Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-23
To the Editor:

Since you have given 80 much space
20 the discussion OF the late state book
convention and the articles appearing
In your paper being all on one side,
think It but right and fair that the
members of that convention be giver
some space In your paper to tell then
SHE of the story The following lines
are therefore submitted to SUR readers
In the hope that they win be read by
them and hoping FOR little charity
submit them to them, trusting they viii
read them impartlally.
Our friends come to us and wonder
why we have been criticised so severely
by your paper. Our actions are crlti.
clsed by you without even a consnlta
ton with US. II has been intimated
mat we are responsible for the prices
OF books used during the last Ave years.
we are no more responsible for those
prices than we are for the actions Of
our fathers before we were born. We
appreciate the warning you gave us in
your editorial regarding high prices. as
we also do the suggestion OF Prof Paul
relating TO clause In our contracts tie
mandlng the right to use any edition OF
the texts adopted by us that might be
used by any other state, and TO de.
mand the same reduction In price that
might be given to any other state. We
have aimed 10 follow your advice and
have passed a resolution Incorporating
Prof, Paul's suggestive clause IN our
state contracts. An investigating COM
mittee was also appointed TO secure re-
liable Information regarding contracts
from other states That committee
worked faithfully night and day to get
the desired Information. sending tele-
grams and letters TO an parts Of the
United states. Yet their work was not
even encouraged by YOU. On the other
hand YOU implied that they should be
censured for not doing what II IL impos-
sibe 10 do
In one Of your editorials you cay:
IT Is well known that the state text
book convention was the object Of cri-
ticism on the ground, as alleged. that
good business judgment was not eyer-
clsed In regard 10 prices. II was sup
posed that as good contracts could
have been secured for Utah as for
some other states Please point to a
single instance where We have failed
to get as good prices, and do not eyade
the issue by referring to the Butler
Sheldon readers nor the Frye gograph-
les. We have not adopted either Of
those sets of books. Our committee in
It's report admitted that some fault
could be found with the late contracts
between this state and those two firms
But as stated we are not responsible
for those contracts
in the same paper I'm which YOU crlti-
else us for lack of business Judgment
you eulogi2e the Salt Lake city board
for sound business judgment yet you
cannot point to single instance where
they have received better prices than
We have, besides they accepted tn Frye
one of the books on which,
your paper claims. there was discrim-
nation In price against the State Of
Utah.
We do not claim that book companies
could not afford 20 give US better prices
than they do, but in the matter Of a
state contract there are always two
lhi AlfH NNHAtiAltit iitt NiuAf anu TIE
firm. The state advertises for bids,
The company submits It's figures which
cannot be changed after the bid Is
opened. The state has no other alter
native than TO take the best figures
and make such demands as 10
secure prices given to other states. We
have done this, what more could we
10?
Referring TO the books adopted let us
Examine what has been done. With the
Of spelling, domestic science
nature study, and the Reed and kell0g
higher language. all old books have
been changed. Every teacher in the
ltate has demanded the removal OF the
New Franklin Readers" the "Mowry
History" and the "Sheldon Grammars.'
rhe companies owning these books
lave not even urged them for readop.
ion. Artists have not clamored for
he re-adoption of the old Augsburg
looks. The Smith Physiology has been
lsed 10 years and everybody, even DIR.
Wilcox. knows that physiology Is maxi
ng more rapid strides than any other
'cience. and that the Krohn Physiology
which was adopted by our convention
3 an up-to-date book. and is recon-
nended by the best educators In the
United States. Besides il Is a larger
,ook and is sold at the same price. We |
dopted the "Petermans Civil Govern !
nent," with a supplement on Utah, the |
'attsrson sosting only As cents and the
ook displaced costing 80 cents. On |
he writing books we got Il price of 60 |
ents per dozen against the old book at |
cents per dozen. we get small re-
uotion on the Rondebush, the system |
fe retained A change In Biographies |
ould not be avoided A revision of |
he book has been made necessl ating |
change from the old to the new book
nd showing the weakness Of the old
rye books.
The exchange price on the new edi-
on VI Frye is first book 10 cents sec
nd book 50 cents, this Is apparently 20
ants better than the price on the ma
iral, the book we adopted, The ex-
hange price Of which Is first book 30
ants, second book 60 cents. But the
holesale price of the natural first book
2 cents less than the first Frye book.
nd the wholesale price second book Is
cents less than the Frye. The whole
Ne price Is 10 run during the entire
We years. while the exchange price IL
Dod only until March I, 1908. A care
II calculation will show that the price
wen by the natural is at least as low.
not lower. than that Of the Frye book.
aking a gain instead Of a loss OF
lousands OF dollars TO the state as
ated In some OF the News articles.
= to DR.. Wilcox's inference that the
atural had no support In Salt Lake
lty. and was therefore not n good
lok. why did not the doctor state the
cts | am informed that the Natural
ld strong following among the
achers. who We're chosen to select
Biographies. and as compared 20 the
rye the Natural was the first choice.
he doctor also forgot to mention the
Jet that the United States History |
iopted by the state Is cheaper than
NJ OF the other two histories adopted
' Salt Lake city, and costs only 10
,nts wholesale. while the unsatsfac-
ny book displaced cost ~ cents whole
lie: the three languages adopted cost
10 nyninqt 81 RI for the ones I'm use |