Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-13
MANY RURAL VOTERS SAY No
Evidently Enough Opposing Ballots te
Defeat Free Text Books
TRUST STlRS UP THE CITIZENS
Its Activity for Contract Believed to
he Responsible for the Negative
ResuIt-County Superintendent
stilI Has Hopes.

While no definite figures are yet avail
able, II Is believed that the proposition
to adopt a uniform system Of text books in
the rural school districts throughout the
county has been defeated. The vote Will
not be officially canvassed until the ses-
sion OF the Board of County Supervisors
In April when the members will meet as
County Board OF Education. The poll
books, which have been returned to County
Auditor Innes as secretary Of the County
Board OF Education, are all sealed and there
is nothing on the face of them to show
the vote cast for or against the propo-
, sition. The auditor is uncertain as to his
/ right or authority to open the books be-
fore the session OF the board, although the
code does not say that the poll books shall
be sealed when returned to the clerk of
the board. Unless Mr.. Innes should decide
to open the books there will be no means
| Of ascertaining accurately the result of the
election.
II is known that the proposition was
badly defeated in Minden, Underwood, Wes-
ton and Belknap townships, while 1t car
ried in Garner and Hardin townships.
The defeat OF the proposition is laid at
! the door of the American Book company,
which held contracts for the supply OF the
school books in every school district in
the county. As soon as the company
learned that the county board had decided
on submitting the proposition at the elec-
| tion last Monday II sent several of its
best agents through the county and, al
though many OF its contracts had not ex-
pired. some of them continuing in force
I until next June, and even later. 1t secured
renewal OF these contracts for another
five years from the district school boards.
yellow Circular Has Its Eject.
' few days prior to the election a circu-
! lar. alleged to have emanated from the
American Book company, was distributed
broadcast over the county among the cleo
tors. This circular, printed on yellow
paper, was intended to prejudice the voter
against the propos ition, alleging that by
voting for a uniformity OF text books the
electors surrendered their right to select
books to the county board. II further al
legged that the books under the new system
would not be any cheaper than they were
under the old plan.
Fearing that the proposition might carry
some of the country school directors who
have renewed contracts with the American
Book company have applied to County At
| .orney Killpack for an opinion as to whether
| such contracts would be binding. None
OF the township boards have conformed
| strictly to the requirements of the Law
governing the letting OF contracts, mas
much that they did not first advertise fol
| bids before renewing the contracts with
the American Book company, and for this
reason. II for no other, the county attorne,
has given II as his opinion that the con
tracts could not be held as binding. Ii
addition he said 81 think no book com
| NJ IN ka Io lf
do so even under a legal contract becaus,
of the bad position and light 1t would pu
IL In as TO future orders from the Count.
Board OF Education. II the matter OF sucl
contracts were to stand in the way, count!
uniformity would always be impossible be
cause there would always be some distric
with an unexpired contract"
County Superintendent McManus is still
hopeful that the official canvass will shov
that the proposition carried, as he is firml!
of the opinion that the system of uniform
text books is good thing for the people
He said yesterday: "If uniformity in tex
books is not a good thing for the people
why do the book companies fight 1t as the.
have done in every county where the propo
sition has been submitted? Under thi
system. IL adopted, repositories would b.
established throughout the county and per
SouS pdlu out OF the general Iunu Tor ndnu
ling the books, which would be sold TO tn
child at actual cost without the expens
Of handling them added Under the sys
TEN the cost of school books would be ma
terially lessened to the children"
In Carson and Macedonia townships tn
proposition to consolidate the school dis
tricts was submitted and was defeated 1
both townships. These were the only tw
townships in which this proposition wa
s submitted to the electors. In Carson
was defeated by only seven votes. but /
q Macedonia township 1t was defeated two I
one. This was due to the fact that tn
, town of Macedonia has a bonded indebt
edness.