The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-10
RICHMOND VA, wEDNEsDAY
had begun and after many requests for
libraries had been reccived,s

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had begun and after many requests for
libraries had been received
In order TO overcome this delay and
MS soon MS possible meet tho demands,
+ tho hooks for tho school travelling IL
brarics We're purchased by the libra.
rtan under authority from the board
from Mcssrs. Putnnm's Sons. lsS thnt
course about one-tilrd OF tie books
were in Richmond IN about ono week
after the purchase, and thus an OPP
portunitywns had to meet, at MI carly
date.. snid demands from the several
localities,
IN said list Mr. Egglcston not only
gave the mama OF tho author and the
title Of the books, but also thn, list
price Of the boolss.-thns A ndlcntlng
what character of books lie thouEht
should be purchased
ut is true that the librarian did not
follow his suggestions rs to puNlns
many OF the books IN the cheaper eui-
panSlng tho said list having Rivensthe
librarian Il large discretion IN the mat
ter. In buying the better and more
durable editions the board thinks TINT ~
he undoubtedly acted for tile best IN
tercats OF the state, With the excnption
OF one book called "snow Bound" This
book. While n most attractive book FOR
children WIS In too expensive hi,. edi-
ton. This fact, the librarian admits.
This book cost the State S1.6i.
No Good Reason.
Some effort was made by tic COM
mittee to prove that the books for the.
school travelling libraries were pur-
chased at too high prices This effort
consisted IN gntting Mr. Eggleston to
write to the Educational Publishing
Company, OF New, York, and to send
that company a COPY of the list he
had furnished tho librarian, and to IN
quire ut what prices they could supply
the books * bid from the company
was received during their invcstiga-
ton.
That bid contained about 400 books,
which Messrs: Putnam's Sons had tail
been instructed by the librarian not
to furnish the books i'll tho list which
they might find only paper bound or
improperly printed.
An effort WAS made to show, TINT
there We're not that many books on
the list which came under those de-
scriptions or which We're out OF print.
1t is sufficient to shy that no good
reason was or could be given why n
firm which lives by selling books
should fail to furnish those books I'M.
less restrained by the conditions I'M
posed by the buyer.
Taking the sum total of the bid of
the Educational publishing Company
and deducting therefrom the prices of
the books not Furnished ny Mess Us
Putnams Sons, and then comparing the
remainder with the sum total or the
bills from Putnam's Sons for the books
furnished by them. it will be seen that
there are but n few dollars one way
or the other. The record contains an
actual calculation.
There was but this slight difference
in face OF the fact that tlle ~, LIBRARIAN hl.,a
editions suggested in the list or Mr..
1Igglcston.
The librarian, having seen the bid Of
the Educational Publishing Company,
wrote to that company and requested
in substance that it would let him
know at what prices i would furnish
the editions Of the books which he had
purchased. He offered to furnish the
company with the detailed information,
upon which they would make their
estimate. He offered to personally pay
them for their labor. The company
declined upon the plea that it would
entail too much la Dor. The correspond
ence is in the record.
Cannot Have Weight.
Yet the same representative of the
company came before the committee.
and testified that he could say. from
the bills OF Putnams Sons. that he had
in most instances pa np ad me, the same ar
nished. He thus testified, although he
admitted that he then had no more
information than he had when he wrote
to the librarian. declining to make a
comparison from the detailed informa-
ton offered to be Sent8kims He SO tes-
titled. although 1t was conceded that
the librarian had declined In some IN
stances to purchase, some of ting cheap
editions set forth in Mr.: Eggleston's
list. A comparison Of the prices at
which he told the IS committee he would az
finder" and Leaves from Nature" with
the prices at which he actually sold
the same books to Putnams will show
that his criticism OF the prices paid
Putnam by the State cannot have any
weight. To have sold at such prices
hey would have been compelled to have
charged about 80 per cent. less than
he actually charged Putnam's Sons.
have furnished the same books more
cheaply than Putnam's Sons: why his
company had been underbid by that
asked for by the library board. He
answered that he had expected that
result as the State Librarian had put
published by putnam's Sons; That
charge was without any justification,
for Of the 75o books bid upon. there
only appear thirty-eight books pub
tions OF other houses exceed that NUM-
Der. A comparison of the bid of Put
nams Sons on those thirty-eight books
published by them with the bid Of the
the same books shows only a difference
of ninety-seyen cents In favor of Put
nalns Sons.
seen without conlSnent.
| The fact Is that. of the bids lately
received conforming to the terms re-
ouired. the bid of Putnam's Sons is
| the lowest.
The committee was also furnished
with letters from the following pub
fishers and book dealers: Lathrop. Lee
& Shepherd, Harper & Bros. ID. Apple
! ton & Company. American Book COM
| many, scribner's Sons. Little, Brown &:
| Company. Century Company. Crowell &.
! Company. Dana. Estes Company.
| Cam & Company. Heath & Company,
| Houghton. Mifiin & Company, Long
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