Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-23
ASHTON ON The TEXT BOOK CONVENTION

I by side with the books adopted by
Salt Lake City for the people OF the
state 10 compare them He assumes
that the people who read these articles
are unable TO Judge for themselves.
Now let us see how fair and logical he
Is. In the matter Of histories he claims
that II more economical for Salt Lake
to use three histories on the same text
and OF the same grade than to use but
one. His idea Is that one book is TO
be used, then passed on TO another
school TO be read by the pupils OF that
school, the said three books passing
| through the hands OF each pupil belong
ing to the seventh and eighth grades
| Can a child master the three books in
| the same time he can master but one {?
| Every teachers knows that history
| must be developed logically and can
not be jumped through. and that where
two or three books are used the last
| two books are merely a rounding up
| Of the first book, and from the stand
point of dollars and cents, (Which the
doctor seems to think the people OF
| the stale have only reason 10 cOnsid-
err must necessarily be greater. But
the doctor ever mindful of the interests
| Of the country child, claims that mo
child TN the country distncts) can be
asked 10 purchase more than one book.
! why, If II Is Al matter of economy,
could not the pupils Of any school be-
divided into three groups and each
gr0up asked 10 purchase different
book | leave It to the ACREAGE level
headed school patron what censure
would fan upon the head Of the teach
er who make such requirement Of his
pupils. ! have treated this point at
some length because II Is the basis On
which the whole fabric Of the Doctors
logic rests.
lie has used the same argument
against the states adoption Of readers.
Had the gentleman been fair he would
have stated that the company who
held the readers and histories I'm the
state for the last five years did not
even ask or intimate the re-adoptIon OF
these books IN the state Because OF
the unsatisfactory results I'm our
schools the gentleman also forget to
acknowledge that the history adopted
by the state had the better exchange
price and was the cheaper In every
particular He refers TO false impress
si0ns made by Mr. Marks win the gen
~ this? Wise and economical plain of
the open list naugurated bv he civ
lloard" Why did not the gentleman
meet the issue OF Biographies fairly?
Nhy dos he not quote prices? He as
iumes that the Natural geographv is an
unsatisfactory book because the CITY
board did not vote for IT, The dec
tor tries to make a point in stating
that a I'VE book series OF biographies
Is cheaper than a two book series II
TINS were true why do an the states
who hold closely to economy cling 10
he two book series? why were the
Werner arlthmetcs consolidated into
a tWo-book series. and also the FAIR
McMurry Biographies arranged for a
two book series for the benefit of the
people Of the State Of Utah? am not
saying anything against the TAR Me-
hurry books. ! believe them TO be good
books and would only wish every school
book convention had the backbone Of
the salt Lake City board In adopting
books even at little higher price. In
referring 10 city and state adoptions q
wide difference is made. the argument
being that universal change i'm the
city Is a good thing but the same
change In the state is a calamity even
though made in the direction of decid-
eddy superior books, which the gentle
man has not attempted to DISPUTE.
Economy is not all In cheapness. II Is
not economy to waste a life time porting
over an old, out OF date textbook. Or.
Wilcox himself, If teaching IN the pub.
lie schools would have been lust as
loud In his protests against the readop-
ton of the New FRANKLIN Reader ana
the "Mowry History" as were every
teacher and child In the state OF Utah.
And, like the teachers of Salt Lake
City, he would have recommended a
new reader as they did. and by the
way. they recommended the Stepping
Stones adopted by the state. as aid also
the teachers Of the University of Utah |
training school,
Referring to the getting rid Of old and |
books for the city, what |
about old books IN the country. Would |
the doctor administer one kind of pin |
TO the city child and another for the |
country chill. Is II not true that what |
the school textbook of the country Is |
the people Of the country will be. while |
on the other hand children of the large
cities have an abundance Of books and
libraries. But II Is argued the children
Of the city do not buy the books they
IRE purchased with the taxes Is there
any progressive man who thinks that
The placing Of new books In the homes
)f the state Is waste OF money. Would
he gentleman argue that the state or
country spending the mort for books Is
going backward? II so, let him compare
he backward states with the progress
live states both as to readoptions and
new texts, If DR. Wilcox wishes to
'entilate the matter fairly that gentle
nan should take each OF the alleged "a
ext books misplaced and show where
Mistakes and gross extravaganza has
occurred.
Yours respectfully
b. w ASHTON.
NJ the request Of members OF the text