The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1914-03-12


book be told to the children of Geor-
gia for ten years at least, and if
Mr.. Moon, who was appointed to rep
resent the best interest of the child
rem of Georgia is satisfied, | want
him to know that some of the others
are not. [ will digress to say that
Prof. Glenn who is also a member,
and member of the committee to
examine into the prices paid for
school books fully agrees with Mr..
Moon, and has so announced, and
that too before he had heard any of
the evidence. Yes, suppose you all
believe in high priced school books.
You have something to be proud
Of in connection with high priced
school books, and that is, ilIiteracy
has increased in Georgia in the last
five years, under your administration
Of it's school business. Why did you
rot put the prices higher? Did the
book people object?
You remember when the Board
was in session last fall that I re-
quested the Board to take one book,
and here is the proposition I made.
For the Board of Education to take
one school book which the author
had agreed for the State of Georgia
to use for five years free of any
royalty, and for you to examine the
text, and if the text was not salts
factory that the author was ready
and willing to change, or add to in
any way or manner you wanted it,
L requested that you have it printed
either by competitive bids or by con-
tract, and [ told your Board that it
could be produced at a cost of Is
cents to take the place of a book on
the list at 81 cents. 1t was while
you were in secret caucus and you
remember Gov. Slaton who was pre-
siding asked me if there was any law
that allowed it. Or in other words,
lis it in the bond" I replied there
was no law against it, as no book
concern had any vested interest in
Georgia. [ am quite sure you differ
with me, but [ mean a lawful vested
interest. You remember how Gov.
Slaton ruled that the Board could
not entertain the proposition, and
you turned me down cold. Do you
remember that Byrd & Co. submit
ted bid to furnish each child in
Georgia with a Civil Government at
Is cents, written by a Georgian, Prof.
H. S. BoWden, and printed in
Georgia printery, and you turned
the offer down and adopted a Civil
Government written by a Kentuckian
and printed in a Northern printery?
You remember in connection with
this bid that I wrote to your Board
that if the text was not right in any
particular, that Prof. Bowden would
make the changes, and if you wanted
your Board to make the changes
that you were invited to do so. Now
these are facts and you had a chance
to provide a Civil Government writ
ten by Georgian and printed at
Georgia printery at Is cents, and
you by your vote and influence Sc
cured a continuation of the contract
at 81 cents for PetersOn's Civil Gov
eminent, or three times as much as
it was your duty to pay.
Suppose you put the price at fifty
four dollars when you could have
secured one at fifteen cents. The
principle would have been the same.
Suppose you had it in your power to
make people pay "a cents a pound
for steak when they were offered it
at Is cents. Suppose you made them
pay it. The result would not be as
harmful, for you would only dwarf
the body of poor children and this
would effect themselves, but when
you by your act, put school books
out of the reach Of our children, you
dwarf the intellect, and every one in
Georgia is directly interested in