The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1912-05-10
IS TRUST TRYING
To WEAKEN LAW
But Small Part of School Books Pub.
iohed Submitted to the Kansas
Text Book Commission.

Topeka, Kan.-That Kansas has
been getting, the worst of it in the
matter of school text books has been
general opinion for long time and
educators who have looked over the
lists offered to the state text book
commission this year are thoroughly
satisfied that Kansas: Is scheduled to
get the worst Of it again. The books
offered by the different publishing
concerns represent only a very small
part of the books on the market. And
the number of offerings has been de-
creasing each five-year period.
| The fact that only few sets of
books are offered and the further fact
that the list has been cut down every
five years only adds to the general
belief that there Is school book trust
and that it has been and is doing all
it can to make the Kansas text book
law unpopular and ineffective. Edu.
Gators declare that the books offered
are not first class; that there is some.
thing wrong with every set offered.
"They are not giving us the best
standard books" said prominent
educator, recently. every set now
offered is either antiquated and re.
vamped; or is standard set emascu-
lated with much important matter cut
out, or is a new and untried expert
ment in books"
The state text book commission
will meet within the next week to Sc
lect the books to be used in the pub
lie schools of Kansas for the next five
years. The publishing houses have
cut down the offerings until the COM
mission has very little to choose
from. Through some means or other
many publishing houses publishing
standard books are shut out; at least
they have offered no books. There is
great dissatisfaction with the books
that have been offered.
There are now 105 sets of readers
on the market. Five sets have been
offered to the Kansas text book COM
mission ito choose from and according
to prominent educators they are not
standard or satisfactory by any means.
Here is list of the various sets of
school books now on the market:
Readers 105, spoilers 121, arithmetics
ia, grammars 120, Biographies 80,
histories so and SO systems of writ
ing
With all these sets on the market
Kansas gets to make a choice from
half a dozen sets or less of each
branch.
list showing the manner in which
the offerings have been cut down
year after year indicates that the
publishing houses that control the
situation have made studious effort
to give Kansas just as little as pos
sible; to force the commission to make
a choice from little of nothing. Only
one set of spoilers has been offered
this year. There is no choice there.
Two biographies have been offered
for the consideration of the commits
sion There is practically no choice
there
Back in 1902 the commission did I
have some chance to make a selection,
but it was nothing eXtravagant even
then. Since then the offerings have
been cut down each year, as is fully
shown by the following:
In 1902 10 sets of readers were Of
fered in 1907 sets were offered and
in 1912 5 are offered.
In 1902 ~ sets of spoilers were Of |
fered, in 1907 were offered and in
1912 one is offered
In 1902 sets of arithmetics were
offered, in 1907 were offered and in
1912 Z are offered.
In 1902 sets of grammars were Of |
fered lin 1907 were offered and in |
1912 are offered.
In 1902 A sets of Biographies were |
in 1907 4 sets were offered, |
and in 1912 are offered.
In 1902 10 systems of penmanship
were offered, in 1907 Is were offered
and this year are offered.