The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-07-20
appear from the following:

day to prosecute the inquiry.
appear from the following:
It assumes that all these books,
even those bought five years ago, are
still in usable form in the hands OF
the children and are now worth what
they cost when new. It assumes also
that if all the old books had been re-
adopted, the children of the State
would not have had to buy any new
books during the coming five years.
1t forgets that each book now in the
hands of the child has not only paid
it's price in use, but is by contract
given an added definite value, approx
imately so per cent. of it's original
cost.
The following analysis will show
that the apparent loss to the State
would in reality be only about $16,-
900 year for the five-year period,
or only about 2-3 cents per child,
instead of the alleged loss of $780,
900. AS it is claimed that the loss
was entailed by the assumed 80 per
cent. change, then the entire value
involved would be upon this 80 per
cent. or upon 100000 instead of
100000. 1t is however, generally
estimated by teachers and experience
ed book men that the average life of
text-book-especially in the lower
grades-is from one to three years.
On a liberal allowance then, the
books bought during the first three
years of the last adoption period are
not usable in class, though by the
contract they have been given an ex-
change money value. This reduces
the possible loss to the books bought
during the last two years, or to two
ffths of 100000, that is, s160,000.
Now, not only have these books paid
their price in actual use, but they
have an actual value of so per cent.
of their cost when new. This reduces
the alleged loss to $4,000. If this
loss be distributed over a period of
five years-a legitimate distribution,
inasmuch as the assumed Dss cover
ed that period-this makes a social
ed loss of $4,000 a year. This
leaves a so-called loss Of $4,000 a
year to be distributed among the
100000 and more children in the
schools, or about 2-3 cents apiece!
Thus, at the slight additional ex-
pense of 2-3 cents, each child in the
State would be supplied with new and
better books, Surely this is gain and
not loss. For it is serious injustice
to child-an injustice at once ply
sical, intellectual, and aesthetic
to put into it's hands an old defaced
and filthy book in any study.
We have gone into these figures on
che assumption that the statement
that 80 per cent. Of the books have
been changed, is correct. The cor
rectness of the statement we do not
admit. Exclusive of copy books and
drawing books, which are destroyed
by use, supplementary English clas-
sizes and duplicates, there were SO
books on the old list. Of this num-
Der 23 only were changed, whereas
20 were readopted. Ten were entirely
dropped from the list. Owing to the
extension of the high school course,
it becomes necessary to add nine new
books to the list for high school use.
Let each man calculate the percent
age of change for himself.
Have No Apology.
The foregoing is a statement of the
essential facts of the adoption, Of the
preliminary preparation of the mem
bers of the board and of the fair and
rational view to take of the cost in
volved. The undersigned appointive
members have no apology to make
either for the result of the adoption
or for the methods used. They en-
tered upcr. the task with only one
purpose-to further the best interest
of the schools and of the children of
South Carolina. They brought to bear
upon this task their best experience,
the unremitting toll of months, and
the deepest interest and sincerity.
They believe that with due allowance
for the fallibility of human judgment
they have succeeded. To the test of
use, to those who know books and