The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-28
USE WHAT BOOKS.
School Board Row Checked Up
to Court.
DIR. Harding's Effort to Kill
New Plan.
SAVING TO PARENTS.
Board Would Buy Needed Sup
Elemental Books.
Heretofore Patrons of Schools
Have Bought Them.

] w nllcOElDlS court To-Day Wnen llS dp-
plication for an injunction against the
/ board of education was called for hear
ing Topeka's prize trouble maker de-
clared that the public should keep one
/ eye on the school board and that per
sonaIly she didn't trust the memEers
at all. On the witness stand Judge
Carver declared that Dr. Harding was
a "howler" and refused to amend his
statement.
/ For two hours the lawyers nagged
the witnesses and split hairs over the
rights of the board to buy books not
prescribed by the state textbook COM
mission. Both sides agreed to try the
| injunction proceedings on the merits Of
the case At noon J. G. Waters, for
the plaintiff had succeeded in dragging
a half dozen witnesses over the Goals
and back again and had raised score |
of complicated legal questions. Then
the court took q recess to allow the |
warning attorneys to get their breath
and prepare to argue demurrer IN
terposed by the board.
The suit for an injunction was filed |
by DR.. Harding following an action OF
the board to buy four supplemental
books for use in the public school |
rooms These hooks will cost about |
S70O and are not on the list prescribed |
by the state commission. But the books |
have been used in the Topeka schools |
for several years. except that the pat |
rons of the schools were forced to buy
them. The action of the board was to |
relieve the parents of the children OF
the added burden and the resolution !
was passed on the recommendation of
G. G. Starr, superintendent of the To- |
peka schools
Miss Harding was the first witness.
She said she was a taxpayer and resident /
of the town and objected to the action |
of the board for the reason that it /
would increase her taxes. On cross
examination the witness mind was
hazy as to the exact amount she con-
tributed annually to defray the run
ming expenses of the state. city and
Are you afraid to trust the actions
of the board in such matters as
these % was asked
ct most certainly am snapped the
woman. Il don't trust them at ALL
Then Miss Harding retired with L
confident smile and listened to the war
of the lawyers.
starr on the stand.
Professor STAIRS hour on the wit
ness stand could hardly be called
pleasant. Attorney Waters asked the
witness embarrassing questions about
the acceptance of books from publish
ing houses and questioned the lnstruc-
tors zeal in crowding new books into
the Topeka school rooms But starr
always answered the questions IN
a modest manned and informed the
attorneys for the plaintiff that he was
not an agent for the houses publishing
the new books, nor had he so much !
as talked with any of their representa-
tives. Starr said the new books were {
court took charge of the witness ana j
set his mind clear as to Professor /
Starts Interpretation of the words text s
books Starr insisted that they were | 7
to be purchased merely to furnish the
budding young minds with SUFFICIENT S
work to make up thorough years i
work. 7
Then starr told the court that when :
the text book commission prescribed :
certain books for use in the school f
rooms, that the work outlined was not q
ST v
He said these books would fill a much :
felt want He admitted that the books
were no part of a series prescribed by
the state commission, neither was he
clear as to what comprised the re-
mainder of the series of which the
new books were part Then Starr
was asked if the state commission had :
not rejected these same books which
he desired used in Topeka. But the
witness had no knowledge that this
was so.
asking the board to buy these new !
books" the witness was asked
well. the books prescribed are in
adequate for the proper amount of +
literature training beyond a certain o
point The pupil needs additional v
range. Assuming that the five adopted f
books are sufficient, their 1884 pages
must be spread out over eight grades Il
IN the premier but eight lines a day Is
are afforded Other classes are on 4
about the same basis which l assume t.
is not enough G
Then the petitioners climbed back to q
the alleged illegal actions of the board "
because of the state commission s rec
concentrations But Starr and other
Witnesses said that the books had been
used here for several years. In the T
past however, they have only been
recommended and the new plan would
make their use general in the school
room From a financial standpoint,
starr said the boards action would Is
prove economical. et
eff the pupils were required TO buy q
hese books, each pupil would Iind IL h
necessary to purchase two books S
ear" starr testified Now we will ii
ret from four to five years use from st
he books and the cost to the tax 81
PAYERS will be about one-tenth that of
he expense to the individual pur- p
.haser." y
Several witnesses told of the action p
# the board concerning starts recon- &c
nendation to the teachers committee. ~
Judge Carver, a member of the board a
md counsel for the defense, was called y
Il had several talks with members 7
# the board about the new books,
leard that Dr. Harding and other
lowlers did not like the plan Is
DO you mean to call Dr.. Harding
'howler' Pr asked Waters
Yes" said Carver. "I see no rea-
on why I should use another express
ion" IA
At noon the petitioners stated that az
hey would rely on their evid ence for bH
IN injunction. Then Judge Carver and at
!. NJ. Brewster, assistant attorney gen tv
raj. interposed demurrer The "
curt took a recess until $50. at
which time the lawyers turned loose a re
loOd of oratcry At 2.30 the attor- ri
leys were still explaining the con- ht
truction of the statutes. Brewster, af
Who IS assisting in the defense was al