Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-10-30
The School Book Trust

Kansas has a fine printing plant
that paid for the building and ma
chinery in two years, and T. A. Nc
Neal, State Printer, says: with a
few additions we would be IN firstclas
shape to publish the text books for
the state" The saving to this state
ON public printing Is a marvellous sum
yet the graft that was worked for
years on public printing is an insig-
nificant sum compared to the graft
ing Of school textbooks. The school
book trust makes a purely money-ma
ing business out Of the manufacture {
school books. l have heard the man.
ager of the school book trust say to
his book critic in this state, You are
foolish to tell me-the way to build up
big book business is on the merit
of the book. There Is only one thing
to do-get the board and you can put
in any kind of stuff, regardless Of
price" Kansas has law that limits
her prices to about one-half what
other states pay. If we get good
books at these prices, the school
book trust argues, other states will
pass a similar law and it is determin
ed to prevent this state from getting
good books at these prices. | hold
here a detailed statement of cost of
school books, made out by an expert
accountant of the book trust, show
ing a profit of nearly 20 per cent.
Other states pay nearly double Kan
sas prices.
The foregoing explains why the ef-
ficiency of our schools is at the pres
emit impaired by the utterly worthless
books forced upon the state at the
last adoption. The great educator,
G. Stanley Hall, says: 81 consider
the present modes of introducing text
books as among the most degrading
influences in the work Of the Ameri-
can Public Schools"
A law should be passed that will
keep at home the one million dol
lars that goes out of the state to
the school book trust each time a
contract is made. The mechanical
work shouldb done by Kansas Ia
Dor in the Kansas State Printing
plant. Experienced, skilled editorial
talent-best in the land should be Sc
cured. Let all the enormous amount
of the peoples money that goes into
graft and unreasonable profits be
paid to talent, artists and scholars for
better books and to labor for better
wages. Make the most xcellent beau
tiful and substantial books possible,
and require parents to pay only &C.
tual cost and permit them to retain
the books which they get. Stop this
outrage of making people throw ava,
unworn school books and buy others.
After an experience of eighteen
years in text book making, have
learned that wonderfully superior
books can be produced for less than
present Kansas prices l have the
figures of the school book trust to
prove this. Those figures have been
offered to Mr.. Fairchild. He refus
es to consider them and continues tt
declare the state does not pay
enough money for her school books
and through the legislative commit
tee, recommends a change in the tex
book law.
Mr.. Fairchild says now he did moi
say the present books are idea
none better" Immediately after
the books had been selected, Mr.
Fairchild, as Chairman of the Kan.
sas School Textbook Commission, al
nounced through the Kansas press
that the commission had adopted ar
ideal set of books" "uptodate," alb
solutely standard" Every book on
the List Is the best Of Its kind"
Il don't believe that any nine mer
could select a better set of books. .
l am perfectly satisfied" (See To
peka Daily Capital, May, 1907 and
Topeka Daily Journal. May, 1907 and
subsequent issues of the state. con
sequent issues OF these and other ne
papers of the state, containing Mr.
Faircmlds unqualified endorsement
Of the present books.)
Since these books have been tn
and condemned, Mr.. Fairchild sayt
he does not contend that Kansas ha
the best books. He says good books
cannot be obtained at the Kansas
prices.
This claim Is only repetition Of
what the managers Of the school
CruSf GOV md Co. ,,ka.L