The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-11-05

- - - - $50 SA a ~ Wilt ! ~ ~ ~
formity guarantees over the county
adoption plan.
Discrimination in Prices.
Our distinguished friend, Col Apple
yard, has dealt in a great many sta
tlstlcs Ia show that state uniformity
is curse as against county adoption.
The Colonel reminds US pathetically of
the remark made by Mark Twain in
regard to statistics. Mark said: sta
tistics proved that more people died in
bed than in any other place, hence,
the most dangerous thing a man could
do would be to go to bed. The Col
onel has been immensely imposed
upon. His informants have furnished
MIN one set of figures while others ap-
pear Of official record. In Gadsden
county, in Escambfa county, in Polk
county, in Dade county and in other
counties they have the poor old Colonel
tied up so that he doesn't dare to
answer back. Yet all Of this misin-
formation appears in print to influence
sentiment against the uniformity law.
The people do not know, for example,
that the Colonel published figures
showing the adoptions in Gadsden
county at $3.50 less than they actually
were. The people don't know that the
OOAOICA RdbLkSlISu hS uISS lOT
county at $1.10 less than they were.
Yet the innocent. impossible Colonel
lends him name and reputation to a
series of articles in which such glar-
ing inaccuracies play the most promi-
nent part for no other purpose than
that of the decrying the uniform text
book law. Furthermore, it is mani
testify unfair to make comparison of
any county list of adoptions against
= he tor ie& 81
that the state commission adopted text
books for use in all the schools of
Florida, making the list comprehensive
to give any county the oppor-
tunity of making a good and ample
selection from the state list so adonte6
1t does not necessarily follow that all
the books appearing on the state list
will be used in all the counties. Similar
comparisons to those made by Colonel
might be made under state
with similar results, but
this would be also unfair. Again, it
is to be borne in mind that the state
commission provided by resolution
that no book on the supplemental list
should be used until the basal books
had been completed.
Some Examples in Concrete.
Geography - A certain publishing
house had it's two hook geogranhy
series in use in 80 counties of Florida
under the county adoption plan for
which the price Of $1.S5 was charged.
These same books were offered for
adoption by the state at $1.28-a re-
duction of SIC. The books adopted by
the state commission had the unan-
imous vote of the sub commission. Did
state uniformity accomplish anything
for the buyer Of school books in the
case of biographies? In addition to
the reduction of SIC on the two books,
an exchange value of 64c for old
gives an opportunity to
those having old books to save more
than half the cost Of the new; an ad-
that didn't exist under county
adoption. The difference to these
would be the difference between SAC
and $1.85, considerable saving we
should say in favor of state uni
formity.
Acknowledgment Agriculture is
In use in many counties. The sub
commission recommended the use of
this book unanimously. The state COM
mission adopted 1t at the price of SOC
a copy. The same book had been sold
under county adoption for 75c per
copy, and for no less Thus state I'M
iformity saves the people 15c a copy
on Duggar's Agriculture, and there is
an exchange value of soc which pro-
vtdes just that much saving for the
pupils in those counties where other
works on the same subject have been
In use. 1t looks as If something had
been done in the way of reduction of
price on this particular study, doesn't
1t?
Physiology-Under county abortion
Ritchie's Primer of Sanitation sold for
o0c. The same book under state adop-
ton is 40c. Ritchie's Human Physi-
oIogy sold under county adoption at
soc; under state adoption it is Soc
Does anyobdy see any advantage upon
this study under state adoption as
against county adoption? The state
commission added one book to the
series on this subject and obtained
all three at a total cost of $1.05 as
against $3.50 for the two books for
merly used.
Grammar-A majority of the sub
commission recommended Hyde's two
book course in language and grammar
The state board followed the recon-
mendation. Several counties already
had the series in use. They paid 35c
for book No. 1, which book is now
25c under state adoption; book No. 2,
sold under county adoption at 60c and
is now to sell under state adoption at
46c. With a saving of 10c on book 1,
and lac on book 2 of the same series,
it is not difficult to see the advantage
Of state uniformity in this case, is it?
History-We find a rather Startling"
development on history under state
adoption. There was only one bidder
on Florida history. When there is
only one competitor, there isn't much
is thereP Yet, what do
we see on this one study when ap-
the advantages of uniformity
against county adoption? Simply this.
The American Book Company had
been selling Brevard and Benefits
History to nearly every county in the
state at COO copy. Without compe-
tition, the same company offers the
same book under state adoption at
SAC. Here is a saving of &c each on
every copy of Florida history. Look at
the Superintendent report and see
what the saving will be to the people
Of the state on this book alone. Was it
worth while to have state adoption?
If there were saving on no other book,
the saving on history would make it
worth while. for the children of Flori-
da study other history than Florida
history. The U. S. History recon-
mended by a majority of the sub
commission was adopted, Our Repub-
lis," by Riley ana Chandler, Richmond
Va. The history displaced (Fields; by
the American Book Coz sold for $1.0o.
The new history was adopted at Csc
IF on