Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-10
WAS A CLAUSE
IN THE CONTRACT
To The Editor Of the News:

IN my lOIHef article bhFt Nht ~
tail prices OF the Franklin readers In
Missouri and Utah, showing that the
set Of FIVE books costs the school chill
dren Of Utah just sl.0i more than the
same set costs the school children Of
Missouri.
IN answer 20 this fact, | have been
met by the erroneous statement that
was refuted In the first article namely,
that our dealers charge a greater COM
mission for handling the books than
do the dealers in Missouri and other
states. ! showed before that this was
totally untrue, but since my former
demonstra ton has been dlsregarded by
some, ! give herewith another and per-
haps a more con elusive disproof OF
this accusation against our local deal
ers.
My first article, for example showed
that the New Franklin Third reader
sells In Utah for 50 cents and In Mis-
souri, for 30 cents, the Utah price being
on advance Of Sc rs per cent above the
Missouri price. That this advance is
In no way due to the commission
charged by Utah merchants, Is very
clear when we consider the mailing
price Of this book to the Missouri pur-
chaser and to the Utah purchaser.
The mailing price Of the New Frank
lin Third Reader the Identical cloth
bound book In each case, TO any one
IN Missouri Is 81 cents, 10 any one in
Utah, 80 cents AS every one knows
thai the cost OF mailing is the same no
matter where the book Is sent any
Where within the United states. It Is
mere folly to claim that this difference
OF about 50 per cent in the re-
speotiye mailing prices Of the same
BOOK can be due to anything but dis
cflnirauOn by the book companv
against the people OF this state.
But | am told that the book conven.
ton Is about 20 correct an this for
the future, by putting a clause into
the contracts with the book companies
whereby me latter shall agree to give
Utah the benefit Of any reductInn in
price tina may be made on any OF the
DOCKS adopted, In any OF the states.
rVor dear innocent members OF the
DOCK convention, II this Is what they
are now driving at! That clause has
peen IN every contract with every book |
'ompany whose books have been adopt- |
"a ana used during the past ten and |
perhaps nfteen years. 1t has been a |
characteristic feature Of former con-
raots, always readily inserted by the
va book companies. Here Is the clause
u the contract OF June 2S. 1897 be-
Ween state Superintendent John r.
ARK and the various publishers whose
'ooks were adopted at that time:
SAID party Of the second part further
grees that all dealers school officers
eacheS'and others shall have the bene.
L OF any and all reductions I'm prices
n the aforesaid books that NAV occur
uring the term Of said adoption. said
eduction in price, however, is only ~
pply to books ordered after such re-
uction In price is made"
This has been the contract during tbA
Isl 1--WE years Why has Il not been
niorced2 Who could enforce 40
'here Is the penalty? The whole thing
as and Is a nullity: and so win any
lch clause be, TO which the book pub.
shers that are robblng this state can
e Induced 10 agree.
IL mas already been shown I'm the
llumns or the News" that the peonIe
Utah have been paying exorbitant
rices for the books used by their chill.
rem In the public schools
During his school course the cornnle,a
I or books for each child I'm Iitab
,mprises, at least, a set OF reodsrs
rithmetics, Biographies. a history ana
spelier' besides some minor books
fIln sol hana
eh'lon OF the minor books. costs in
JUS STATE St'0O, to each child supplied
it'll these books. pF''eu
In Missouri. however. a set OF the
'me Dooks' In most cases the Identical
loks, and In the other cases. books
Isl as good as those we use. costs onlv
Il In Indiana, this set costs onlv
.45, and In Kansas only HSs Tbe
'rsons who justify this Discrimination
favor OF these and other states az
'ainst Utah, do so on the ground tbot /,
Utah our dealers charge excessive =
ottsi but II was shown I'm nv Iast
ticle that this accusation against 10 :
y uealers IL wholly without founda. !
On, and the mailing prices give,
'oVe completely demolish this clever :
ca. ''''' ''e'er I
Utah pays for a set Of the school
.olSs named above $3.50 more than
lssourl 81. 20 more than Indiana. and /
.52 more than Kansas. I suppose J
al $1,000 sets OF these books NAV $
We been used during the past five !
airs II so Utah has paid sl76OOO more r
an Kansas has paid for that number :
practically the same books. During
next I'VE years, a book contract =
nilarly unwise, win rob our state az v
er s20O,0O0. ''' vi
Truly yours.
II n kf~r