Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-08-13

book situation be made to determine
whether it would be advisable for
the state to furnish them free of cost,
CALIFORNIA; experience with the free
textbook plan is highly interesting.
Each year California saves enough
on textbooks to replace the entire
state printing plant. Such is the as
sertion made by John F. Neylan,
chairman of the state board of con-
troll, in recounting the accomplish
ments of the printing Office. The
statement is based on a comparison
of the Eastern manufacturers price
list and the actual cost q the same
textbooks placed in the hands of the
child by the state.
Saving 1925, 900 Last Year.
In round figures the saving last
year was $275,OO0. or the difference
between $488,4O8.S5, Eastern manu-
facturers' price, and the $230,97O.87
that it cost California to print the
same books. This was accomplished
with textbooks furnished free to all
the 401,OO5 children in the elemen-
tary grades.
California has been printing text
books since 1884 and has been sup
plying them free since 1913. The
first step was taken with the adoption
of the Perry amendment to the state
constitution. This law provided that
teachers employed by the state board
of education should write the text
and the books should be printed at the
state printing Office. The method
proved SO very unsatisfactory that it
was abandoned in 1903 when the at
torney general ruled that although
textbooks must be printed and man
ufactured at the state printing office.
the subject matter must be secured
outside the state.
In order to select from the best
textbooks on the market, the state
board of education opened negotia-
lions with various publishing houses
for the lease of plates on royalty
basis. This arrangement proved
much more satisfactory and resulted
in a greatly reduced cost of books,
due partly to competition among pub
fishing houses. The selection OF
books was usually made by experts
employed by the state board of edu-
cation that gave the final approval.
Contracts with publishers generally
required duplicate sets of plates, to-
gether with such changes in the text
as were recommended.
Violations Cause Change.
! According to the law, textbooks
were to be sold to dealers or to Of
ficers of the schools at a price based
on the royalty and the expense Of
manufacture, and were to be sold to
students at cost. The law, however,
was flagrantly violated. This. to-
gether with methods in use at the
state printing Office. placed an unjust
burden on the children. But even so
the sale price of textbooks was still
under the Eastern manufacturers
figures.
/ An act of the 1911 legislature pro-
vided for the creation of the state
board of control of three members
who were appointed by Governor
Hiram w. Johnson. One of the first
activities of the new board was an
examination of the state printing Of
! fee. which was moderniZed and in
stalled with the Denham cost system.
AS result the price of every text
book has been reduced AZ per cent
under the previous regime.
At the 1912 fall election the state
constitution was amended SO that it
ordered a reorganization Of the state
board of education and provided for
free elementary grade textbooks. The
latter provision became operative
January IS, 1913. During the fol-
lowing six months there were distrib-
uted S59,634 bound boks and 49,
299 copy books. the latter at cost
of $2,7S7.24 for distribution, or
trife over half a cent apiece. During
the fiscal year of 1914 there were
distributed 1,379,154 books besides
1856 sold to dealers, private schools
and others in the state.
The saving to eighth grade pupils
alone is over 100000. The books
used by this class of students are the
most expensive of the free textbooks.
and whereas the parents formerly
paid approximately IS for the outfit.
it is now being furnished free at a
cost to the state of only $2.35. There
are over 5000 eighth grade children
in the state and there is correspond
ing economy in eQuipping all other