The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1917-01-18
Free Text Books.
A. c. Moreland, Co. Supt.

On page 1874 of the 1913 Mis-.
souri, School Law is found the Orr
Free Text Book Law which is an
act to provide free text books in
all of the elementary schools in
the state.
The question of free text books
may be submitted at an annual or
special school meeting. Fifteen
days notice must be given. A ma
jority vote Of the qualified voters
voting is necessary to decide the
question of providing free text
books.
This law provides that school
districts which furnish the nee
essary school books for the ele-
mentary grades shall be entitled
to certain part Of the Foreign
Insurance Tax moneys. The For
cign Life and Fire Insurance CON-
panies doing business in Missouri
pay as tax to the state two per
cent of all premiums collected on
insurance policies. One per cent
of this is apportioncd to the sew
eral counties. The number OF
children enumerated in each
county being the basis for deter
mining the amount Of money each
county shall receive. The amount
of money apportioncd to Bates
county this year was $29O.41 or
.4203c per pupil enumerated.
Only one district. in Bates coun-
ty got free text book money; this
was Rich Hill which received
1878. The remainder of the
*2901.41 is turned into the gem
cral revenue fund of the county.
After free text books are voted,
the school board must supply the
first four grades the first year;
the fifth and second grades the
second year; and the seventh and
eighth grades the third year.
That is, the board must supply all
of the grades the first years. If
it does not it forfeits its right to
any of the money apportioncd for
free text books. The school board
must also certify to the county
clerk that they are supplying the
grades with books. The county
clerk will then apportion the
proper amount to each district
voting free text books.
Free text books have proven to
be very successful where they
have been tried. Thirteen states
have voted free text books. The
best example of free text books is
the city Of st. Louis which sup
plies books, pencils, tablets, ink,
and etc. for 28c per pupil This
includes the high school pupils OF
st. Louis. The average price per
pupil whore free text books are
used is SOC. This makes it much
cheaper for the district to own the
text books and have the children
! use them.
Free text books offer better in
>truction because all the pupils
have the books to begin with at
the same time. 1t is very diff
cult for all of the pupils to be sup
piled with books at the same time
twhcre parents live in the country |
because PARENTS are often unwi!l-
ing to quit their work and make
q trip to town to get books.
They are more sanitary than
private ownership because all
looks may he fllmigated, and in
ease any of them are badly con-
:aminatcd, the board of directors
may order them destroyed and |
supply new ones. This can not |
We done very well under private
ownership.
Some parents are unable to sup
ply text books for their children,
but at the same time. they are
unwilling to do so in order that
d board may purchase them for
the children. The 1918 School
Law provides for purchase of text
books by the school board for
poor children, but a great many
children are not in school because
they haven't text books. The par
ents may be. too poor or they may
be too ignorant themselves to re-
alizc thcHdesirability Of education
for their offspring. No matter
what the reason may be the chill
dren are not responsible for it,
and should not be deprived of an
education because of such condi-
tons.
Then books are necessary for |