Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-14

! people to purchase III Certain II IS
that the publishers OF these books have
had wonderful good luck and VIII get
more Of It II this measure, which Is now
before the Legislature becomes a law.
Before the Legislature passes any
free textbook law let there first be an
adoption Of books on an entirely dif-
ferent basis to the one made last SUM
mer, or otherwise their action viii play
into the pockets OF the book trust and
others whose books were adopted Most
assuredly better prices can be procured
on schoolbooks Il adopted along differ
ent lines to those which prevailed over
the late convention.
An agent OF one OF the publications,
some of whose books were placed on
the regular list by the convention, said
To the writer. you can get better
prices on text books in Utah than you
have been getting when you have a
different method OF adopting them II
cost me alone 81 ,OOG TO make a canvass
OF this state.' The statement of this
agent shows conclusively IN my opln-
ion. that the best prices obtainabla
we're not secured and under the cir
cumHtances the people should not be
compelled by legislative enactment to
meet these unfavorabe conditions to
the direct benefit of the publishers
whose books were adopted, and some
Of whom, | am prepared to say are
exceedingly anxious that this bill
should become law In our state.
II Is claimed that II will be a great
saving 10 the people as the books will
be procured at the wholesale price in
stead Of the retail price. Let us AZ
least consider, for Illustration, one set
OF books and see how much of a saw
inL there will be. We will take for
our example Reed and Kelogg's grad
ed and higher lessons in English. the
books champloned by Supt Nelson In
the text book convention, and in add
ton 1t may show us how much interest
he had In the people when IL came to a
quo stion OF price on text books.
Graded lesson. wholesale price 81, re-
tai 49,
Higher lesson, wholesale price 81, re-
tail co.
Here we have difference OF cents
between the wholesale and the retail
price on the first book and cents on
the second book Now how much can
be saved on these bools2 Certain 1t
Is that il acnnot be cents on the one
and cents on the other because thesa
sums would be taken up in the eX
pcnse TO the state in handling them,
such as unpacking, checking, providing
store room for them, care Of and freight
on same from railroad depots TO place
CT destination. The freight alone, In
many cases would be very great as
there are over one dozen counties a
considerable distance Off the line OF
the railroad
The effort that is put forth, by the |
friends OF buying books with taxes coll
lected from the people to compare Salt |
Lake City with all other parts OF the |
state. In this matter, Is an unfair COM |
p6rson, and Is calculated TO deceive, |
as the conditions are vastly different |
with the people in many parts Of the |
state 10 what they are In this city. |
II this measure becomes a law poor |
farmers will have TO raise the cold |
cash TO meet the tax instead Of buying |
the school books for their children |
with the produce they raise on their |
farms, as many do at present
May we hope that the action Of the |
legislators in this matter will be gov
erncd by the actual facts and condi-
tions that surround the people In all |
PARTS of our state and not by mice
theories that are advanced by some |
PEOPLE who have had no training in |
practical affairs. Let us have a bet.
ter arrangement with publishers OF
textbook than we now have before we |
pess a free textbook law.
TAXPAYER