The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-13
SHE DISCUSSES SCHOOL BOOKS.
DIR. Eva Harding Takes Issue With
superintendent FairchiId.

To the Editor of the state Journal:
My attention has been. called to an
interview of State Superintendent
| FaircEild in the Topeka State Journal
o. December g, in which he claims
| that 1 hold him responsible for condi-
ticns for which the law gives him no
power to control or change. Mr.. Fair
child, Adam like when caught in the
garden with the goods wants to hide
| behind something, so he says county
and city superintendent and boards of
education are responsible for the in
| fractions of the school book law
When the school book law was vlo-
lated in Topeka, no one but Superin-
| tendent Fairchild sent Assistant Attor-
ney General Brewster to court to de-
fend the lawbreakers. He did so with
out the knowledge or consent of At
torney General Dawson, who, at the
time, was out of the state.
Mr.. Fairchild says the state sets the
price for school books low that the
best can not be bought. State Printer
McNeal said the state can furnish bet
present prices. and that the state can
furnish books as good at a saving of
more than 100000 per annum-
Immediately after the books now in
use were adopted at the prices set by
the state Mr. Fairchild announced
through the press that the books Sc
lected were absolutely standard, none
better, each book the best of its kind;
no other nine men could have selected
better books for use in the schools
If the state set the prices too low,
why have Is books been offered be-
low the maximum price? Some of
these books have been adopted at an
advance of 10 per cent above the prices
at which they were first offered. Did
the bidders conclude that there was
not an overproduction of bids and raise
the prices to the limit? Is Mr.. Fair
child aware that some of these are on
his list OF books about which he said:
Il am perfectly satisfied p
Can Mr.. F'airchild explain why he
did not stop the use of supplemental
books when he knew it was unlawful
to use them, and worked great hard
ship on the people to buy them?
Does Mr. Fairchild regard the in
terest of the purchaser of school books
paramount to that of the seller? If so,
why did he permit the sellers to de-
fraud the buyers out Of more than
$50, 600 in the sale and exchange of
school books since he has been chair
man of the Text Book commission ?
For such things, and not the require
ments of the law, do L hold him re-
sponsible.
1t will not be pleasing to the county
superintendent. the city superinten
dents, mem bers of school boards and
teachers to read Mr.. Fairchilds charge
that they are responsible for the pur-
chase and use of these unnecessary
supplemental books in the schools of
Kansas. Mr.. Fairchild is president of
the state board of education. This
board makes and prescribes the
course of study for the schools of
the state This course of study di-
reefs the superintendent and teach
ers to use the Ward System of
Reading" This system is a series of
readers without legal standing in
Kansas, and they have never been |
adopted by the Text Book commission. |
The graft in this supplemental reader
business is shown in the prices |
charged. Whereas, the adopted first
reader sells for II cents. the outlaw /
Ward first reader is sold for 40 cents |
and so on. The law fixes the price Of |