The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-11-18
State Superintendent Makes Sensa
tionaI Charge in Text Book Row.
COMPANIES TRIED TO BRIDE HIM
To Drop the Suit Against Them for
Non-Performance of Their Con-
tracts, Which Attorney General
Donovan Says Was Brought on
Trivial Grounds.

Helena, Nov. Estate Superin-
tedent of Public Instruction w. w.
WEIGH made a statement yesterday
afternoon over his own signature
that certain of the text book publish
ing houses, having contracts With
the state had offered him the equiva-
lent of bride if he would drop his
war against them for alleged viola
ton of contract. The state superin-
tendent replied at some length to the
criticism of Attorney General Dono-
van, who, as reported, declared that
the charges against the book com
panies were trivial and the evidence
against them not sufficient to war
rant the commencement of actions to
recover for violations of contract.
Mr.. Welch declares that companies
offered himself and a friend, Rev. D.
B. Price Of Helena, while in Chicago
last summer, transportation for an
eastern trip or southern trip He
did not accept the offer, believing it
had been made to influence him to
drop the prosecutions he threatened
against them.
Superintendent WEIGHS statement
was addressed to a local morning
newspaper which had commented
upon the opinion of the attorney gen.
eral. The statement follows:
I'VE have very carefully read the
article in your paper of November
IL, headed Calls Them Trivial and
as the climax in this case seems to
have been reached, we desire to sub
init few facts for the benefit of the
public.
I'VE do not claim to be infallible
but after careful review of only a
few facts | am willing for the PEG.
pie of the state to decide as to these
trivial charges, and to say whether
w. w Welch, state superintendent
was in error when he submitted tc
the attorney generals office that the
book companies were violating theil
contracts with the state of Montana
Is it trivial when Mr.. G. T. Pau
OF Dillon, and others, We're required
to pay 1925 for books that under the
agreement with the book companies
should have been retailed at S1.O0'
The local dealer was not to blame
from the fact that he had no con
tract with anyone to furnish books.
Is it trivial that J. H. CalderheaC
was required to pay $165 for book.
that should have been retailed at 81
The A. P. Curtin Book Co. Shout,
not be censured as they were no
under contract with the book com
panies to handle books at the con
tract prices
rs it a trivial matter that the
Chapel Book company of Billings ar,
charged more for books than the,
are expected to retail them for?
rs IL trivial when we were in
formed that the same books wer
sold to the state of Tennessee at ey
actly 33 1-3 per cent less than Mon
tana is required to pay for them
when at the same time the contract
state plainly that should a reduction
be made to any state or territor
that the same reduction should az
crue to the state of Montana?
Il suppose that it is very trivia
matter, when we take into considers
ton that all healthy competition ha
been prevented by these contracts
and when the contract plainly state
that the companies were to maintai
at least one place in each county G
the state where these books could b
purchased at the regular retail price
agreed upon.
Trivial, is it, when in at least one
fourth of the counties of Montan
the people are asked to pay 100 pc
cent more for some of the books TO