B 2851 B7 opy 1 STATE PUBLICATION OF SCHOOL BOOKS /STATE PUBLICATION OF SCHOOL BOOKS BY JOHN FRANKLIN BROWN ^ Ph.D. (Cornell) Sometime Professor in Education and Inspector of High Schools for the State University of Iowa; Professor of Education and Principal of the Normal School in the University of Wyoming; Exchange Teacher of English in a Prussian Oberrealschule, Franckesche Stiftungen, Halle a. Saale; Instructor of Secondary Education in Teachers College, Columbia University, summer session; Lecturer in Education in Vassar College and in Wellesley College. Author of The American High School and The Training of Teachers for Secondary Schools in Germany and the United States. Editor of Educational Books, The Macmillaa Company. THE MAGMILLAN COMPANY Publishers 64-66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK Ccr^ Copyright, 1915, By JOHN FRANKLIN BROWN ©ClA4i4868 DEC 2 !9I5 / CONTENTS I. Introduction. — The State is justified in taking over and managing any public service if thereby A. The expense is substantially reduced B. The service is materially improved C. There are no serious objectionable general con- sequences II. Argument. A. Expense 1. Factors that determine the price of a book a. Manufacturing cost &. Overhead charges c. Royalty d. Publisher's profit 2. Cost of books published by the State a, Ontario h. California c. Georgia d, Kansas B. Service 1. Mechanical features of books 2. Pedagogical features of books 3. Delivery of books to pupils 4. Changing to a better book 5. Limitation to a single text C. General Consequences 1. State ownership 2. Efficiency 3. School interests and political emergencies 4. Professional spirit of teachers 5. Authorship and competitive publishing enterprise 6. Cost versus quality in education. III. Conclusion. A. Expense B. Service C. Consequences Part of the material of this study was first given as an address before an educational club of Columbia University, and later as a lecture at the summer session of Teachers College. An abstract of it appeared in *^ School and Society'* for October 2, 1915. It contains significant in- formation concerning the experience of three states in which the publication of school books by the state has been either tried or considered and rejected. So many requests for the data contained in it have been received by the author that it has been printed in revised and enlarged form with the hope that it Tnay be of service in the consideration of an important educational problem. STATE PUBLICATION OF SCHOOL BOOKS The state is justified in taking over and managing any public service — for example, the postal service, railroads, telegraph, telephone, or the making of school books — if thereby A. The expense is substantially reduced; B. The service is materially improved; C. There are no objectionable general consequences. Expense The factors that determine the selling price of a book made by a publisher — that is, under the competitive plan — are as follows: 1. Manufacturing cost — editing, type-setting, author's corrections, plates, illustrations, engraving, paper, print- ing, and binding. 2. Overhead charges — interest on investment, deprecia- tion of plates, depreciation of plant, salaries of office force and field agents, storage, insurance, taxes, transportation, postage, advertising, and retail dealer's profit. 3. Royalty paid to author. 4. Publisher's profits. If the state publishes its own school books there may be omitted from the above-named cost factors the items of taxes, field agents, advertising, and publisher's profits. All the others remain. It is an easy matter to theorize concerning the relative cost of school books when published by the state and un- der the competitive plan, but it is not so easy to secure figures that are accurate, comprehensive, and demonstra- bly conclusive concerning results in places where the plan of state publication has been tried. It is always difficult to discover and include all the expense justly chargeable to the publication of books. The four places in which the plan has been either adopted wholly or in part, or considered and rejected, are the Province of Ontario (Canada), California, Geor- gia, and Kansas. Ontario. The prices of some school books published by the government in Ontario are much lower than those of books intended for similar purposes in the states. The difference is due to several causes — to different economic conditions, to the fact that the government bears a con- siderable share of the expense of making them, to the fact that some of them are manufactured by department stores for advertising purposes and are sold at less than cost, to the government monopoly in