, 1922-01-28
BOOK CONCERN SHOULD WAKE UP.

The city OF Casper and school distr1ct NO. 2 Dotn
have a bone to pick with the American Book COM
pany. The book concern has publishing establish
ments in New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, Boston and
Atlanta, where school text books end a full line Of
educational works are Issued. Engaged as it Is the
natural superstition is that the works turned out are
up to date and reliable in all respects. Wyoming. while
not as large a user of the American Book Company's
output as some of the more populous states. still tho
schools of the state use quite a quantity, but we feel
safe in saying that in future publications by the
American Book company will be very closely exam
ined as to the reliability of contents and the recent
ness of information, by school district No. 2, Natrona
county.
To narrow the complaint down to a specific case,
the American Book company has issued a school cal
endar for 1922 and scattered It broadcast over the
country. In addition to the calendar for the year it
purports to give astronomical information, legal holi-
days, postal rates and regulations, information con-
corning the three branches of the federal government,
territorial growth and various statistics concerning
the several states, a complete list of the governments
of the world and their rulers, populations and other
pertinent facts. Then comes public school statistics
of the forty-eight states and the island possessions to
and including the year 1921. In the table Is given
the names of the principal cities of each state, the
name of the superintendent Of schools, population un-
der the census of 1910 and 1920, school enrolment,
number of teachers employed and the total expendi-
lures for school purposes. In Wyoming the cities of
Cheyenne, Sheridan, Rock Springs and Laramie ap-
pear. Casper is not present. This is not only an af-
front to Casper, but 1t casts suspicion upon the cor
RICHNESS of information distributed by the American
Book Company and to even arouse doubt as to pub
LEGATIONS that may in fact be correct.
If the American Book Company has taken pains TO
revise its information to 1921 as 1t claims, It should
know that Casper is really on the map and so shown
in Biographies and aliases published by other book
houses. That it is the largest city in the state of
Wyoming and has held such position for several years
last past Its population exceeds 2 $1,000.
As to the Importance of the Casper school district
these facts are supplied for the information of the
American Book company.
The assessed valuation of property in the district is
S52,e17,420.
The total expenses Of the district for all purposes
for 1921 aggregated $500, 900.
The number of school buildings in the district in
GLIDING high school. vocational grade and suburban,
is 20, containing 1872 school rooms, and With all this
the schools are overcrowded and more buildings must
be erected at once.
The number of teachers employed is 14I.
The number of enrolled pupils is 3,952.
Casper spent more money for school purposes than
the four cities, named by the American Book Com
pany, combined.
Casper has q third more enrolled pupils than any
other city named by the American Book Company and
next year will show as many as any two of the cities.
But what's the use to continue comparisons. Cas-
per should worry about the omissions of a book pub
fishing concern that is years behind the times. Some
maybe. the American Book Company will wake