The Detroit times., 1911-03-09
HIGH SCHOOL BOOKS FIFTH
HIGHER THAN IN CLEVELAND


II
HIGHER THAN IN CLEVELAND
\ (Continued from page -.
high school books at the same price
as does Cleveland by adopting their
plan, or we could get them at even
a lower price by a plan ! presented
a year and half ago, a perfectly prac-
tical plan involving no investment OF
school board funds: The board to or
der the high school books at the be-
ginning OF each term. place them on
1 tables In the high school corridors In
charge OF q few capable pupils, and
sell them at actual cost. A 31.50 book
would thus cost not more than $1.15, q
saving of 35 cents on a single book,
besides carfare and time In going 10
the bookstore. The books can be put
In locked room, or a special book
cupboard when not in charge OF the
clerks. This work would be excellent
training for some OF the senior com
mercial students. The selling, with
the accounts and reports would be the
most valuable kind Of practice for
| them. IL would be more valuable
than any mere class work they could
do during this time. The sale would
be all over In a few days. A few
books could be retained for the oc-
casional demand In mid-term. No
school board funds need be used for
this purpose, for books can be ordered
on 60 or 80 days time, or even longer,
am informed.
Some OF the high school books
can be furnished free under the law
and this should be done. Every boy
or girl desiring q high school educa-
ton should be encouraged by making
the cost as low as possible High
school books are expensive at even
the lower prices.
"A very earnest effort was made.
especially by Mr.. Mumford and Mr..
Condor on the text book committee
to secure cheaper high school books
for Detroit. Just before promotion
time q year ago the proposition was
lost by a tie vote. Those voting for
cheaper high school books were Mum
ford. Burton, Robertson, Condor, Ellis
and Cary. Those voting against
cheaper high school books were Kuhn,
Snitgen, Hutton, Henderson, Movie,
Hely.
Grade Books.
81 also showed conclusively, two
years ago, that In the matter Of books
for the grades bought by the board
and provided to pupils free, we were
paying and had been paying for four
teen years from per cent to Is per
cent, .and even more, than Cleveland
for the same books. Thus Baldwin's
First Reader was bought, freight paid
by the Cleveland board, for Is cents,
and by the Detroit board for 20 cents.
|a difference OF IL 1-9 per cent.
The machine members Of the board
instead OF profiting by this disclosure
made every effort to discredit II, call
ing It meddlesome interference. and
they blocked every move for lower
prices on the part Of the reform mem
bers and for more than year contin-
tued paying the old prices. They wen.
80 far as to adopt new books at the
higher prices; thus Overton's Physiol.
ogy.. was adopted and bought at GA
cents, while In Toledo the very same
book cost so cents. They sometimes
voted for resolutions for lower prices.
introduced by the reform members.
but they depended upon the book COM
panies to stand pat and block the
move.
Last may the Detroit Federation
Of Women's clubs sent the following
letter to each Of the school book pub
fishers: :.
f. May 21, 1910.
The American Book Co,
New York,
Gentlemen:
The Detroit Federation of Wo
mems clubs, an organization or
nearly three thousand representa-
tive women Of our city, has thor
oughly investigated the cost of
text books In this and other cities.
The attitude Of school book
publishers In making the net
cost Of text books to Detroit high
er than the same books are fur
nished to neighboring cities,
Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus. and
st. Louis, II bound to cause an
effective movement toward the
publication Of state series Of
text books.
Just across the Detroit River,
In Windsor, Ont, school children
buy books at retail at less than
one-third of the prices paid In De-
~troit by the board of education at
Wholesale for books Of equal quail
ity. A reduction Of 20 per cent Is
further made on these Canadian
books when purchased at whole
sale. These prices are a revela-
ton to Michigan people.
Unless the discrimination
against Detroit Is remedied at
once by school book publishers,
making the net cost here as low
as anywhere else I'm the United
States, We are quite certain that
state publication is bound to
| come.
The same concessions as are
| given others are expected to be
made at once to the Detroit Board
OF Education both on books re-
Gently adopted and those adopted
In former years, including grade
and high school books.
/ II would appear, from any point
OF view, to be poor business man.
agement for school book publish.
4 ers to hold up the people of Mich.
J igan until revolt is Inevitable.
We beg TO assure you that the
Detroit Federation OF women's
cluha will pnaLa avarv -. A.