The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-12-25
State Text Books.

much doubted the proprlety OF the
state publishing the text books, yet
the plan may be practical ADD all
right. We are not yet ready to
oppose it.
Mr.. McNeal has reduced the
business part of the proposition TO
cold figures and estimates a saving
to the people of the state, annually
several hundred thousand dollars.
That would be something OF an
item. 1t would likewise throw the
burden of this expense on the
shoulders of the weather. classes
and those who have none OF the
expense to bear.
The old bachelors WHO are denied
the pleasure of buying text books
for their own kids could contribute,
in the shape of taxes, to the general
fund 10 purchase books for their
neighbors children. The retired
man who has educated his own
family would still be in the harness
contributing his share toward the
general expense. 1t might be all
right.
Read what Mr.. McNeal has to
say about 1t:
LET THE STATE PRINT THEM.
For the past month the writer has
been pretty busy. AS state printer
he has been carefully Investigating
and estimating the cost Of publishing
school books by the state, When we
commenced this investigation we
we're II anything inclined to doabl
The advlsability Of the state printing
us own books. Since making the
investigation our mind is made up
that state publication is the proper
thing.
The state can print hooks OF as
good a quality as are used in the
schools at present at saving to the
people of nearly one half the present
cost, or the state can print much
better books for the same money.
The cost to the people who had to
buy books, of 80 books used i'll the
graded schools Of the state, was last
year in round numbers $3.50, 900. The
same number OF books as well printed
and bound could be produced and
distributed by the state for $253,OOO.
There has been some criticism OF
ne matter that Is contained In the
books used ia the schools OF Kansas
Possibly there are better books used
Ia other states but our own opinion
is that we have 4 pretty fair assort-
nent OF school books. We have
noticed that educators differ very
widely IN their opinion Of what is
good text book.
We have had teachers tell us that
the present books used In the Kansas
schools are about the worst ever, en-
tlrely unfit to be put Ia the hands OF
the children and then we have heard
other teachers praise these same books
as the best that have ever been used
in the Kansas schools. Our own
opinion is that they are very falr
lot Of books. We are also OF the
orlnion that there are plenty of good
books that might be used In the
schools. We insist that the books we
used to study in school were just as
good for the II ost part as the books
used today and in some cases better.
There we're the old Maguffey read
ers made up Of the masterpieces OF
English literature. The boy or girl
who read those old readers came out
with some OF the best selections from
Shakespear. Scott, Lyttop, Milton,
Pope, Dryu,", Dlcken-, Longfellow'
William Culea Bryant, Poe, Sher.-
dau, swift ard Southey firmly imbed-
dee In his memory. He was familiar
also with the greatest orations OF
Webster, Calhoun, Writ, Patrick
Henry, Adams, Clay and other great
orators and statesmen.
Round up almost any man who read
10 those old readers and the chan;es
are that you will find that about all
the literature he really does remem-
Der is what he got out Of the OLD
readers, The man or woman who
studied Haryey's grammar got as good
an idea Or the construction and proper
use of the English language as the
boy or gill who studieI one of the
more modern text books. Further
more we are Of the opinion that there
are a number Of text books any Unt
OF which is just about as good as
4.