The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-01-26
State Text Book Law is a Thorn
in the Flesh.
The Book Concerns Don't Like
Tt at All.
RAID ON LEGISLATURE.
Three New Measures Are Al
ready introduced.
Clever Plans For Destroy ing
Effect of Present Law.

State uniformity of school text books
must be destroyed. That is the ukase
that has gone forth from the politicians
and that settles it.
There have been three text book bills
introduced in the senate 50 far this ses-
sion and that is probably all the bills
Of the kind that viii be introduced.
The same bills have been introduced in
the house.
Senator Codding introduced one which
provides that there shall be no second
exchange Of the books as they are not
used in any other state and the ex-
change is q, dead loss to the publisher.
His bill also cuts down the cost of the
books, but the cut IS more than made up
in the knocking out of the exchange
feature. It is made to take effect JAM
1, 1902.
The next bill introduced was by Cub
bison and his bill simply repeals the orig
inal bill establishing the school book
commission and uniformity of books
Mr.. CubbiSon fought the bill when it
was passed and he wants to 90 away
with it now and put the state back
where it was before there was any law
relating to school books This Is what
the book trust desires above everything
else.
The bill introduced yesterday by Sem
atOr Leidy, chairman of the committee
on education, is the third bill and the
one which is recommended by the school
teachers association. This bill favOrs
the retention of the commission, but
also favors district ownership, and when
a district is dissatisfied with the books
recommended by the commission by a
majority vote of. the people of the dis
tricts the books can be changed This
would IN effect destroy state uniformity.
The committees on education and ed
ucational institutions of both houses
will meet next week and will decide what
are unable to agree upon any one OF
the bills and the chairTnen have agreed
that the best way out is to amend one
of the bills so that it will receive the
houses.
7. The present law seems to worry all
the teachers and publishers in the state;
the teachers because they think the
books recommended by the commission
are poor, and the publishers because
they can not make enough money out Of
1he sales of the books. The books rec
commended by the present commission
mission can easily improve on them
and that would do away with the COM
plant of the teachers.
Any of the bills, if passed, would be
throwing money into the hands of the
publishers and the proba bilities are that
the new books would be just as unsatis-
factory as the ones now in use.
A determined effort is to be made to
destroy the state text book law. Tt
saves the people money, and that is
sufficient objection on the part of the
book concerns at least. State superin-
tendent Nelenn ed his ami
mostly to the law, and it is not sur
prising that the Leidy bill should have
his sanction. The people of Kansas
don't care If the textbook law is
Populist measure-it has saved them
money and has not Handicapped their
children in learning, and that is all they
care about. If the textbook law is
overthrown some one may be respon-
sible and the people may find out who
it is.