their use, and to the rela- tively inferior character of the books. The Ontario plan of publication has little more than academic interest for people in the United States, because the conditions pre- vailing in Canada are so different from those existing here. In every case in which this plan has been considered it has been rejected as unsuited to American conditions. California. In 1884 an amendment to the constitu- tion, providing for the publication of textbooks by the state, was ratified by the people of California, and the following year legislation was enacted, putting the plan into operation. The financial side of the story may be 2 briefly told in the following summary of appropriations from 1885 to 1913: OEiGiNAii Appropriations 1885, Feb. 26, for equipment and manufacturing $150,000.00 " " " for compilation of textbooks 20,000.00 Supplementary Appropriations 1887, Mar. 15, for equipment and manufacturing 165,000.00 " " " for compilation of textbooks 15,000.00 " " " for deficiency in former appropriations (mfg.) 7,500.00 " " " for construction of warehouse for books 10,000.00 1889, " 14, for enlarging state printing office 11,000.00 " " 21, for pay of employees, -stock, etc., in text- book department 50,000.00 1891, Apr. 6, for pay of employees, stock, etc., in text- book department 40,000.00 " " " for compilation of textbooks 5,000.00 1895, Mar. 28, for pay of employees, stock, etc., in text- book department 40,000.00 1903, " 18, for expense of textbook committee 20,000.00 " " 25, for new machinery 40,000.00 1905, " 11, for salary of sec'y of textbook committee.. 4,125.00 " " 18, for new machinery 35,000.00 1909, Feb. 5, for deficit in former appropriation 479.57 " " 22, for new machinery 50,000,00 1911, May 1, for new machinery 14,000.00 $677,104.57 All of these appropriations were made from the general fund, that is, from the public treasury of the state. The proceeds derived from the sale of textbooks were consti- tuted a separate fund, known as the State School Book Fund. This was a revolving fund, used to defray the cost of manufacturing textbooks, and was presumed to be suffi- cient for that purpose. If the claims of the founders of the plan had been fulfilled, only the original appropria- tions of $170,000 would have been needed to keep the project going indefinitely. The supplementary appropria- tions were necessary because the State School Book Fund 3 proved to be inadequate, although, as it will appear later, the prices at which the state-manufactured books were sold to dealers were generally about the same as the publisher's prices to dealers for the same or similar books. Of course these supplementary appropriations would not have been necessary had the State Board fixed the prices sufficiently high to pay all the costs of publication. They became nec- essary only because in the attempt to show a saving to the state, the State Board, upon the advice of the State Printer, had priced the books lower than they had been able to produce them. In addition to the foregoing, the following increased cost of the State Printing Office was occasioned by its extension to include the printing of textbooks. It has been met by appropriations out of the General Fund, and is chargeable to state publication. a. Increased salary of Superintendent of State Printing* . . $24,800.00 b. Salary of Deputy State Printer 38,400.00 c. Insurance 10,250.00 d. Watchman 4,800.00 e. Salaries in office of State Superintendent of Public In- struction 52,000.00 f. Investigation of corruption 5,000.00 Total indirect appropriations $135,250.00 Total direct appropriations 677,104.57 Total $812,354.57 In effect, the State of California subsidized the state printing plant to the amount of $812,354, in order that ♦ a. By act of March 10, 1885, the salary was increased from $2,400 to $3,000. By act of April 26, 1909, it was raised to $5,000. b. Deputy State Printer at $2,400 per annum since 1897-1898. c. Act of March 17, 1889, Act of March 21, 1901, etc. d. Act of April 26, 1909, watchman at $1,200 per annum, e. Act of March 15, 1887, clerical aid at $2,000 per annum ex- pressly on account of Act relating to State publication. f. Resolution of March 25, 1911, Senate Daily Journal, January 29, 1913, p. 8. it might secure its school books at a lower rate. What was the result .? How did the prices at which textbooks were sold by the state to pupils compare with the prices at which they could have been secured from publishers without cost to the state.? Were the expected lower prices realized .