The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-10

lions of whether or not free text books
shall be furnished is decided by a ma
jority vote of the legal voters Of the
individual school district"
Since this report was issued the
states of Missippi and George have
passed laws allowing any local board
of education to either furnish free
text books or buy books and rent them
to pupils for a nominal sum.
From our investigations we have
reached the conclusion that MAORI
ty of the states that have the best
school system have already inaugu-
rated free text books and in practic-
ally all of the permissive states, some
legislation has already been passed
looking to the ultimate extension OF
the free system to all children in
those States. We feel that Florida
should not lag behind her sister states
in this movement for free books. We
do not deem it necessary to advance
any arguments for free text books in
this report, believing that all the
members of this association and all
true friends of public education al
ready know that free text boks are
necessary in order to perfect our sys-
, tenn of public education in Florida.
We recommend therefore, that the
next session of the legislature be me.
moralized by this body to pass a free
text book law for the State of Florida
= and to provide means for putting il
: into effect.
If the State can furnish the funds
J. direct for this purpose, we recommend
> that it do so and that the funds be
3 apportioned among the counties or
the basis of school population.
g If it should prove impossible to Sc
Il cure direct from the state sufficient
% funds or this purpose, we recommend
I that authority be given to count!
in Florida to supplement any Stat,
e funds they may receive with sucl
~ funds as they may have in thei
20 possession available for this purpose
u in order that system of free tex
III books may be instituted in each coun
y ty in the State
In investigating the cost of inau
y gurating a system of free text book
T. in Florida, we have fortunately foun
70 the figures already at hand from a
:! official report made in the state O
IL New York. In 1914 the legislature O
10 the State of New York ordered an IL
W. vestigation of the cost of books in tn
~ city of New York over term of years
y New Yory City had eight gramma
grades and four high school grade
and the course of study is as full an
y. complete as in any city, and the cos
a. OF books is as great as it would b
" under similar circumstances in an
" State or city in the Union
~ We quote from the report of thi
W investigation, published in 1915, O
IT, page 80: 1.-THE result Of this invest
10 cation demonstrates that the cost {
H. installation of system of furnishin
d. free text books to all the pupils 1
AZ the public schools of the State woul
o. be an average for each pupil in ell
a mental schools $1.234S. and in secon
on airy school $4S.4S7, il purchased frol
~ private publishers at prices paid /
30 the city of New York. The cost
renewing for each pupil would ave
N age in elemental schools $O,5191,
H secondary schools $1,5sSS."
ri These figures are the result of
Ri careful and exhaustive official inves
Ri cation and we may accept their q
q curacy with perfect confidence.
81 will be seen therefore, that the co
E of inaugurating a system Of free te
Isl books and maintaining it in the Sta
N OF Florida Is not prohibitive.
El We recommend that al books (
A the public schools of Florida
d bought by the county boards of ed
q cation direct from the publishers
"a the lowest wholesale prices, and til
g a law be passed requiring the cour
g boards of education to buy all boo
g for use in the public schools dir,
@ from the publishers at the lowest |
q wholesale prices. These books tn
ri to be sold, rented or furnished free
ri pupils.
Ri We find that a number of sta
H have such laws, Ohio has such a |
81 which has been in force more Il
81 twenty years and has given the
81 most satisfaction in that State. s
n liar laws have been passed by Mis-,
hi sippi and Georgia during the war; Il