The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-13

something like $4,000 for the state
printing plant over and above the ap-
preparations of two years ago. At
this rate it will only be a few years
until the state has invested in state
publica ton more than a million dol
lars, and when 1 think of this l WON
der if the good people of Kansas have,
thru the kindly efforts of the political
snake doctors and a few militant wo-
men who have no real interest in the
Kansas schools, purchased good
sized, regulation-m made gold brick!
School Leaders Unconvinced.
AS l have already pointed out in
another published article, the repre-
sentative school people of Kansas do
not believe that state publication can
give them the best books on the mar
ket. l have in my possession now
scores and scores of letters from the
leading school people of Kansas that
will bear out this statement These
have come to me entirely unsolicited.
The friends of state publication have
made much of the fact that State
Superintendent Ross has recently given
a partial approval of state publication.
Now 1 have the highest regard for Mr..
Ross. 1 supported him in the recent
primary and election, as did nearly all
the other school people of the state.
He is able, efficient, honest and con-
structive. But, after all, Mr.. Ross is
not the only leader of educational
thought. There are scores of school
men in the state whose judgment in
this matter is as sound as is his. There
are in Kansas los county superintend-
ents, eighty-five superintendents of
cities of the first and the second class,
and hundreds of college professors
Now, SO far as 1 have been able to
learn not one of these has come out
in public statement ,favoring state
publication. Why have none of these
said that state publication is giving to
the Kansas children as good books as
the children of Indiana or Minnesota
or New Yark have? An Investigation
will show that 80 per cent of the rep
resentative school men and women of
the state believe that the interests of
the children are being sacrificed in
order that the state printing plant may
show saving of $25, 900 per year,-or
6 Il cents yearly per pupil.
A State Auto Plant.
But since the saving of money is
so greatly to be desired, I am won
dering why it would not be a good
plan to build a state automobile fac
tory. For 1 have before me a news
paper report that shows that Kansas
has 114,373 automobiles, valued at
| approximately $91, 100000. as the
records show that a year ago there
were only $4,000 automobiles in Kan
sas, it is fair to state that Kansas
yearly purchases more than 10000
automobiles at a cost of about $685.
100000. Now as it is estimated that
| in the entire United States only about
$12, 100000 and in Kansas only about
S250,000 is annually expended for
| school books, could not the state save
to its citizens vastly greater sum by
| turning the state printing plant into
an automobile plant, designed to fur
nish automobiles at cost?
Public Sentiment Changing.
| That public sentiment is about to
undergo a change in this matter is
evident. In a recent editorial William
Allen White says:
I'VE observe that statisticians are
figuring that Kansas has saved many
hundreds of thousands of dollars on
state publication of text books. This
is really not very important. The i'm
portant thing to know is whether or
not, the profit will figure out in the
minds and hearts of the children. Are
the state books as good as the pri-
vately printed books? That is the
question. Are the children of Kansas
getting the best that money will buy ?
Probably they are; but it would be a
comfort to know that rather than to
have the problem stated in dollars and
| cents
And the same thought has been
voiced during the past thirty DAYS by
such papers as the Leavenworth Times
and the Parsons Sun-and the end is
| not Vati-F T.,