Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 April 1879 — The School-Book Question. [ARTICLE]

The School-Book Question.

[From the South B«hd Tribune, March I.] The publication* of the old school booh publishlnK house of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Its successors, Van Antwerp, Hraicx * Co., pave been adopted for the next six vears In nearly every county In the State. Thie chan/e haa been gradually going on for aeveral years, and waa not Dually accomplished In onr own countv until laat season. To-day It would not take 110 to recure an entire uniformity of books in the county. These works are guaranteed to parents and guardians by the publishers, at prices so low that it does not really pay a bookseller to handle them. For Instance, M Oufley’a Spelling Book, coating In Cincinnati 11% cents, Is retailed here at 15 cents. It costs at least three-el a bths of a cent to get the book here. The profit It proportionately •mail on other books. In tble county tble reduction in prices of school-books waa brought about by Supt. Moon, and It can be made general throughout the atatc If County Superintendents will do their duty as ours haa uone. For, as stated above, Van Antwerp, Bragg 4 30. stand ready to lurnlsh the books at a guaranteed price, and where any over-react*, log book seller asks more thau this price, will send the books direct to school districts. Under these circumstances there Is no chance for ecbocl-patrous to pay exorbitant prices for books unless the County Superintendent 1* negligent of tbe patrons’ Interests and “stands In’’ with the book-sellers; and, If he Is lound out In tha. lie should bo immediately removed by the County Commissioners. In most. If not all the counties In the State, these books have been adopted by the county Board ot Education for six years. In this county, for Instance, there can be no change of books until June, lt(84. A great advantage resulting from this is that as tbe older children In a family advance In their studies the books discarded by than can be used by the younger members and a great expense la avolued.