^^ The first set of texts,* for the compilation of which the State of California had appropriated $40,000 from the general fund, were sold at more than double the prices at which the State Printer had originally estimated he could produce them. The following table shows this estimate and also the relative cost of books under California prices and publishers' prices in 1890.** Publishers' Actual price of Original prices similar estimate charged book to of State by State wholesale BOOKS Printer in 1890 dealers First Reader. . ..$0.09% $0.15 McGuffey's 1st Reader. .$0.13% Second Reader .. .18 .33 Harper's 2d Reader 28% Third Reader. . . .24% .54 McGuffey's 5th Reader. . . .57% Speller . . .08% 35 Watson's Speller 16 ALrithmetic . . . .. .28?4 Ele. .20 Robinson's 1st Book 24 Adv. .42 Robinson's Complete, Pt. II .40 Grrammar . . .20% Ele. .25 Swinton's Lang. Lessons . . .30% Adv. .42 Swinton's Grammar 45% History .. .29y2 .70 Barnes' Brief 80 Ele. Geography .. .35 .50 $3.76 Harper's Introductory 38% $1.73% $3.74% * In content these texts were so defective that they were first revised and then thrown out altogether. ** A History of the State Printer's Monopoly of School Books in the State of California, p. 38. In 1890, in answer to numerous inquiries, State Super- intendent, Ira G. Hoitt, wrote the following open letter concerning the cost and other features of the project: State of California, Department of Public Instruction, Sacramento, Dec. 26, 1890. Dear Sir: In reply to your late inquiry concerning the publication of school textbooks by the State of California, I have had so many similar inquiries from your own and other states that I have concluded to make a general statement in regard to the practical results of our experiment in state publication of textbooks. For over four years this plan has had a fair and impartial trial in our state. I came into office a believer in the project, and every aid which I could give to its successful issue has been freely rendered throughout my administration. But now, in the light of my experience, I must acknowledge that results have not met my expectations. In the first place, the expense has been great — over four hundred thousand dollars having been appropriated thus far for the compilation of the series and the manufacture of the first 50,000 copies of each book. Ten books have so far been issued, and three more are yet to come to complete a full series as required by our law. Whatever may be the advantages claimed for state publi- cation by believers in a paternal plan of government, the result of the experiment in our state shows that it costs the state more to manufacture the books than it would cost a private publishing house — for obvious reasons. Besides this, there is, in a state series, a lack of spontaneity and compe- tition in authorship. When the State Board employs an author or compiler, it must accept and pay for his work whether it is suitable or not. And the supervision and compilation of series of school- books by a State Board, whose memberships are subject to frequent changes and who are already burdened with other duties, is attended with difficulties. While our State Board has been zealous and has done the best it could in making a state series, I regret that its efforts have not met the requirements of the schools or the expecta- tions of our leading educators, as shown by the following reso- lution adopted at the Biennial Convention of California School Superintendents, held December 2 and 3, 1890. "Resolved, that while certain of the state textbooks, notably the 'Primary Language Lessons' and the 'Ele- mentary Geography,' have met the approval of our public- school teachers of the state, we desire to record our severe criticism and disapproval of others of the state series and express our judgment that their thorough revision by competent authors, so as to adapt them to the wants of the schools, is imperative and should be entered upon at once." In the light of our experience, after four years of trial, I am therefore compelled, with personal reluctance, to acknowl- edge to the comparative want of success in our California ex- periment in making and publishing schoolbooks. Taking into consideration the large appropriations made and the further and constant outlays for revisions, new plates, etc., the same number of books can be purchased in the open market at wholesale prices for less than it costs the state to mAinufacture them,. I am therefore constrained to admit that I would not advise any other state to enter upon the publication of school books. Very truly yours, IRA G. HOITT, Supt. of Public Instruction. So high an authority in economics as Professor J. W. Jenks says in 1891 in an article on Schoolbook Legislation: The State of California at present is not saving money by manufacturing