The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-16
MANY OBJECTIONS TO
SECONDHAND BOOKS.

superintendent AshmOFe Approves
Action of Macon School Board.
The action of the Macon Board of
Education in taking a stand against
secondhand school books was the sub
ject of general discussion among the
teachers of the public schools yester-
day. The opinion is almost unanimous
in favoring the action of the board at
Macon. The principal objection brought
forward by the Macon board was that
secondhand books are carriers of dis
ease. In speaking of the matter Supt.
Ashmore said
Il believe that there is much that
can be said in favor of the action of
the Macon School Board, and l am
somewhat opposed to secondhand
books myself There are many rea-
sons which can be urged against them.
AS to being carriers of disease, l do
not believe that there is any doubt of
it.
1--WE never know where the second
hand books come from. They are ship
ped here from large dealers in Chica-
go, New York. and other Boston cities
and, where, they have collected them
no one knows. In this state for in
stance, the change of textbooks means
that all the books formerly used will
be ready for sale and no doubt orders
have already come in from large deal
ers in different parts of the country.
Many of these books will come from the
colored schools and from homes in
which all manner of unsanitary condi-
tons prevail. When we buy books sec
ond-hand we can not tell from what
sources they have originally come.
But aside from their unhealthiness,"
continued Mr.. Ashmore, there are
other reasons which can be val
idly urged against secondhand
books. Most of them are more
or less out of date and differ in
greater or less degree from the books
which are in use in the schools. This
puts the holder at a considerable dis
advantage, especially if the books diff
fer to any great extent.
Furthermore, in many cases. pages
are gone and this part of the work is
lost entirely by the children. This is
the case in many instances. and in all
cases the child never completely mas
ters that part of the subject found on
the missing pages, even though it bor-
rows the books of another child.
THE buying of second books
by dealers is also a temptation to the
children to steal. In bodies of 5000 or
1900 children, there are generally three
it in order to realize 10 cents for candy
or soda water. Our book-dealers have
co-operated with US in this line, and
we have practically stamped out the
practice.
I'm still another way secondhand
books are a bad thing. The child with
new book will take more pride in his
work and will. as a result, accomplish
more, than the one with a secondhand
book. Taking all these things into con-
sideration think that the Macon board
is to be commended for it's stand
against secondhand books.
There is yet another reason why l
am opposed to secondhand books. IT
child cannot dispose of his books he
is bound to keep them. and in future
days when questions come up, they
have a place of reference. Then, too,
| il the books are constantly before the
children, they will look at them from
| time to time, and more completely
| master the subject than If they had
| sold the books as soon as they had adj
vanced beyond the grade in which they
were used as text books"
When asked if there was any objec-
| ton to the children of one grade buy
| ing their books from the children of the
grade Just in advance of them, Supt.
Ashmore said that in this case there are
not so many, nor are the objections
such strong ones. But in either case
about the only argument that can be
advanced in support of the second
| hand books Is that they mean a slight
saving to the children when buying
| new books for school use.