The San Francisco call., 1910-08-13
UGLY SCANDAL in
School BOOK STEAL
Record of Frank j. Browne Who
Seeks Election TO Position
Held by ROncovieri
how the State of Washington
Was MuIcted by Shameless
Ring in 1900

Frank J. Browne candidate for the
republican nomination FOR the office
of superintendent OF schools. against
the incumbent, superintendent Alfred
Roncovferi. now has to try to explain
to the Good Government league the
Washington state school text book
sea ndal in which he was involved in
the year 1900. Browne was indorsed
by the Good Government league and
started out to make d personal night
a gainst Roncovieri. But he forgot what
sort of a personal fight could be made
"a gainst him. For in the fall of 1900
the Seattle Post-Intclligencer ano
other Washington newspapers exposed
a conspiracy in which Browne was in
volved TO foist a costly, useless and
erroneous set of text books on the
school children of Washington. which
books were published by firm, the
Westland publishing company, Whlch
ii was repeatedly charged Browne was
most active in organizing. ON the
showing Of the Browne conspiracy ne
was defeated for reelection IN WASH
ington.
Not only was it asserted that Browne
WAS the leading spirit in organizing the
Westland company, but ii could not De
denied that Browne. as state superlh-
tendeut was the most active oincial IN
having the BOOKS albplGu dS HtatN e1N-NN
hooks. and glance at the books them
selves showed that they We're worse
than useless for the purposes Tor when
they were printed. Browne Is elther
q knave or a fool" the Washington
papers declared.
CAUSE or EXPOSURE
Browne brought on the local expos
ure himself Il had 40 desire to make
q. personal fight against Browne, said
superintendent Roncovieri yesterday,
hut he i'm every way has Deeh con-
Meeting me with disreputable men ana
intimating that [ am under corrupt in
fuences Ii III fits a man with the
reputation that Browne has to attack
q man who is known as I am IN the
city i'm which I have been raised L
can not but resent the mud singing
attacks which this unconYicted CRATER
is making against me.
Roncovieri and his friends presented
10 the Good Government league photo
graphs of the Seattle newspapers con-
tanning the expose Of Browne and the
corrupt school book ring. The eX-
hibits were many and the Good Gov
ernment league considered them yes
terday when the Browne case was up
for discussion. The record of Browne.
as presented in the newspapers of
Washington. is to be printed and widely
circulated anon gthe voters
SCH00LBOOIN SCANDAL
The exposure of Brownies completely
IN the Washington schoolbook scandal
was first made september p. 1900
through the publication Of the state
ment Of T p HoIcraft. who was as
sociated with Browne in the early days
of the schoolbook printing game. Holl-
craft stated that in December, 1899, ne
called on Browne in the office of the
,,r
Washington state, which was hileo by
Browne. and Browne asked IF | would
cooperate with him in, the matter of
preparing and printing textbooks to be
adopted by the board OF education of
the state Of Washington for use in the
public schools Of the state.
Early in January, 1900. at a meeting in
his office. superintendent Browne in
formed me that a company would be
orgsn lied. viz. the Westland publishing
company to publish books which would.
be adopted by the state board of educa-
tiOn for use in the public schools in the
state. He informed me that George r.
Blankenship Of Olympia, H o. Bollen-
beck of Seattle and other persons
would be interested in the company.
During the conversation with
Browne above referred TO he told me
that ] could assure Professor Hughes
6vho was to compile the speller) that
he need not be afraid that the books
would not be adopted by the state board
Of education.
WEIRD MIsINFORMATION
subsequently the books were adopted
and were declared TO be fearful exam
pies of misinformation. The geography.
prepared by Harr Wagner, was consid-
cred the worst. AS an example of its
ingenuity it gave on one page the
population of South Aemrica at 30. .000.-
600 and on following page placed it
at 10000 600, leaving the hapless pupil
10 take his choice. Dawson City, in
the Klondike. was generously moved
over into Alaska. and many other
glaring mistakes were made In the
speller. compiled by Professor W. J.
Hughes OF Fairhaven, Mount Rainier
was spelled -Rainer" and Mount Olym-
pus was spelled Olympia" TO give
but two Of many errors.
POOR RECORD 4 STEACHER
Those errors are typical of the
book which superintendent of Public
instruction Frank J. Browne foisted
on the school children of Washington
At a higher cost than other books
After the expose Browne came to san
Francisco and has been circulating
through the San Francisco school de-
Dartment. He began humbly on the
primary SlaoSS dHG went INTO lne
Lowell high school. He was declared
incompetent by the board of education
and was transferred TO the polytech-
nique high school. Again he was de-
clared incompetent by the board in
the Taylor administration and was
reduced 10 the lower grades again. He
is now a teacher in the Franklin
school and q candidate for the office of
superintendent of schools. In his
campaign he has not yet referred to
his Washington state textbook record.
FALSE PRETEKsEs ALLEGED-G ". Burke
-iIS Arlington street. obtained d warrant from
Police Judge Conlsn yesterday for the arrest