The Topeka state journal., 1916-11-09
Resolutions Prepared Would
Open Up Book Buying.
Direct Slap at State Publication
May Be Result.
DEMAND DISTRICT OWNERSHIP
Would Permit School Boards to
Buy in Open Market.
w. A. Brandenburg of Pittsburg
Mentioned as President.

Fireworks over the state text book
proposition opened early today, at the
forty-fifth annual convention of the
Kansas State Teachers association.
Whether the apparent split between
officials of the association and the
present method of state selection of
school books becomes deeper tonight
depends upon the outcome of a meet
ing of the resolutions committee. late
this afternoon, in the office of w. D.
Ross, superintendent of public in
struction.
At that time it will be decided
whether the resolutions committee
shall submit to the board of directors
at it's meeting tonight an amendment
which, if adopted by the board and
teachers in session tomorrow, will
place the association on record as say
ing: "The children of Kansas have a
right to the best books, regardless of
whether they are the product of state
publication or private publication"
Still further trouble over the school
book commission problem was prom
ised at a late hour this afternoon,
when F. L. Pinet, secretary of the
state association, appeared at the Of
flee of w. D. Ross, state superintend-
/ ent, and announced that he had a
resolution to be presented to the reso-
lutions committee. Pinet's resolution
will ask that the legislature refrain
from taking any further steps in push
| ing the state publication propaganda
| for two years at least.
Meantime, it is proposed in the re-
solution, that a committee of educa-
tors be appointed to investigate state
HI CfY
standpoint. At the same time Pinets
resolution would provide for an in
vestigation of state publication from
a dollar and cent standpoint by a
| cost expert.
In addition section would be add
ed reading:
I'VE favor the compulsory district
ownership of text books and the right
to select them from the best on the
open market
The latter part of the resolution is
the one looked upon with alarm by
friends of the text book commission
1t directly provides for the abolish
ment of the compulsory adoption Of
the state, as at present, and, accord.
ing to statements of friends of the
commission, would give the agents OF
the big eastern book concerns an Op.
portunity to work on the hundreds o.
members of school boards in Kansas
However" said A. NJ. Thoroman
sit will take some time for such legiS
lation to get thru the house and senat,
of Kansas
Committee On Record.
At a meeting of the resolutions com
mittee month ago, resolutions wer,
adopted by the committee for the ap
proval of the board and association
placing the association on record as
"Favoring such a modification of tn
laws relating to the school book com
mission as will put the selection o
textbooks in the hands of active teach
ers and favoring in the selection O
books the consideration of quality
not price"
Suddenly" said M. E. Moore, o
Leavenworth. chairman of the resolu
tions committee, some of the mem
; bers of the committee demanded tn
district ownership amendment
Mr. Moore stated that he had in
vited A. M. Thoroman. secretary of tn
state school book commission, to b
present at the meeting. At 1;3
o'clock this afternoon Thoroman de
z clared he had not received the invita-
I ton. w. r. Smith, state printer an
chairman of the commission, also de
clared he had revived no invitatio
to the meeting.
There appears to be no fight 70
I the presidency. A humber of name
| denburg, president of the Pittsbur
t Manual Training school, seems to b
i the man most of those Outside of tn
i inside think will be selected by tn
board of directors, at their meetin
tonight