books, if we compare prices with those it might contract for, size and quality of books being considered. It is probably true, moreover, that selections might be made by any board from the books of private firms that would on the whole be better adapted to the work of the schools. A comparison of these prices will show that book pub- lishers will supply similar books at as good, and in some cases at better, rates even to school districts buying sepa- rately, and in some instances to individual purchasers. The testimony of many teachers is to the same effect, i.e., that nothing is saved to the pupils in money by the state series. —Good Citizenship, pp. 228, 232. PRICES PREVAILING IN 1905-06 ARE REPORTED AS FOLLOWS:* Publishers' Publishers' California California actual actual cost prices to retail net prices pupils from prices prices Sacramento retail dealers Cyr's Primer $0.24 $0.19 $0.20 $0.25 Cyr's 1st Reader 28 .22 .24 .29 Cyr's 2d Reader 36 .29 .28 .35 Cyr's 3d Reader 50 .40 .42 .50 Cyr's 4th Reader 60 .48 .49 .60 McClymonds & Jones' Elemen. Arithmetic. .35 .28 .28 .35 Hornb rook's Grammar School Arithmetic. .65 .52 .50 .60 Steps in English— Bk. I .40 .32 .28 .35 Steps in English-Bk. II .60 .48 .46 .55 Thomas' Elemen. Hist. .60 .48 .45 .55 McMaster's Sch. Hist. 1.00 .80 .81 .95 Tarr & McMurry's In- troductory Geog 60 .48 .55 .64 Natural Adv. Geog... 1.25 1.00 .98 1.20 $7.43 $5.94 $5.94 $7.18 In the Sierra Educational News for October and No- vember, 1911, appeared an editorial, from which the fol- lowing extract is taken. It will be seen that the writer believes in free textbooks, and that his argument is di- rected against state publication and state uniformity of schoolbooks. The Cost of Textbooks — Since educational experience and educational theory both strongly sanction local adoptions and optional free texts, we might fairly rest the case at this point. But we desire to meet the advocates of state publication on the only point left — cost of books. Some people might be disposed to put up with a confessedly poor system, if it could be shown that such a system is cheaper than the one pro- posed. A system of local adoptions necessarily involves the purchase of books in the open market. It does away neces- ♦ Journal of Education, Feb. 18, 1909. 8 sarily with state publication. Can books be purchased under local adoptions at prices comparable with those charged under state publication? A study of conditions and prices in states having local adoptions will prove instructive. Where boards representing cities or counties deal directly with publishers, the books are laid down to these authorities, or to dealers in non-free-text territory, at 20 per cent, off the list price.* In several states the books are laid down at the capital at 25 per cent, off the list price. The list price of a book is the price fixed by the publisher at which the book should be sold in ordinary trade over the dealer's counter. The list price includes the profits of both the jobber and the retailer. Co-operative buying from publishers direct cuts out these profits and makes a material reduction in the cost of the book to the pupil. With city and county adoptions in California, the books could easily be delivered to boards of education, or to dealers in non-free- text territory, at 20 per cent, off the list price. We are now ready for a specific comparison of prices under our present system of state publication with those that would prevail under local adoptions. California publishes six texts in reading and sells them to the children as follows: Primer, 28 cents; first reader, 25 cents; second reader, 30 cents; third reader, 45 cents; fourth reader, 60 cents; fifth reader, 60 cents. ITie total cost of the six books is $2.48. The list prices of the same books, as published regularly, follow: Aldine Primer (Newson and Co.), 32 cents; Progressive First Reader (Silver, Burdett & Co.), 32 cents; Brooks' Third Reader (American Book Co.), 40 cents; Stepping Stones Fourth Reader (Silver, Burdett & Co.), 60 cents; Step- ping Stones Fifth Reader (Silver, Burdett & Co.), 60 cents. The total list price of the six is $2.59. Deducting 20 per cent., we have $2.07, the price at which the books would be delivered to city and county boards, or to dealers in non- free-text territory. Adding 10 per cent, of the list price for the cost of handling by superintendents or dealers, we have $2.33 as the price to be paid by the children. This is 15 cents less than we are paying now for these books on inferior paper and with poor bindings. But someone objects tiiat the total cost of $2.48 for the state readers would be materially lessened if all the graft could