Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-20

The book the state has adopted was
displaced by the city, after trial for
I'VE years-a significant fact This
displacement received added emphasis
from me iaet that the Natural Geo.
kIaphy was not able to muster one vote
III the salt Lake City board. Mr. Marks
says.
In the subject Of geography the
STATE has made decidedly the better
bargain from the financial standpoint"
IA the left hand column he gives the
total cost Of the Taw-McMurry series
adopted by the city as $3.50. and OF the
Natural adopted by the state as
M4g; but he entirely neglects to ex-
plain that the sells charged up to the
cost of the TAR -McMurry series Is
divided among five different books
when make up the series. while the
sl4S charged against the Natural geo.
graphies Is divided between two books.
SO the total cost per book. or, to put Il
differently the tota cost per child
OF the Tarr- MeMurry series. is much
less than the total cost OF the Ma
tural series adopted by the state I'm
der the free teYt-boea plan employed
IN Salt Lake city 1t does net take any
more OF the Tarr- McMurry books which
are bound In five different volumes than
Il does Of the Natural Biographies
bound in two columes
Mr.. Marks would evidently like to
convey the impression that the whole-
sale changes made by the state az tre-
mendous expense 10 the parents OF the
children. have been duplicated by SINH
lar Wholesale changes In the city Here
again he is playing upon the general
Misunderstanding OF the public regard.
ing the differences between the sys-
TENS employed In the city aud those in
the country. universal change of
books such as the recent textbook con-
vention made, is a grleyous burden up
on the people. The complaint sworn 10
by Stewart T. Tanner IN the Injunction
proceedings, alleges that "a Out OF 81
books were changed In the case OF a
family having 10 or Il children, this IS
q very serious matter; but the cond-
lions In the city are entirely different.
In the first place, the city children do
not buy the books; they are purchased
by the board Of education and loaned TO
the children free OF cost. In the second
place land here comes seeming para
dox) a change Of books under the free
textbook plan Is accompanied by no
expense, II II be couiucted ju1iciously.
Not only this. but Il may even be so
planned as to result In positive saving;
and this | understand Is the agowed
purpose OF the board In Salt Lake City.
Take the matter Of histories for the
sake Of Illustration. Let us suppose
that the board has on hand 5000 old
histories. that 2,5d1 OF these are In an
old and diiapldated condition, ami
would have to be suppanted by new
books this fail under any conditions.
Now, II the board Of education changes
TO another book on the same subject.
the publishers Of the newly adopted
book will make an allowance for the
OH books equivalent 20 about 50 per
cent OF their original cost and
credit the board Of education
with such amount az the final
the other, $500 may have become worn
out and they too may be turned IN,
and exchanged Ga The same way II
Is by no means necessary 20 make
changes abruptly under the frie text
book plan: the changes may be made
gradual as the old books wear out II
)ther hand the beard would be COM
Delled 10 replenlsh ihe stock from the
lld series Of books and TO throw away
an the old. wornoIt copies; IN cthr
words, they would have to pay fun
price for q fresh supply Of the 40
series. N no chnng were made.
SO while it may true on lbs face,
hat the city board rs made as wide
md far-reachinp yr nges as the state
BOARD. the inforong that II has been
exuayagaW IS by no means
lust one. As a matter Of fact. the cts
BOARD has exercised high degree of
economy aud good Judgment. while the
.tate text book convention has been
.xtravagant far hayund the limits
cached by any similar body ever sit
ing IN the State 0l Utah.
CHARLES r. WILCOX.