The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-07-13
By JOHN S. OARST.

Auditor Of the State Of West Virginia
While the writer was speaking be
fore the school book commission on
July 10 he was asked rer- eddy by
Prof Armstrong. n t the
commission. whether or not he knew
that the additional cost Of school
books on account OF the proposed
changes would only be cents 70 each
scholar. and that the total expense "a
tho people because OF said changes
would amount 70 only S23.mH. ! feel
that this statement should not be let
stand unchallenSed.
Realizing that 50 per crnt OF the
books have been changed and that the
exchange value is only 80 per cent
could readily see that Mr.. Arm
Strony's figures were so low as TO. he
ridiculous However. admitting his
statement 10 h" true. which | deny
there are many additional items OF
expense connected with Il change in
school books which greatly add 10 Mr..
Armstrong; figures.
Thousands OF children will go 10
school with the old books. Delay IN
organization Of the school and Grip
Ming OF efficiency for the first weeks
Of the term will be occasioned By the
necessity Of securing new books. Sup
pose the loss pst school room is only
$3.50 on account Of this delay. We
would lose in dollars and cents
$4,000.
There are a2a5.NOn school children
ready 10 begin the fall term. 1t is
certainly safe to say that an average
of one trip for every three chlidren
must be made TO book store because
of the change Of books. This is. eH'
tremely conservative. These TRIPS
will. vary from short walk TO 10 or
- miles. We. then have the school,
book commission causing 10000 heaos
Of families TO take half a day each
from their corn cutting or husklng ID
order that John and Mary may start
promptly with their classes. Figuring
this valuable time at 81 each, We have
a loss Of S775.n0O.,
School superintendents. teachers
and school boards must so 10 great
EXPENSE to notify the pubic OF the
proposed changes The actual expense
of this publicity will certainly amount
10 TWO or three dollars per school, Out
lct us be conservative and place II al
slightly moro than one. or SF."po.
Teachers on tho average draw very
low wages. This IS especially true
Of the teacher OF the country SCHOOLS
Each teacher must have Il full set OF
the hooks used in her school. and IN
the rural schoorthiS is quite library
running. from tho little primer TO me
books on grammar. history and ciFi
government Nj IL very low estimate
the S.G0O teachers would be oblgeC
10 spend 81 apiece for books. even ar
rar exchanging tho old ones on hand
This makes $40.0"n. Herr the eX
pcnsc falls most heavily on the teach
er. who is poorest paid. y teacher
in a rural Srhon! with eight grades
who receives $4n Pc: month. must
spend in many cases nearly half her
first. months salary for this absolute
y necessary equipment.
Let u assemble the figures:
Mr. ArmStronS - GEMS. ....S -?."o'
Loss OF efficiency ............ !-."o'
Loss o. parents time. '".H9l
Cost NJ publicity. ............ lb.t'"o
Teachers equipment ......... 4n.0'n
-ro,aI SlGo 00r
Tits j.. cniy :he beginning. Many
Other items o. actua: rn$t will come
III and will swell these figures IL
500, nnn O. more The confusion. thu
poor .caChi7g incident 10 the u.s. OF
new. unirird. unfamiliar and. 10 the
hoS, OF my Information. greatly in
farinr books are no, easily reduced