Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1909 — SCHOOL BOOK CHANGES. [ARTICLE]

SCHOOL BOOK CHANGES.

On April 8 the State Board of Education met in Indianapolis for the purpose of receiving proposals for supplying the readers, arithmetics, geographies and copy books to be used in the public schools during the next five years. According to newspaper reports the meeting was attended by a very large number of book men who were interested in the publications of twentyeight bidders. Some of the bidders are independent publishing houses, while others, in one way and another, are identified with what is known as the school book trust. It has been intimated for some time that there is a, combination on foot to bring about a complete change in the books now in use and substitute others. There have been rumors of the formation of a syndicate for this purpose and that an agressive effort would be made to induce the state board to throw out the books now in the hands of the school children and require the purchase of books of other authors and publishers at the beginning of next school year. The board took all of the proposals under advisement and will I meet .again on the 22d of this month jto consider the question of letting i contracts. The people have conjfidence in the members of the I board and look to them for fair treatment, and for protection against unnecessary expenditures. By virtue of their offices, Governor Marshall and State Superintendent A ley .are new members of the board, and they know how the people fedl about the matter of frequent and needless changes in school books. The cost of sqhool books to the parents of the children is enormous in the aggregate, and changes are keenly felt by tens of thousands of persons whose, children are in the schools. The state board will, no doubt, seriously consider this phase of the question. If a good book is now in use it should not be thrown out unless the action can be defended on the ground of distinct advantage in matter and price.