The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-05
HIT IN The HEAD.
School Board Kills State Publ
cation Resolution.
Josiah Jordan Pleads But to
Unfriendly Ears.
LED BY j. W. GLEED.
Says That Conditions Are All.
Right at Present.
Asserts State Can't Publish as
CheapIy as Corporation.


: meeting. There is no chance that it
1 will be called up again until after it
lis too late to be of any service to the
8 friends of the state publication law.
| The unexpurgated resolution which
took a back-handed slap at the state
text commission and the school book
trust was published in the State Jour
nal the day following last months meet
ing. Since that time the resolution has
been smoothed up a bit in the hopes
that it would be adopted in its present
form all personalities having been elimi-
mated.
The resolution which was introduced
and killed last night was as follows:
There Will be two measures before
the legislature this winter said Josiah
Jordan, speaking in behalf of his reso-
luton. "One of these will be the stand
patters' headed by State Superintendent
of Schools E. t. Fairchild. and this body
will oppose any changes in the present
school laws and will fight the state pub
LEGATION of books by the state printer
Kansas has had bitter experience with
her school books which are now in use
and which while in a measure are suit
able for country and small city schools
are almost worthless for high schools
and schools in cities of the first and
second classes.
inadequate to the needs of the pupils
! and the school teachers of the state are
thoroughly familiar with this condition
as it now exists. Right here in Topeka
! ton which has made it necessary for
the pupils or their parents to purchase
a number of supplemental books.
This condition besides being highly
unsatisfactory is an expensive one and
has done a grave injustice to the chill
dren of our schools There should be
change in the makeup of the school
commission and this might help matters
some but in my opinion Kansas needs
a thorough shaking up on the school
text book proposition"
]. W. Gleed, a member of the state
school book commission, spoke against |
the resolution and said: II think that |
before We pass resolution of this kind |
that we should carefully consider it be- |
cause our action may mean something |
and carry weight with it. We have but |
scant information about the publication |
of school books and what it would cost !
the state. We do know that Kansas is
spending annually 81, 100000 for her
schools each year and that this is pro-
viding the pupils with school books at |
an average annual cost of so cents per
pupil.
Before we advocate changing this
system we had better know what We are
doing. 1t is a well known fact that no
state or federal government has been
able to do work as cheap the indi-
issued a statement of the cost of the
making of school books for the state and
he undoubtedly believes that his figures
are correct. But there are a number
of unknown conditions which he has
been called upon to meet and there is
no telling where the expense will end if
the state attempts to publish its own
books.
but few states have as good text
books as Kansas and it seems to me
that this board should be willing to :
let we'll enough alone and not attempt
to advise the legislature as to what it
shall do. The question of royalties
and authors is one which We know s
but little about. 1t has been contend {
n auth w
produce the books required in the
schools of the state. 1 rather doubt t
this inasmuch as it is fact that the t
best known educators are to be found /
in the east nearer the center OF learn t
ing.
ton will mean cheaper and better '
books and it is better books that we I
are demanding and not cheaper books.
In California we have fair sample of
what state publication of school books V
m cans and the state has had its trou- i
bles and scandals as a result and 1t e
seems to me that Kansas can well af- i
ford to avoid taking similar chances" a
J. A. Ramsey spoke in favor of 2
adopting the Jordan resolution and A. J
B. Poole against it. Then came 81 y
lence and the band wagon contingency i
of the school board quietly but surely I
ran the vehicle over the opposition and T
referred the resolution to committee r
of members Gleed, Norton. y
Poole, Nicholson, Hardy and Mitchell @
There is no chance tndl the RESOLUTION n
will ever again be heard of, at least I
not in time for adoption before the n
legislature has acted on the state y
school book proposition. V
T. r. Carver. chairman of the school ?
board, announced that petition con- T
tanning the names of all of the proper a
Ly owners, with one exception, on the ~
east side of Buchanan street between Z
Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets, had :,
been presented to him The petition Il
asked for the paving of this street g.
opposite the Central Park building T
and as representative of the board
Judge Carver signed the petition.
There was an Interesting time for a
lew minutes after the session opened
when Contractor Spencer, who is U
recting the Central Park school build u
ng, learned that complaints had i
cached the board concerning num- Il
Der of alleged shortcomings in the N
work, material used and o.
aulty work in general. These charges o.
AVE come to the board from a num- a
,er of sources from time to time and Of
to Contractor Spencer the pl
'oard employed former Mayor G. ]. =
Drew to make an inspection of the -
uilding and a subsequent report to
he school board.
Mr. Spencer was inclined to look
pon this action of the board as an
nfair one and in plain, unyarnished 81
anguage told the members of the
oard what he thinks about the action.
he report made by Mr.. Drew indi-
ates that a number of the complaints
ested on fair foundations but that
one of the defects are of such a ma
ure that they can not remedied.
Mr.. Spencer admitted that some of
he brick laying was not just what /. Isl
hould have been but maintained that
be walls as far as strength is con-
erned are not affected in the least. ITS