The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-18
STATE PUBLICATION.
A Kansas Author and Publisher Give
His Views.

Kansas school book supply and pro.
duction that in justice to the oppon,
ents of publication by the state
would like to submit some facts fol
your readers.
While discussing state publication
with a friend of mine, an intelligent
and representative citizen, he said; u
am opposed to the state engaging II
business ventures in competition with
its citizens. but l favor state publica'
ton because the powerful Book truS
has the state in its insidious grip.
What do you mean by the Book trust
was my reply. THE American Bool
company" was his prompt response
When asked to name the books the
trust furnished, he could not do It
When asked to state in what way II
gripped the state he could not tell. He
was greatly surprised when informed
that the American Book company fur
nished but one of the regularly
adopted books for grade schools, and
that bookkeeping. which is not gener-
ally taught in the schools.
The school book business in thin
western country is done chiefly by
small companies; one hundred and
siXty-two in all. At the Oklahoma
adoption last summer there were sew
enty-six competing companies and the
large companies-the American BOOB
Co. and CHM & Co. received no con.
tracts. At the Kansas adoption last
May, twenty-eight independent com.
The so-called Book trust had no in
f1uence and received practically ne
business. The small companies, many
of them Kansas concerns, received
most of the contracts.
The following is list of the adop.
tions:
Readers. first second and third, Liz.
zie Wooster, author. Wooster & Co.
publishers; readers, fourth and fifth
Searson & Martin, authors, University
Publishing CO., publishers; spelleri
Geo. d. Rathbun, author. Geo. D.
Rathbun, publisher; Kansas history
Noble L. Prentis, author, Mrs. Caro-
line E. Prentis publisher; United
States history Z. G. Foster. author
E. G. Foster, publisher; civil govern
ment. Anna E. Arnold. author. Anna
e. Arnold, publisher; penmanship
Truman, author. o. p. Barnes, pub
Usher; arithmetic. Smith. author,
CHM & Co., publishers: primary geog-
raphy, King, author, Chas. Scribner's
Sons, publishers; advanced geography
Tarr & McMurray. authors, The Mac
milan Co. publishers; physiology.
Krohn & Crumbine. authors, ID. Ar
pleton & Co., publishers; grammar,
Scott-Southworth, authors, Benz. II.
Sanborn & Co.. publishers: bookkeep-
ing. Williams & Rogers, authors,
American Book Co.. publishers; prim-
er, adopted 1903. Van Amburgh, au-
thor.
These adoptions were made by the state
text book commission. The prices Were
set by the state legislature and everybody
given an opportunity to present books
for adoption. An examination of the list
above will show that most of the books
selected were written by Kansas authors
and the books are being published by the
authors themselves or by small conf
panies, most of whom conduct their BUSH
ness in Kansas Wooster & Company is
composed of reputable citizens of Salina
and Miss Lizzie Wooster, former teach
er and resident in Kansas: the author
of the Searson & Martin readers is now
n
college; George Rathbun, the publisher of
the speller. is a citizen of Edwardsville:
Mrs. Caroline E. Prentis needs no intro
duction to the people in Kansas; Anna f..
Arnold, author and publisher of the
Civics, is resident of Cottonwood Falls:
o. p. Barnes was former principal or
the Leavenworth high school; Della Van
Amburg, formerly of Holton. now or
1t is quite evident that the so-caIled
book trust has no grip on Kansas, bus
the obnoxious term has been and is be-
people and scare them into doing wnaC
they would not do when informed of the
truth, and incidentally to destroy existing
business interests.
am now engaged in the publishing bus,-
ness in Topeka. i am in way con-
nected with any other company or firm,
but am endeavoring in an honest way to
build up legitimate business. This year
L have paid out in Kansas for labor alone
some business in each of forty different
states. My prospects are fine for enlarg-
ing my business providing the state does
not legiSlate me out of this right as 1t
now practically proposes to do.
Is it just for state thus to legislate
against its citizens and take away what
are moral and sacred rights, which should
be protected by the state.
If the state can legally engage in bust
ness in competition with its citizens why
not undertake the manufacture of shoes
and stockings, all of which are practically
made outside the borders of the state; the
manufacture of which, in the state would
a material D.
stantial way, and bring into school a
large number of children who are out FOR
want of shoes. Or If a newspaper, a man
ufacturer, or merchant is, by wisdom,
energy and grit, making little MONEY
business and transact it for him. TIE
logic is invincible. Why not draw a line
for all alike. Have the state regula e
business when necessary. but not ~
usurp the function of transacting the
business.
Under any system some books will be
selected which will not suit all the people.
bit careful examination 4 the books
now IL: use H. Kansas will snow that Kan
s.,s today has as COOL books aha as wei
made has any state in the Union aud
these are furnished at less price than
those in other states; particularly in Cali
fornia, which las state Publication. In
that state a United States History is sold
to the pupils at 80 cents. Other hooks are
C Jrrespondingly high under state p,i.'lca-
ton and results according to the testi-
mony of such prominent men David
Starr Jordan, less satisfactory than n
Kansas under our present system In ad-
dition to the high price paid by the pupils
for their books the state of California
has spent close to a million dollars to
make up almost annual deficits. The in
terest on this sum at per cent would pay
for more than one-third of all the books
used in the grade schools of Kansas. The
people of Kansas will likewise find that
state publca ton will be a costly expert
ment.
Some of the advocates of state publica-
ton have endeavored to inflame public
opinion by charging the Text Book Com
with graft and Doodle. My own
experience with the men composing the
leads me to believe that no
where in the state. searching far and wide