The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-07-14

about 2-3 cents per, child, instead OF
the alleged loss of 100000. AS it is
claimed that the loss was entailed by
the assumed eighty per cent. change,
then the entire value involved would
be upon this eighty per cent or upon
100000 instead of s500,0O0. 1t IS,
however, generally estimated by teach
ers and experienced book men that the
average life of a text bOok-especlally
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
bv the contract they have been given
an exchange money value. This re-
duces the possible loss to the books
bought during the last two years, or
to tvo-ffths of 100000, that is, $780,
900. Now, not only have these books
paid their price in actual use, but they
have an actual value Of fifty 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 loss cover
ed that period-this makes a social
ed loss of $4,000 a year. This leaves
a so-called loss of $4,000 year to be
distributed among the $4,000 and
more children in the schools, or about
four and two-thirds cents apiece!
thus, at this slight additional ex-
Yense of four and two-third cents,
each child in the State would he sup
piled with new and better books; sure
" this is gain and not loss. For it is
a serious injustice to a child-an In
Justice at once physical, intellectual
and aesthetic-to put into its hands
an old, defaced, and filthy book in any
study.
We have gone into these figures on
the assumption that the statement
that eighty per cent Of the books
have been changed, is correct The
correctness of the statement We do
not admit Exclusive Of copy books
and drawing books, which are Destroy
ed by use, supplementary Engllsh
Classics and duplicates, there were 55
books on the old list. Of this num-
Der % only were changed, whereas ~
we're 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 percentage
of the change for himself.
The foregoing is 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 results of the adoption
or for the methods used. They enter
ed upon the task with only one pur-
pose-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
the needs Of our schools, and to the
sober second thought of the fair-miDd d.
ed people of their State, they leave
the uud1 FSIU1CL.
D. NJ. O'Driscoll,
First District.
H. F. Rice,
Second District.
D. ". Daniel,
Third District.
A. G. Rembert,
Fourth District.
J. Lyles Glenn,
Fifth District.
Nathan Toms,
Sixth District.
A. J. Thackston,
Seventh District.