The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-30
MART|NDAlE MEN
DENY CITY FREE
TEXT BOOKS
Struggle of Two Years for Saving
Parents of School Children Their
d-Earred Money Runs Amuck
of Machine Majority.
F. G. Osborn Nails the Inspectors /,
Who Voted Against the Peoples
Pocketbooks.

To the Editor OF The Times: In
statement. printed on Friday last
in the Detroit Journal. on the his
tory" of the text book controversy,
not all the facts were brought out,
nor do we think that the comments
following the documentary quotations
were without bias.
There have been two distinct ques-
lions involved in the controversy on
high school books. First, the furnish
ing of the bulk of the high school
books at cost, or at an advance Oh
10 per cent on the cost, TO the pupils;
second, the furnishing or compare.
lively small number OF such books.
as can be furnished free under the
state law, which specifies that those
free books must be confined 10 the
following subjects; photography, spell
ing, writing, reading, geography,
arithmetic, (English) grammar, Tin
Guiding language lessons), national
state history, civil government, and
physiology and hygiene. There was,
and is, also, the controversy to Sc
cure lower prices on the elementary
books which have been bought by
the board and furnished free to grades
for number OF years.
The resolution OF October 2S, 1909,
passed unanimously by the board, to
the effect that the board handle all
high school books that could not be
furnished free, and sell them to the
pupils at actual cost, was in accord
ance with the recommendation of the
l. oh m q
previously been urged at one OF their
meetings by Mrs. w. III. Holden and
Mrs. F. c. Osborn to do this These
ladies pointed out that this could
be done without investment OF any
funds by the board, as the books
would necessarily all be sold In few
days and the cash be on hand TO pay
for them
But the opportunity to do this would
not occur before the following Feb
ruary. when a new term would be-
gin Observe now what happened.
A further recommendation from the
text book committee i'm pursuit OF the
same object as the resolution OF DC
tober 2S, was submitted TO the board,
Jan. 10, 1910, and was intended TO fur
Their definitely carry out the object
of that resolution. This recommends
ton from the ext book committee
was signed by Inspectors Mumford,
Condor, and Cary, and was not sign
ed by Inspectors Snitgen, chairman
Of the committee, and Henderson, or
the committee, although both OF these
men signed other recommendations,
printed in these same proceedings
This committees report was laid on
the table until the next meeting, Jan.
81, 1910, the very last meeting at
which anything could be done before
the beginning of the school term, ear
ly in February.
The vote. at this time, Jan. q, 1910,
was, therefore, crucial pne because
IL was taken at time when some
thing really could be done
The vote was on the adoption or
the committees recommendation as
printed in the proceedings OF Jan. Is,
and as reprinted in the evening pa
per on Friday. Mr.. Burton moved the
adoption of the committees report.
II was lost on tie vote as follows:
Yeas umford, Burton, Robertson,
Condor, Ellis, and Cary. Nays-Snit-
gen, Hutton, Henderson, Move, Hely
and Kuhn.
No money was required for carry
ing out this plan. That was under
stood.
II would seem to be very clear from
this vote, and what followed, that
the Martindale men were playing
horse with this matter. They voted
for IL when the time for execution
was remote, but at this crucial mo-
ment, when IL was possible TO put
the plan into execution. they voted
IL down On Feb 10, after the books
had been bought by pupils at the
old high prices, and when the next
buying time was more than six
months away, they again, according
to the evening papers account and
the proceedings OF the board. voted
for almost the same resolution that
they had voted down on Jan. p. Then
before the next buying time, the
mayors peculiar vetoes came. These
and other things evidently convinced
the reform members that Mr. Mar
tindale and his supporters, having a
majority on the board, and having
political pull at their command, could
carry out their purpose Of thwarting
anything in this direction, and hence
they became discouraged and prac-
tically nothing further was done.
The history Of the controversy over
free high school books is somewhat
of the same character as that just re-
cited: namely, the Martindale mems