The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-10
BxB. ". CRoNK.

No doubt both teachers and patrons
ara deeply Interested in the result Of
the Investigation OF tho special commit
tee into the established prices OF pub
lie school books. Some Of US are
under the impression that our school
books will In the future como to US
much cheaper. We hope 1t Is not
delusion.
But some OF US. as teachers and pa
irons, are equally interested IN find
ing school books for sale. In our
rural section there Is generally no
trouble to obtain necessary books at
the opening of the schools. But our
rural merchants are unwilling to run
any risk In oversize cking themselves
with school books. They claim that
the profit is too small. Hence, as the
school term advances the supply Of
certain books is exhausted The mer-
chants find themselves overstocked
with other books. They Imagine that
which they cannot sell. This becomes
more probable MS the time draws near
to the close Of the four years, when
the school books throughout may be
changed again. One country merchant,
who carries a small quantity Of. school
books for tho accommodation OF his
customers. claims that he lost fifty
dollars in books in stock when the
last change was made. We know
this to be applicable not only to coun-
try merchants, but also to merchants
in the smaller towns.
It Is unnecessary to take tlmo to
prove or argue that this lack OF school
books is very prejud1clal to tho good
of schools. Pupils sometimes lose two
or three months work In some study
because they can get no books And
this to the pupils Is very precious time,
Can there be !nnugurated better
plan for supplying tho schools with
books? We hesitate to make sugges-
lions to our able and efficient State
Board of Education; but. as this Is
a country where freedom of speech Is
allowed. even to~rthe criticism and
abuse of the ruler OF tho nation and
Of tho Governor Of the State, Wesven-
ture to express our opinion upon a
subject so grave,
We would not suggest the plan of
permitting the merchants to make rs
large per cent as possible out Of the
school books. we would oppose any
plan by which tho people would d.
rectly pay more for their achool books.
not 80 much because higher prices
would take moro money out OF the
patrons pockets, but more especially
because higher prices would deprive
more ClllureIl u Llio H5SNoSuAS ppVhS-
AS long as the impression is abroad
that we are paying more for our school
books than other States. people Will
reluctantly buy the necessary books
for their children. Practically no law
compels parents to buy books for tholl
children. In many schools the lack
of books Is a great drawback, NO
doubt this deletcrious effect upon the
efficiency of the public schools has
led twenty-slx States to adopt q plan
for supplying free books to the pupils
| This plan means an increase Of taxes,
but 1t certainly would Increase very
much the efficiency OF our Virginia
i schools.
/ believing that the people of vlr-
ginia are not yet ready to follow the
example Of the Northern States ant
most of the Western States in adopt.
ing q free-book plan, we would SIG
gest compromise plan, az follows.
That the State buy the school books
\ that the State Board establish II de
pository Of school books for each city
+ town and county whore needed tina