The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-13
He Doubts That the Taxpayers
Have Saved $4,000.
SAYS PEOPLE ARE WAKING UP
State Has as Much Excuse for
Making Automobiles as Books.
Cost Expert Should Show just
What Printery Is Doing.

as much JuStlrled IN eStdpilShihS ali
automobile manufacturing plant to
build the 114,373 automobiles in the
state as she is in maintaining a print
ing plant to provide the textbooks USED
in the public schools, F. l.. Plnet, sec
rotary of the State Teachers assocla-'
ton and editor of the kansas Teach
err" takes a decided stand against the
method of providing school books now
used in Kansas in the article found
below
Pinet doubts the statement of State
Printer Smith that the state has saved
the taxpayers $4,000 in the last three
years on school books and predicts
that public sentiment will soon de-
mand that the state go back into the
open book market to provide standard
textbooks. The Pinet article follows;
To the Editor Topeka State Journal:
As there has been of late a vast
amount of blackening of good white
print paper in an endeavor to en-
tighten the people on the subject OF
state publication of textbooks, desire
to, like a certain famous character in
fiction, ''have my say" and contribute
my mite to the gayety of the pleasant
discussion.
"Frenzied Figuring"
First, permit me to say that 1 have
been amused at the zeal used by the
state printer and his friends in en-
deayoring to prove to people of KAN
sas that their pocketbooks have been
enriched by reason of the efficient
and unselfish efforts of the state
printing plant. This is effective STRAIT
egy, l admit, and will for a time mis-
lead the people, but L predlct that
time will come when the Kansas peo-
pie will demand better proof than the
mere statement of interested off
cial that the state printing plant has
saved the state $4,000 in three years.
A time will come when an unpreJu-
diced cost expert will be asked to
make a disinterested report, and when
that time comes the evident Sophistry
of the state printing plants statistics
will have u bad day in the court OF
public opinion. AS L am not cost
expert, and never was very good IN
mathematics, l confess to an inability
to meet fully the happy financial con-
illusions reached by the able and
genial state printer, Mr.. w. R. Smith.
for whom 1 have the highest personal
regard. | desire, however, to point out
just a few instances where it seems to
me the reasoning has been colored. by
a desire to make what we might call
"a good showing
For instance, a statement recently
issued from the state printing plant,
claims that nearly $4,000 has been
saved on classics for the seventh and
eighth grades The difficulty here lies
in the fact that prior to the present
law on state publication there was no
adopted classic text in either the
seventh or eighth grade. Hence it is
not fair to state that the former price
of this book was $.35 as against the
present price of $40, and that since
about 100000 of these books have
been disposed of by the state printing
plant during the past three years, the
state has saved the parents of the chill
Il frR--, lfNv<lrr
was only an approved book, i. e., it
could be used if schools so desired,
but was not required. Consequently it
was used by only small number OF
schools. Had it been an adopted
book it would have been obtainable
from the publishers at a much better
price. Moreover and l am abundant
ly sure that school men who have
used the former text and the present
ones will bear me out in this state
ment, the approved book contained
much more copyrighted matter, was
better edited and selected, and was
buch better printed and bound than
the present adopted text in classics.
Another instance is to be found in
the case of the geometry text. Mr.
Smith claims that in three years state
publication has saved on this book
rather more than $4,000. But he fails
to state that on account of the large
| increase in high school enrolment
during the past three years the yearly
sales of this book have practically
| doubled. Neither does he explain that
the former geometery was bound with
| a leather back and was a really fine
piece of book work, while the present
! text is smaller and chepaer in make
up.
Again, the state printers figures
show that the old chart for beginning
classes was sold at $12, while the new
one under state publication costs only
! Silica saving of $1,000 per chart
Yet this statement can not be consid-
| cred in any other light than joke, for
primary charts are white elephants to
capable primary teachers, and the sale
| of such charts has always been neg
| ligible. If any one doubts this let
him note that by the state printing
plants own figures only $40 of these
/ charts have been sold in three years
Now. there are about 5000 schools
where such charts could be sold and
used it would seem that either the
state has published mighty poor
chart or else a chart that not more
than per cent of the Kansas schools
care to use
Has Kansas a Gold Brick?
Until lately 1 have not been inter-
ested in the business side of state
publication. Like other school men
have contended that the only matter
of any consequence was the securing
/ OF flrSt class text DOCKS. but since
| looking into the statistics given out by
the state printing plant, I am in
clined to think that this is a wrong
viewpoint. 1 have before me now a
copy of the state auditors report COW
ering the expenses of the state school
book commission for the past four
years. This report makes interesting
| reading. 1t shows, among other
things that it has cost the state of
Kansas nearly 100000 for state pub
LEGATION in the past four years. To be
exact the expenditures of the state
school book commission for grounds.
| buildings. machinery, expenses of the
commission, salaries. paper, etc, has
been 1929, 1925. This does not in
clude of course the exDe1d;t,ra -