The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-09-13
Bismarck, North Dakota,
September S, 1894.

Editor, Tribune:
May have . little space In the
Forum column to briefly discuss q
matter which is Of very much inter-
est to q considerable number Of Bis
marck citizens.
! refer to the question of free text
books for the patrons Of the Bismarck
public schools. For year or two
there has been agitation along this
line. Last May the undersigned waS
chairman Of q committee which cir
culated petitions and secured the sig
natures Of $50 voters requesting the
school board to submit this question
to the voters at the regular annual
election held June 5th. These peti-
tons were filed with the board ct .
regular meeting fifteen days prior to
June 5th. So far as the writer knows
the sufficiency Of the petitions a well
Is the legal procedure was never ques.
toned, yet the board could not see it,
way clear to function In the matter
and comply with the plain provisions
Of Sec. 1300Ao Of the general school
laws Of North Dakota which provides
that the question Of free text books
shall be submitted to the voters Of
such district upon petition Of 10 per
cent Of the voters Of said district"
Understand It reads shall be" not
may be-" yet We had no vote on text
books.
However on July 2lst the board on
motion voted to provide free books
and included 5000 In their budget
for the same. But when this was re-
Viewed by the budget board it was
cut to $500, an amount which really
voids the action Of the school board.
Upon filing our petitions We were
met with very vigorous objections
voiced by every member, believe with
one exception, and were requested to
withdraw our petitions which Of course
We refused to do. This attitude Il
hard to understand since 81 per cent
Of the districts In the state do pro-
vide free books. It also looks some-
what queer when one considers the
violent opposition first manifest and
then the subsequent motion to pro-
vide these books. Unless We find the
explanation In the action Of the bud.
get board (all angles Of the situation
considered) composed g It Is Of two
meT.bers from the school board, two
from the city commission, one from
the park board and two ut large, Il
is just natural to conclude that the
action Of the budget board was en-
tirely satisfactory to the school,
board, Is It appears that . friendly
budget board came to the rescue Of Z
school board which found itself In q
tight place and between the two the
proper functioning Of democracy in
local affairs was defeated. It appeara
further that the motion Of July 2lst
was camouflage intended to fool
someone. Well the people engaged In
this movement are not deceived. The
battle for books" will 60 on and will
end only when our public schools are
made 100 per cent public.
Upon completion Of the new high
school building. Bismarck will have
close to 100000 invested In build.
ings and equipment. It costs around
100000 per year to run the system.
The cost Of books u not definitely
known but certainly would not ex-
coed between $4,000 or 5000 per year
after the first years initial invest
ment. This IS about one fourth Of /
per cent Of the capital investment or
about two and one-half per cent Of
the running expense and yet this ons
little item books" which is absolutely
necessary to complete the system u
left to chance or charity. As q result
some boys and girls have given up
high school entirely and many 4 pu.
pill Is handicapped in his work. Some
have books In such delapidated con.
dition as to be almost useless. Others
are sharing books together, with at
tendant difficulties and unsatisfac-
tory results. We may be mistaken but
1t is our belief that q good book ID
the first requirement In the attaining
Of IN education. This fact Is evident
when one reflects that out Of the loa
school houses Of the past have come
some Of our greatest men and women,
Still let us have the fine buildings but
also first and last let's have books
and then more books.
Yours truly.