The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-04-12
TEXT BOOK LAW
SAVES MILLIONS
TO PUPILS AND PARENTS OF
ILLINOIS IN COST OF
SCHOOL BOOKS.
TOO HIGH IN ILLINOIS
Where Text Book Laws Are in
Force-Book Trust Fights
the Bill

| Sprlngheld. I'LL, April Il.-Mllliohs
of dollars can be saved to school chill
dren of Illinois by state regulation OF
text books. This is the startling as
sertion of legislators who advocate
passage of book law during the
present session.
The claim becomes less astonishing
when it is remembered that public
schools of the state contain nearly
100000 pupils. Considering the
variety of texts that each pupil must
use in advancing from the primary
grade TO the high school. it is evident
that reduction of few cents in the
cost of each book would amount TO
an enormous aggregate.
AS the maximum price that may
be charged for eacn text is specified
In most of he bills that have been in
troduccd the exact saving they con,
template is a mere question of mathe-
MATES.
Exact Saving is Shown.
IN the bill introduced by Senator
EttlesOn, for instance, the total cost
of texts used in the primary ana
grammar grades is limited to s6.17.
Corresponding texts cost S920 at the
prices paid in Chicago. The difference
og $3.o3 represents a savings of 49,,
G&9,S7G.34 for the 9SS.07S pupils in
the state.
This amount wculd be increased
because the smaller cities
and rural school districts are charged
more for texts than Chicago. In De
catur, which is a far type, the texts
to cost s1016, or $500 more
than the maximum contemplated by
the Ettleson bill F'igued ON this ba.
sis, the total saving for the state
would be S3942.22. an amount equal
10 the entire annual expenditure of
Illinois up 10 the civil war
Prices fixed in tae Ettels0n bill,
while materially lower than those
now charged by publishers, are not
This has been demon
strated in various other states which
have succeeded II buying the same
texts at prices % to IS per cent lower
than those charged in Illinois
In Indiana, for instance, the total
cost of exits used In The same grades
IS sl.65 AMI In Kansas $3.50.
Publishers Must Get License.
In addition TO fixing prices of
books the Ettleson bill provides that
all publishers must file with the sta g
of instruction copies
If all texts that they propose to sell
N the state, with The list, wholesale
aud retail prices of each. A license
Zee of 80 for each text must be de-
ocsited to create a fund to defray the
expense of listing the books and fur
liShing copies of the official list to
school officials and others interested.
Provision is made to protect the
schools from any rad faith on the
part Of publishers. Each must make
affidavit showing the ownership Of
the company and stating specifically
whether any person interested there
IN has any interest in any other pub
fishing concern A bond in the sum
IF 5000 is also required and string
mt penalties are provided to prevent
pools among publishers, failing to fud-
nish any book listed at the official
price, or for selling books at more
han the legal price
School Boards Select Texts.
1t is made the duty of school boards
n the various districts to advertise
'cr bids for furnishing any books
contained In the oricial list and to
exact suitable bonds from publishers
q whom contracts Ore awarded
II is also provided that text books
ihall not he changed oftener than
nee in four years. and that all
'hauges should go into effect at the
beginning of the first term after the
hummer vacation.