New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-11-18
SCHOOL BOOKS IN NEW
MEXICO ARE NOT ANY
HIGHER THAN ELSEWHERE
(By Guthrie SMITH

more than other states are paving
where contracts have been made sine
the New Mexico adoption This. wa
shown concusively at a conferenc,
held here Wednesday afternoon be
tween the state board of education
and representatives of the publishing
houses which were awarded tie New
Mexico contracts.
Statements on the subject OF text
book prices were made by representa-
tives of ID. {. Heath and company
Scott, Forsman company, CHM and
company; the Macmillan company
the University Publishing company ard
also by Mr.. Stern, representing the
Charles llfeld company, which is the
distributor or depositor for New Mex
leo,
State Holds Bonds
1t was pointed out by r. X. Lark
nj, OF Las Vegas, for CHM and COM
pany, that the several publishing COM
panies now have deposited with the
state of New Mexico bonds which
aggregate approximately 100000, as
a guarantee, not only that the books
will not be sold cheaper in other states,
but also that in the event of any
reductions in the prices of the books,
New Mexico will receive the bene-
fit OF any such reductions. Failure
OF the book publishers to carry out
the terms of the contracts would mean
the forfeiture to the state of these
bonds, which are as good as gold,
and have total value of about $780,
600.
Complaints Partly True
In the political propaganda that has
been directed against the board OF
education and the state department
OF education, many claims have been
made that in other states the same
books were being sold at much low
er prices That statement was only
partially true. States which are yet
buying books under contracts made
several years ago are buying books
at lower prices; but states buying
under contracts made since the New |
Mexico contract was made, are pay
ing the same prices as prevail in
New Mexico. States of Iowa, Neb-
raska, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
and the cities of Colorado, all are I
paying as much for the same text
books.
Old Prices Lower
Comparing present New Mexico
prices with old contracts is in no sense
fair or just. For instance, under "a
contract made in 1915, New Mexico
schools were able to buy Webster's
dictionaries, as late as 1920, for $l0S0.
Under later contracts, these diction-
aries were selling for $1,000 in 1920.
The llfeld company received in 1920
vi order from a Chicago firm for
50 copies of these dictionaries, and
a cashiers check for the am
ount.
Under decision of the United States
supreme court, the publishing company
is not allowed to fix both wholesale
and retail prices. The depository has
no power, either, to fix the retail price, J
except that the depository will re- J
fuse to sell to any retail dealer who I
charges more than the published list !
price for retail.
Boards May Handle {
Another feature not generally un- !
lerstood is that the Ilfeld company .
will sell to any board OF education '
h any district, on the same terms 3
md at the same prices as are offer {
d to any dealer. The terms are cash. 0
However, In this category, school war .
ants are not included. Stern declar- y
ID the Ilfeld company is now carry
ng all the school warrants that It
5 able to carry. There is no telling =
When these warrants will be paid, and
Inder the operation of the Bateman . !.
ct, many of the accounts, where war =
ants were outstanding to cover, might =
e declared invalid. >
Profit Now Smaller y
The margin Of profit, for both de- ~ :,
ository and retailer, is much short- =
r under the present contracts than = y
nder the old. A book that retails y, y
or Sl.O0 costs the depository IS cents, ~
tern said, and the depository offers
D deliver this book to the dealer, =, :,
l Aztec, say for IS cents. A smaller ''
ercentage OF profit could not reason
bly, be asked.
Books with price not regulated by n
ontract are sold at proportionately u
igher prices, and with a total lack =
{ uniformity in price, it was shown. n
me book mentioned was sold in =
sveral sections of the state at prices ~
arying from Sll0 to Sl75. Another D
ook that should sell for Sl50, un- II
er contract, has been sold for as u
Ugh a price as 500. r
Colorado Paying More u
One Denver house is retailing books
prices that range from rs to IS per- n
.nt, higher than the New Mexico -
ale. Stern read a scale of prices
rowing that in most of the smaller
WINS of Colorado, the first reader
wv in use in both states is retailing for
cents in Colorado as compared to 30 lts
.nts in New Mexico; the second for NJ
.05, as rge;nst 90 cents here; the ha
me relative scale running through Ii
the eighth; first year biographies W
,st s1.65 in Colorado, Sl40 in New id'
Iexico; first arithmetics cost S.lO0 TIC
Colorado. SO cents in New Mexico ds
After the publishers representatives VI
Id made their statements, State Sup 50
John V. Conway spoke lc
-iefly in decrying the cheap, vici- J.
IS political propaganda which misled ag
many honest citizens.
Chairman Deplores Attitude -,
Col. James Wilson, of Roswell,
Iairman of the state board, said the
eat lesson he had learned in the
st few months is that the public
.nerally has a distressing lack of
in state officers and state Ell
ards. He cited an instance Of where. ha
a mass meeting in Roswell. he had in
en openly challenged for perpetrat- of
g a great injustice upon the peo- FIR
e of New Mexico through the new ea
xfbook contracts. Under these re- s.,
etable circumstances. he declared it low