The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-07-19
voted alike.
Change Of Text Books.


iodic adoption. The object, moreover
in inviting bids is to secure not the
cheapest books, but the best books
at the lowest prices. The Board
showed its recognition Of this prin-
ciple as a primary end in the fact
that, at it's first meeting and fre-
quently in the course of the adoption,
it was repeated with emphasis that
the first duty was to get the best
books irrespective of reasonable diff
ferences in price. One of the most
dangerous doctrines implied in Mr..
Swearingen protest IS that which
tends to establish the principle that
books should not be changed and
that cheapness,is the chief object.
No mans child should be compell-
ed-to use inferior text books even
though such books were furnished
free of cost. Time once lost by the
child through poor books, is never
recovered and the damage done is
irreparable People living in the
country, are, as a rule, not in posi-
ion to keep up with the advance in
text book improvements. These ad-
vances are on a par with, or ahead
of. improvements. along other lines;
and books that were relatively good
four or five years ago may be rela-
lively poor today. Surely the coun-
try children are entitled to as good
books as the town children are. This
advantage the Board was fully de-
termined they should have, without
regard to criticism.
Increase in Prices. -
Most of those who have made COM
parsons between particular books of
the old and the new adoption have
fallen into serious and misleading er-
tor.
Primer and reader-In the case
of the Primer, although the one
adopted costs 13 cents more than
the old one, it contains $500 words
or reading matter, where S the old
Primer, pasteboard bound, cheaply
made, poorly illustrated, gave only
10 words of reading matter for one
cent, while the New Primer, cloth
bound. fully and beautifully illustrat-
ed, gives 225 words of reading mat
ter for one cent. The judgment OF
the school world upon this new book
may be inferred from the fact that
It has been adopted in eleven States.
So, also, are the Readers adopted
superior to those discarded.
! Reading is the most important sub
ject taught in the school, because
he child's progress in all other stu
| dies depends upon his ability to read
That series Of Readers which enables
the child to gain this power in the
shortest possible time, is in the end
the best and cheapest. Such a series
! undersigned members of the board
claim to have adopted.
Geographies.-In the comparison
between the old and the adopted Pri.
! mary Biographies, the following is
the fact: The book thrown out was
confessedly unsuitedlyjrdsiteirti-pr
confessedly unsuitable and was moi
supported by single member Of the
Board. The Board was finally lin
itei to a choice between the New
Primary Frye at 40 cents and the
new Primary Maury at As cents,
| difference of five cents and net Of 1:
cents. as alleged.
Physiological is equally unfai1
and misleading to compare the cos
of the three book series of Physiolo
yles adopted with the two book ser
| les discarded. The third and addee
book is to be used as an elective
science In one of the high, ,schoo
classes, and was adopted in response
TO the most marked movement Of The
1ay-the call for the education o.
the people in health laws and pre-
servation. In the two lower books
those adopted are so far ahead OF thu
old books that there is no compari
son. The Primer of Sanitation alone
|if placed in the home of every mai
IN South Carolina and read and ever
n,r+1v fo1Towed vou1d save in ont
vea~ moro money than this adort,o1
will cost.
Arithmetics-The comparison be
Tween the old and the new Arithme
tics is an instance of the glaring in
Justice done to the Board. The fol
lowing is the statement given:
Cost of old arithmetic, elemen-
tary.. -. 2:
Cost of old arithmetic, advanc-
| -
Total. g:
Cost of new arithmetic, elemen-
tarv. 8:
| Cost of new arithmetic, inter-