The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-08
School Book Company Planned
To Make a Grab, But Gov
ernor Marshall Stumbled
Over an Old Law.
A 80 CENT CONTRACT
HELD WITH INDIANA
So When the Macmillan Com
pany Tried to Hoist the
Price to As Cents, Its Bluff
Promptly Called.
Especial Correspondent

Indianapolis, May S.-Considerable
comment has been INDUCED In since
Governor Marshall found the law en-
acted in 1893 under which he says the
Macmillan Company can be COMPEL
ed to continue to sell the Tarr and
McMurray primary geography to the
children of the Indiana schools for 80
cents instead of As cents. which was
the bid filed by the company for the
next five-year contract.
Although the Macmillan Company
has sold many thousands OF these
books in Indiana at 80 cents during
the last five years. it wishes to boost
the price to As cents for the next five
years for the same book. and had not
Governor Marshall stumbled upon this
situation the bid might have been ac-
cepted by the state board Of education,
of which he is member.
company's Scheme.
In boosting the price. it Is believed
the Macmillan company is making an
effort to justify the price 1t is charg-
ing for the book in other states and
other cities by bringing up the price
of the book in Indiana. The company
has been the target for considerable
criticism in other states. or cities. be-
cause it is charging them more for the
geography. In the recent school book
gouge exposed in Chicago the brunt
fell on the Macmillan company, when
it was found that the Tarr and Nc
Murray geography, for which the Chi
cago pupils have to pay 48 cents, even
under city adoption. could be bought
by pupils in Hammond, Ind, just
across the state line. for 80 cents.
The Indiana 30cent contract was
made five years ago. Why the price
was fixed at that figure is not stated
by the company, which, 1t seems, had
been selling the book for about any
figure it could get While Indiana OBJ
tanned the book for SO cents, Missouri
pupils have had to pay SO cents. and
the state board of education of Ohio
has had to pay As cents, while Chicago
has had rate of 4S cents. Memphis
pupils have paid As cents, Milwaukee
pupils so cents, those in Oakland, CAL.
GA cents. while the book has been sold
to boards of education at varying
prices as high as 67h cents, that be-
ing the price paid in San Francisco.
Comparison is Made,
A comparison of the books is being
made by other cities and states. and
they are raising cry when they find
that, except that the girl pictured on
the front page wears a red dress on
their books instead of the Indiana
black one. the books are the same. In
Ohio. also. there is provision that
the books in that state must not be
sold at higher price than they are
sold for in any other place. It is
thought that because of these protests
and in order to protect contracts in
other states, the Macmillan company
is willing even to risk losing the big
Indiana contract by raising the price
to As cents.
Attorney General Bingham has Civ.
en- an opinion to the state board of ed
ucation in which he holds that the
board can compel the Macmillan com.
pany to continue to furnish the Tarr
and McMurray primary geography at
80 cents. upholding the opinion OF
Governor Marshall.