The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-03

es-f Continued From First Page
no etheraabusiness was transacted.
That was on Tuesday of this week. On
Wednesday, the day following, there
was meeting of the board, and when
an adjournment was taken until today
Il was assured that the adjourned ses-
sion was for the purpose of consider
ing the appointment of teachers. This
morning was notified that there
would be a meeting of the text book
committee at 1880 this afternoon.
When I arrived at the meeting there
was presented what is now made the
report of the text book committee,
with the statement that it had been
prepared by Supt. Smith. Never hav-
Ing seen this report, and not having
given the question the attention that
1t deserves, asked that action be de-
layed until i had time to prepare a
report, believing, as I did and do, that
this is the most important question
that has come before the school board
during my membership
1T was nay argument that the Sc
lection of the text books should be de-
layed until the board has decided upon
the course of study in the grades and
has disposed of the high school cues
ton. 1t hasJnot been decided whether
we are to add new Estudies, abolish old
ones, or, in fact, sjust what will be done
We should act carefully in a matter of
such importance. At this. time I am
unaware of the views of the members
Of the board on the question, have not
heard from any Of the teachers and
principals and know only the views of
the superintendent. In adopting books
for a given. period we are following
the wrong plan, and stand today as
the only city Of Importance in the
country that takes this method of
choosing text books.
In Control of Book Trust.
1T has come to the point where many
of the leading book men of the country
will not come to ST. Paul and ask to
furnish books in competition and in a.
field covered by and in control of the
great book trust. We should modern
lie our methods and consult with the
principals and teachers, as is done in
other cities. If this is done / feel sure
that instead Of this valuable contract
being given to the trust in it's entirety
it would be divided between a half
dozen different publishing houses If
a fair consideration is desired, why
this undue haste? Why this effort to
let the contract before the bids and
books have been considered? We gain
nothing by giving contract for three
years, every bid being at the full retail
price of the books offered, there not
being a cent reduction for the long
time contract. Why ask the members
of the boardsto analyze books covering
fifty different studies in SO short a
time? For the members of this board,
and not heSsuperfntendent Of schools.
are responsible for the action. and
there is no5law in the state requiring
the adoption of text books for three
years or any other given period. 1t
would seem to be our duty to take up
these studies one at time and con-
suit the principals.
In particular wish to object to the
history, the grammar, the language, the
spelling and the music books offered by
the American Book company, the trust,
and to JudsDn's Young America, Of
fered by another concern. In the place
Of these / have no. books to suggest,
but from what have learned they are
not proper text books, it being signifi-
cant, to my mind, that the book trust
has failed to furnish me with samples
of these. books, except the histories.
1t is also significant that the award for
books on physiologycis taken from the
trust and given to another concern
significant because the books are not
used in. the. st. Paul public schools.
The language books and spoilers fur
nished by the trust, and which it lis
proposed to. readopt, are fit only for
the rubbish pile. The book on music,
which this repuFt favors, has been con-