Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-09
EDUCATION

MISS ELIZABETH SHIRLEY Of
I'VE Los Angeles had grit and pluck
IN enough to arise and speak
right out in meeting with no uncertain
sound on the subject of the school
book trust. She said the company had
too much to say with regard to edu-
cation and exercised too much intiu-
ence in educational circles, and when
called to order she refused to be
squelched.
Everybody who is at all we'll posted
on the subject knows the books han
died by the company scored by Miss
Shirley are not necessarily the best on
the subjects treated The books of the
trust are made to sell. Under present
conditions, how can the public be
saved from the risks to which it is sub
jected by the inexperience of members
of various boards of education? In
Los Angeles we are fortunate in our
staff of educational directors. The
members of the board are competent
men. But in many cities and counties
members of boards of education are
chosen because they are successful
business men or prominent politicians.
A knowledge Of business is essential
to the competency of a board Of edu-
cation. and its business advisers, pref
erab1y themselves members Of the
board, should be men Of the keenest
intelligence and of great practical eX-
perience. But the business training of
a Bradstreets and a Dun's combined
will never supply a correct esti-
mate of instruction books. 1t is I'M
possible for inexperienced men, no
matter how good they may be in COM
merclal pursuits, to choose the instruc-
ton books best suited for the needs
of the children of this nation. AL
though the people of this country al
low Carnegie to endow libraries. they
would be foolish if they accepted his
Judgment as to the hundred best books,
for he knows as little about real liter
ature as he knows much about the
steel industry, and, indeed, he could
not be a master Of the subject of the
steel industry if dn spite of the fact
he has written various books) he were
not as uninformed about literature as
he is we'll informed about steel, The
selection of school books for the chill
dren of this nation should not be left
to the profit seeking book trust. The
best educators in the country should
meet from time to time to, recommend
standard instruction books, and at
each meeting of the National Educa-
tion association the list should be re-
vised and brought down to date, and
If corrections in existing publications
are necessary, the publishers should
be required to make the corrections be-
fore the books are used for the in
struction of children.
Educational officials should guide, di-
rect and control the publishers. But
as long as the country is contented to
hobble along without a national de-
partment of education and a secretary
with seat in the cabinet, as long as
education is regarded as less important
than the other great public interests
represented in the cabinet, America
must be contented with the inequalii-
ties and imperfections of a system
which allows a school book trust" to
be created. The fact is, professional
educators, who are not politicians. are
not allowed to have sufficient influence
and authority in our political republic.
Canadian neighbor who addressed
the National Education association
told the blunt truth when he said warn
ingly:
NATIONAL SUICIDE LIES IN
THE DIRECTION OF BELITTLING
THE TEACHERS