five year
terms, in 1895 and in 1900, were not
well adapted, and, in fact, were bad.
Therefore, it is claimed that the par
ticular, difficult and responsible duty
of selecting textbooks to be used by the
children of this state should be turned
over to the heterogeneous collection OF
school officers in the thirty-six counties
of the state, thus providing thirty-six
different opportunities for book agents
and companies to impose thirty-six
different selections of books upon a
suffering public. Possibly three OF
four counties might secure better books
than those now in use, but it is eX-
tremely probable that thirty out of
thirty-six would not. Already [ am
in receipt of telegram from great
Chicago book house, asking whether
+l,o LII ,,,Jor J;cc,,ociOp will no an
proved. The wolf is preparing to des-
cend upon the fold. Some of the
selections. made under the terms of
this bill would undoubtedly, however
hard it might bear upon the children
compelled to study them, afford laugh
ter and scorn for both gods and men.
l cannot think it my duty to approve
so heartless scheme.
"The law as amended at the recent
session of the legislature provides for
the addition to the state board Of edu-
cation, for the purpose of the selection
of text books at the next selection to be
made, of the six superintendent of
schools in the six largest cities of the
state, thus making board of eleven,
which it would appear would be ex-
ceptionally well fitted for the purpose
had in view. Now, if the next legis-
lature should provide that the school
districts of the state be divided into two
classes, namely: Those that maintain
a high school and those that do not,
and provide, likewise, that the very
competent board of selection referred to
might select books suitable for the two
classes of districts, if thought advisable
all difficulties arising might be removed,
and the unseemly spectacle of thirty-six
counties ravaged by smooth-tongued
and INSCRIPTIONS book agents be avoid
ed.
1.-THE step which it is proposed to
take in this bill is not only, in my
opinion, step backward, but it also in
direct opposition to the mandates of
the fundamental law of the state.
ut is openly stated by those who
favor this bill that it is their intention
to do away with state uniformity in
school instruction, thus turning over
the country schools to their own devices
and taking from the support and pro-
lection of state authority and assist
ance. l believe the motive and the at
tempt to be unwise and ill advised. 1t
should be the care and the desire of the
state authorities to raise to higher
plane the methods:o of instruction en-
ployed in the common and graded
schools where nine-tenths of our boys
and girls are to obtain all the instruct
ion they will ever receive, rather than
to attempt TO turn them back in the
matter of text books to methods en-
ployed fifty years ago.
For these reasons the bill is hereby
disapproved."