The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-09-05
Mas. auaroN. TAs sooK TRusr.
AND KANSAS SCHOOLS.

tFfOm the Topeka, kas., tapnalD
Mrs Burton In Labor pay address Monday dis
,ussed subject Of vital the people of
Kansas-the selection of the school text books Most
people agree with her that If there corrupt trust
engaged this business and II 80 considers in the busi
ness merely its profits and its policy is to sell to the
schools cheap article the highest price it exact
and that it undertakes Doodle debauch
the school management the state the
worst OF it debauches education itself
This the burden of Mrs. Burtons address and her
remedy is ownership publica; on books.
Kansas parents will be perfectly ready to this final
resort the only way insure the best books and
honest Of the school work of the Probably
publication would insure the latter but whether
would give school children the books is different
question Capital expresses no opinion matter
but question that ongh deeply interest parents
There only thing that detracts from the
OF the text book policy and that corruption
in politics in the systematic efforts break down the
policy by publishers Every known method has been used
discourage system, and bribery has by
been overlooked Agents Of the trust started out
people that the low prices xed by the
necessarily cheap and inferior books but it has
been completely defeated in that dishonest game Kansas
has fixed the prices only for Kansas but fer other
communities before long the Kansas prices win be
the standard prices in the United States Books
supplied at these prices" publishers but they
will have be special editions and inferior TO the
standard The Kansas editions in instances
special editions but inferior editions Differing
only IN dlfang lneni q pages lhe Et"ttdphg HOu ~
Kansas at 80 cents fo the smaller IS the
larger is sold to Nebraka $l25 and 90
Recently the ST. Louis school board investigated the
Biographies decided that the Kansas book would be
desra. . IN the ST. echoois The other day Ceve
land "the best governed city in the United States had
book letting and ADOPTED the Davidson T. s history. the
Kansas book in place of history for which it
had been paying 80 cents The country is ing the
price list The Kansas law has done more to put
check TO extortions the competing school
H. have
mp against in 20 years.
what the saving Kansas parents in the Kansas
raxmum book has been it is hard to estimate but in
years the saving has not been less than half
million dollars perhaps it has been very much
The main thing that the publishers have been driven
from position which that Kansas insisted
cheap prices must have cheap books No attempt Of
corrupt agents Of publishers dscredit the Kansas law
will succeed The Kansas system has been vndated
her hatred Of the book trust accuses it
Of many criminal practices but gives # credit for more
than believe had in its corrupt
the remedy Of state ownership may be adopted
by the people bat meantime It is the only in
hand prevent the control the by the book trust
There will be a dyeyear letting, involving many
hundred thousand dollars in Topeka May That let
ting shoud be open the public It is important a
thing the people overlook Such scandalous
fomances the letting at the Throop
hotel be repeated when people awake to the
issue at stake the control entire
state a period Of FIVE years. The book trust has a
permanent lobby the persons in its employ
known, and the next letting win be watched By the
state with the interest that it merits
As to the present commission, its appointment was
opposed by the lobby and it spite of this lobby
that Governor Hoch named it, Nearly every member Of
known the well known the teachers
Of It would De difficult to get represen-
tatye commission among Kansas educators. Some
members the commission may trust books.
bur will be the particular trust books are
the best be had The trust has been obliged to Offer
Kansas acceptable books and should be compelled to
oner best the next state lstng get nothing.
-oOo----