The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-21
In defense of the present uniform
text book law Superintendent Fairchild

J In defense of the present uniform
! text book law Superintendent Fairch1ld
| says:
| ''It may be said that before the en-
actment of the present law Kansas
| prices for text books were as high. or
higher, than any of these quoted: The
against the uniformity law was the
plea that books suitable to one com
munity. or school, might not be suit
able or desirable for all schools. What
ever force there is in such argument
seems to be completely overbalanced
! by the advantages mentioned
There remains. then. but one OBJ
lection to consider-and this, it might
be admitted is the most important OF
all. 1t concerns the kind and charac-
ter of selections that have been made
! in the past, or that may be made in
the future. No adoption under the law
has been without criticism. Human
judgment is always liable to error, and
it is too much to expect that any Sc
lection could be made that would meet
the approval of all parties concerned
The progressive parent or teacher de-
mands something still more progress
sive in our text books, while the con-
sentative always contends for the pre-
servation of the old land marks. The
first adoption was the most unsatis-
factory in the history of the law. This,
in fairness, it should be stated, was
not the fault of the commission, but
ferings were made at that time, and
then chiefly of inferior books: The
second commission found they had
much larger and better list of books
from which to choose and, as result,
the schools were supplied with decid
eddy better books.
From the testimony of the teachers
as shown by letters in this office, 1t is
believed that the present. books. select
ed by the third and last commission,
are in many respects better than those
of any previous adoption. Nearly 1000
letters of inquiry were recently sent out
to the teachers of the state asking that
judgment be passed on each of the sew
eral books now in use. The question
raised was whether the present books
are better, equal to or poorer than SINH
lar books of former adoptions. While
naturally these opinions varied, differ
ent parties placing each one of the
books in each one of the classes, the
vast majority of the votes show that,
in the opinion of the teachers, the list
of adoptions as whole are superior
to any former selection. This judg
ment from the teachers of the state
should be sufficient answer to the ex-
parte statements that have been made
to the contrary.
ut is admitted by those qualified
both by experience and training to
speak, that the character of some of
the books offered has never been equal
to other similar texts to be found in
the open market. The reason assign
ed is that the prices fixed by law for
certain of the texts used in our
schools. do not warrant better offer
ings. Specifically. the books that have
been found most difficult to supply
satisfactorily are United States his
tory, Physics and the First Reader.
The maximum price at which these
books may be adopted in this state are
respectively, soc, soc and 10c each.
The various companies have always
declared that these particular prices
are prohibitively low and consequent
ly do not pretend to offer their best
books on these particular subjects. 1t
may be remembered that the present
scale of prices was fixed in 1871
time when values of all kinds were at
their lowest ebb. Since then the cost
of ali manufactured articles has great
ly increased. This both as to raw ma
terial and as to labor In view of
these facts, the educational commits
sion has recommended that the legis-
lature revise the scale of prices and
that a certain increase be made in the
maximum price of the books mention
ed. 1t is believed, too, that the price
of certain of the books might with
out jeopardy as to offerings be slight
ly reduced, with the final effect that
the total cost of all the books would
not be materially advanced. 1t ought
also to be said that the average price
referred to is: Physics $780, United
States history S5c; First Reader 25c.
The question then is this-has the
uniform textbook law been justified
in the light of experience 1t has de-