The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-25
NEED The BOOKS.
Supt. Starr Tells, Why Extra
Ones Are Needed.
Abolished Old Plan of Having
Pupils Buy.
EXPENSE NOT LARGE.
Only Small Part of What It Was
Formerly.
Date for School Opening Is
Changed.

one being the changing OF the date OF
the opening of the city schools from
September Il to 10 on account OF the
likelihood that the work on the addi-
lions to the State street and Monroe
schools win not be completed ~ the
former date, and the other the decision
to appoint Judge T. +. Carver and
Judge w. E. Atchison, mem bers Of the
board, as attorneys without pay to de-
fend the board in the injunction suit
filed Thursday by DR.. Eva Harding
with the object of restraining the
board from purchasing supplemental
books.
There was no difference of opinion
on the part of the seven members OF
the board meeting. For once it was
lamb like and harmonious meeting. All
were agreed that the action Of the
board in ordering the purchase OF sup
Elemental books was a sound one ana
that the board should be defended N
the case which comes up next Monday.
superintendent c. c. Starr is strong
ly favor of the purchase OF supple
mental books by the board, his conten-
ton being that the books specified Tor
use by the people are not adequate,
and that d great saving to the people
is accomplished when the board buys
books at wholesale prices and Keeps
them on hand from year to year for the
use of the various classes.
Last year the board of education
purchased the reference OOOhS ASSQ III
reading classes in the first and second
grades said Superintendent Starr.
1.-The books thus became a small per-
manent library for use of the pupils in
| those grades. Upon making inquiry !
| find that the plan proved to be entirely
satisfactory and very economical. In
accordance with that experiment, the
board of education decided, at a receat
meeting to continue the plan by pur-
chasing other reference books for the
third, fourth and fifth grades, to be
used in a similar way.
1.-The books ordered to be purchased
are the same as those bought and used
| by the pupils last year, the only change
being that of the books being pur-
| chased by the board of education in
| stead of by the pupils By this plan
/ the burden to the parent for the pur-
| chase of text books becomes very light
| indeed and the expense is also relative
| ~ light TO the board for the reason that
! she purchase of the same books needs
| to be made only at intervals of four or
/ five years instead of twice a year under
the plan of having the pupils purchase
.sThe total expenditure for books I'M
der this plan will probably be only
from one-seventh to one-tenth as much
as where pupils buy them and the citi-
zens of Topeka by this method viii
secure for about $700 the use of books
that otherwise would cost them prop
ably from $1,000 to $1,000. From this
point of view alone the board OF educa-
ton is certainly justified in making
this large saving and yet at the same
time giving the pupils access to all the
literature that they may need
can inquiry was made as widely as
possible by myself from teachers anc
principals as to whether any of tins
books now used in the schools coult
be dispensed with without loss to the
educational interests of the schools
There was a very general agreement
that all the books now in use are need
ed. The regret is not uncommon tina
many pupils do not read as mucI
good literature as is desirable, but /
/ should never be chargeable agains
the board of education that 1t ha
denied them the opportunity to reat
as much good literature as their tim
will permit. I trust that our schools
may never be charged with enforcint
z a species of intellectual starvation ant
that they may never be open to tn
charge of training a generation o
: idlers To spend over 100000 an
nually for the maintenance of a sys
tenn of schools and to hesitate to eX
pend a few hundred dollars annual,
for the necessary supply OF BOOK
would be entirely indefensible.
NV observation in visiting schools
in this and other states leads me Il
the conclusion that every school sys
tenn of any prominence aims to suppl,
all the books that the pupils can use
Our proposed supply is still meage
connared with that of large cit.
schools generally throughout tn
country.
"Books can be used in a sanitar!
way by employing proper sanltar.
methods, and those who sun prefer I
provide their own books may cont1nu
Every opinion of the attorney gen
erals Office on the subject has sus
tanned the right of boards of education
to purchase and use books IN addltiol
to adopted texts on the same subjects
NV own recomm endation in this mat
! ter was made only after a conversation
with the attorney general IN winch n
holds to the opinion that boards o
education have the right to purchas
books and use them in any subJec
/ after the state text on the subject ha
been faithfully used.
sFTrona the above considerations
will be clear that the board OF educa
ton in the purchase of text books
acting in the interests of economy an
certainly in the best interests of tn
children of the schools. and also i
accordance with the best legal advlc
upon the subject
Harding had made some misrepre
e sensations in her injunction petition
= s.She states said the judge that thi
e board bought three sets OF supple
! mental readers simply and wholly
suDpIant the books which were at1Ht,f
ed bv the state text book commission
OF course. that is not true mere ar
other similar allegations l believe tn
court will not hesitate to decide in on
Il favor unless there is a question OF tn
right of the board to buy the DOCK:
IF that is denied the expense VIII D
thrown back upon the parents of tn
: pupils, as it was last year.
New Race of people Found