The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-08
FREE TEXT BOOK BILL
ST|RS ABBETMAYER
COncordia College Professor
Picks Flaws i'm PerIey
Measure

Measure
Strong opposition TO the passage Of
the bill developed yesterday. at a hear
ing on the Perley free text book meas
ure, before the joint educational COM
mittees Of the legislature. The COM
mittee took no action, and it is ex-
pected tnat other hearings Will follow.
DR.. c. Abbetmayer, of Concordia COL
lege, made the strongest speech for the
opponents of the bill.
1t is a measure prompted by the
spirit of paternalism." he declared.
''The true stability of the nation rests
on the responsibility of the individual.
He must be filed by a sense of his re-
sponsibility and duty. Parents re-
sponsfble for the existence of their
children must be responsible for their
education and maintenance. Children
whose education is gained through
their own sacrifices, these are not the
forgers and embezziers of the country.
Men who are the product of their own
responsibility will fight for their wives,
their children and their country.
Our school buildings are cooper
ative, but books should be the prop
erty of the individual. The ultimate
step in the progress towards paternal-
ism is a revival of the days when the
Roman rabble shouted for food and for
fun.
There is no such thing as free text
books; IL is a misnomer, for the books
must be paid for by someone. 1t is
unjust to the patrons of the parochial
schools and will force them into politics
10 defend themselves against the en-
croachments of the governing powers"
DIR. Abbetmayer opposed the bill on
pedagogical grounds, as well as on the
higher ground that it savored of pa
ternalism. He declared that the distri-
button of the books would leave room
for favoritism, would encourage waste
fulness, and would not permit the chill
dren to influence their home life by the
Introduction of their school books
there.
IvIs Favors the Bill
E. c. Ives, representing the State
Federation OF Labor and the st. Paul
Trades and Labor assembly, presented
brief in favor of the free text book
bill. He declared that the results
would be that the first days sessions
could be commenced without delay;
that more and better books could be
provided without additional cost, and
that the schools would have increased
enrollments. He estimated that from
one-fourth to one-half the cost OF
books would be saved under the free
text book plan, and that the entire
cost per pupil per year would not be
to exceed from so to 75 cents He de-
MED that the free books would spread
disease among the pupils, and con-
tended that no part of the school sys-
tenn should be optional with the par
ents and pupils.
Protests received by the legislature
eaers afr,eyr h. IsI Ix-o
declared, a reactionary spirit and were
from sources where people had already
in practice repudiated the whole free
school system. He urged that the bill
should go further and include the high
as well as the common schools in its
provisions, and said that one-fiftieth
of the state school fund would be suf-
ficient to install the system in the
schools of the state.
In answer to inquiries, State Super
intendent j. w. Olsen said that at the
end of the school year in 1903, of the
1884 districts in the state, $3.50 were
operating under some plan of free text
books. Comparatively little friction
had developed, so far as he had learn
ed, in the giving out of the books.
Where pupils are convenient to
towns and where their parents are able
and willing to purchase the books, in
dividual ownership is the ideal plan,"
said Mr.. Olsen. "In the more remote
districts the free text book plan has
been found to work admirably"
Opposes Penalty Clause
w. T. Ankeny, Minneapolis, former
president of the state normal board,
urged the passage of the bill, but was
opposed to the penalty clause. He paid
high tribute to the advanced position
OF education in Minnesota, and said
the only reason that MINNEAPOLIS had
|. abandoned free books in its high
schools was because the city could not
afford them
"The question is, do you want to
change from an optional to COM
pulsory system?" Mr.. Ankeny de-
clared. Five -sixths of the schools of
the state have accepted the optional
plan and in another ten years all will
have taken advantage of the system.
l object to the clause of the bill which
will withhold state aid. to graded,
semi graded and rural schools if they
do not comply with the terms of the
law. l would have it so that school
officers will be in the same position
that they are now. The law can be in
voked If they fail to perform their Off
cial duties
Hubert A. Wallraff. St. Paul, ar
gued against the bill from sectarian
standpoint, insisting that "a double
hardship would be placed by its pro-
visions on the sectarian schools of the
state.
s. A. Farnsworth, principal of the
Cleveland high school, st. Paul. and
Rev. David Morgan. of the Bethel. ad-
vocated the measure in brief talks be-
fore the committee.
The committee adjourned the hear
ing without date,