The log cabin Democrat., 1917-01-30
PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTES
3.-&s--S.s-s.S-S-S-s--S-I-S-t-..--s.
By Supt. J. P. Womack.

I $aitS O VI PbPiAS etiS OeS of school, some sick and others be- cause of sickness in the home. Hugh ey and Bennie Robins are helping take care of their father who is quite i'll, while Giles Mathews, c. H. Nor ris, Paul Canister, Aubrey Ray,
 Verna Harmed, Elizabeth Ethridge, Minnie Ethridge and several others
 are sick Lillian Richmond lost a week on account of illness but is back in school.
 Teachers and pupils alike regret the resignation of Mr. C. F. Russell, our efficient janitor. in all our eX
 perience with janitors, Mir. Russell was the very best we have known Agreeable, prompt, reliable, painstak ing, he was all that could be asked, and a great deal more than could be expected for the wages we pay. Be fore leaving, MT. Russell presented to the school a medicine cabinet for emergency remedies. Now will some one of our friends supply us with the remedies We very much need a thermometer for testing for fever The gift of good one would be greatly appreciated.
 The women of the Parent Teachers Association are preparing an inter esting program for the meeting Thursday night. Don't miss it; you will be we'll repaid for coming out. Further announcement tomorrow. A word about the proposition to print the school books of the state and furnish them at cost to the child ren. If such a plan meant that our children would have as good books as they now have, and if the cost to the patrons were even as low as it is at present, we should have nothing to say. But we have no faith sin either proposition. Only two states have tried the plan, and it has not been success in either place. California has S1,7O00,o00 printing plant which has for thirty years been a political football and a burden to the taxpayers, and yet for all that her children pay more for their school books than Indiana, Oklahoma, Geor- gia, North Carolina or Virginia, which buy their books in the open market. That shows that the idea of economy is not based on facts. If books can be bought in the open mar ket-the best books to be had, for less than state printed books, why have a state printing plant?
 It is claimed that Canada publishes her books at great saving to the children. It is not so. One province alone does anything of the kind-On- tario. That province permits two big department stores to print some of the books. The stores do it at reduced price in order to get adver- Using matter in them. We imagine that here is the origin of the story of the teacher who found this in school reader:
 "Hark, the herald angels sing,
 Beechem's pills are just the thing; Loving Jesus, meek and mild,
 Two for a man and one for child.'
 But it is not on the ground or econ omy that the school men of Arkansas are opening the bill. We stand for good books because our children need and deserve the best to be had. We insist that the Emory bill does not provide for good books; it aims to have cheap books. If anyone in Con- way wants to know how good the books made in Kansas and Ontario are. send for a few and look at them. One look will be enough. As for the California books, it must be remembered that they cost more than similar books bought in the open mar ket. Even so it is claimed that num- bers of communities refuse to use the state printed books and get theirs as we do-in the open market.
 The circular sent out by Hot Springs parties makes the statement that the bill would save the patrons from $3OO,OOO to $80O,000 a year in their book bill. Let us look into the matter a little. The average text book bill for all children in the pub lie schools of the United States, in- cluding the high schools where the high priced books are, the Emory bill does not include high school books, is only 78.3 cents year. Only 45O,0O0 children are enrolled in our schools. Now multiply 450,000 by 78.3, point off three places to the right and call the product the state book bill. Does it look reasonable that the saving would be anything like even the low est figure named?
 Oklahoma buys her books at an av- craze cost per pupil per year of 75 cents. Could not Arkansas do as we'll? Then multiply the number of children by 57 instead of by 78.2.
 If it is the will of the people that the state assist the children to buy l tha;r hooGc lat tho ctota b,1y and fur-