The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-20
Production at Plant This Year
a Saving of 100000.
KEEPING MONEY At HOME
Every Cent Goes to Kansas
Workmen, He Says.
Few Teachers Complained
When Asked to Critic1se.

w R Smith, state printer, TO-DAY an
swered charges made by F. L. Finet'
secretary of the Kansas State Teach-
ers' association, in the State Journal
of Saturday. In an lntervle" SIiiitn
takes issue with statements of Plnet
relative 70 the cost of state publica-
tion of school books. The interview
THE attack on state publication of
school books which appeared IN a |
communication printed in the state
Journal of Saturday would not merit |
notice but for the fact that the author |
has attacked the authenticity OF the |
statement made by the state printer
regarding the cost of books SO 1ar
produced, and the consequent saving
to the state by having them produced
by the state printing plant. The author
also makes the claim that he repre-
sents the teachers of the state of Kan
sas in this criticism.
First, let this fact be known and
understood by the taxpayers of the
state of Kansas, the author of this
communication included: When the
state of Kansas started producing
school books, the state printer at that
time and the school book commission
knew that the question of cost would
be severely criticised by the book trust
the work of producing books, the Ma
tional Typothetae system of cost &C
counting was installed in the state
printing plant and all of the produc-
ton from the plant is figured on the
basis of this system. In figuring the
cost of school books, the state printing
plant is not obliged to, but it does
account for such overhead items as
light, heat, power, taxes, interest on
investment, depreciation, and the 9TH
er overhead expenses covered by the
National Typothetae system in figur-
ing the cost of production so as to
place the production cost absolutely
on the same basis and on a par with
the cost of production in any 1egiti-
mate printing house in the United
States today. Possibly some of the
taxpayers do not know that the Ma
tional Typothetae system of cost ac-
counting is the one used by practically
all of the large printing houses today
as authority in all court proceedings
where the cost of accounting is in
volved.
Records Are Open.
Another point: The records of the
state printer and the school book
commission are open records, just the
same as the records of any department
OF the state are open records for any
taxpayer in the state of Kansas
The writer of the article published
saturday has tried sedulously to
create the impression that the teach
with state publication because of the
| inferiority of texts selected. 1t is no
uceable that nowhere does he point
out the deficiencies in the texts but
rather contents himself with the gem
eral statement that since the state
commenced to publish a part of the
| books used in the schools, quality has
been sacrificed to price. If this were
true, it would perhaps be a valid OBJ
lection, but in view of the fact that
State Superintendent Ross, who frank
! y states that he was originally un-
favorable to state publication, now de-
| clareS that the quality of the books
now published by the state is superior
to those they superseded, the criticism
of a man who writes criticisms on
books before he has examined them
may well be regarded as having little
weight
There is one gratifying feature of
the criticism. 1t gives the real posi-
zion of the author. Formerly he pro-
tested that he was not DESTROYS of
destroying state publication. The
only thing he desired according TO
former criticisms, was increased rep
resentation of teachers on the state
school book commission. This time
he comes out in the open and declares
himself opposed to state publication
in toto. He urges that the state would
be as much justified in maintaining
state automobile factory as a plant
for the printing of school books. Pos
sibly if every family in the state hav-
ing children OF school age was COM
PEELED by law to buy automobiles there
might be some reason in this COM
parisor.
Better Service, Less Cost
Everyone knows that the original
aim of state publication was to furnish
the people of the state with school
books sthat would be of acceptable
quality and that would cost less than
those they had been compelled to buy
before. This object has been accom-
plished SO far as the state has gone
into the matter, and as the number
of books published by the state is in
; creased, the saving to school patrons
will increase.
: "A word as to the wishes of the
l teachers: Some time ago 1 sent out
several hundred letters to teachers al
/, over the state, asking for their opin.
: ions and candid criticisms of the book.
: in use Out of the vast number o.
= replies received, there were, all told
twenty-one criticisms and suggestion.