be squeezed out of the State Printing Office, and busi- nesslike methods introduced. This is certainly true. For- tunately we have the figures of the secretary of the State Board of Control, as expert accountant, to help us on this point. He furnished the senatorial investigating committee * The usual publisher's discount to dealers or to school boards in the case of an exclusive state adoption is about 25 per cent, off the list price, books delivered. with an estimate of the rightful cost of the primer and the first three readers as follows: primer, 24 cents; first reader, 22 cents; second reader, 25 cents; third reader, 33 cents. This estimate makes a total cost of $1.04 for the four books as against the present price of $1.28, the difference of 24 cents representing the extracted graft. Under local adoptions, what would the four books cost our children? The list prices of the four total $1.39. Deducting 20 per cent, for county or city adoption, and adding 10 per cent, for handling, we have $1.25 as against the estimate of $1.04. But let us remember that this apparent difference of 21 cents is not based on equal values in paper, binding, and workmanship. It means the difference between books properly made and those that read- ily fall to pieces. It means books that will last twice as long. The difference in quality and lasting power probably more than offsets the 21 cents. Furthermore, be it remembered that the estimate of $1.04 is merely an estimate that rests upon an assumption of a businesslike administration of the State Printing Office — an assumption negatived by the experi- ence of twenty-six years. Exchange of Textbooks — However, let us be optimistic. Let us assume that the state could sell these four books at $1.04 without calling upon the legislature for a special appro- priation for the State Printing Office. Let us also waive the question of qualities in paper, binding, and workmanship. In connection with that apparent difference of 21 cents, there still remains another consideration which knocks the last prop from under a belief in the lower cost of state texts. We refer to the exchange of books granted by publishers under local adoptions. On a four years' adoption, publishers would grant in California an exchange price of 40 per cent, off on all books sold the first year of the adoption.* Figures show that under exchange not less than 40 per cent, of all books sold under a four years' contract are sold the first year and that 75 per cent, of these purchases are on exchange. This represents an average reduction of 12 per cent, on every book sold during the entire period of adoption. Under our plan of state publication there is a total loss whenever a book is changed. Since educational progress makes occasional changes in texts necessary, would it not be far better to have a system that would not leave the old books a dead loss to pupils and parents? If the book bills of some families could be cut 40 per cent, through the privilege of exchange, there would be a strong incentive to keep books against the day of exchange. Two Payments under State Publication — There still re- mains another important factor in the cost of textbooks that • The usual exchange price for the first year of an exclusive State adoption is about 50 per cent, off the list price of the book. 10 usually is lost sight of completely. Under state publication, the people of California have been called upon to make an indirect second payment for textbooks in addition to the sums paid directly by parents. From the inception of state pub- lication to June 30, 1910, the parents in this state paid $2,553,824.29 directly for textbooks. No doubt the great ma- jority of these parents believed they were paying the entire cost of the books. Far from it. During the time mentioned the legislature made special appropriations aggregating $607,600 to further the work of state publication. Thus, in addition to the sums paid directly by parents for books, we were obliged to add from the state treasury 23 per cent. more. However, the man who paid four dollars for his children's books did not realize that he was adding nearly another dollar for books in his taxes. If he had realized it, we should have heard from him. That realization would have shaken his loyalty to a professedly independent system that needs 23 per cent, of coddling from the state to make it go. If this parent were a business man, his loyalty to the system would probably have been completely destroyed by the consideration that if these special appropriations of $607,600 had been placed at interest at 5 per cent., they would now amount to at least $1,250,000, or approximately 50 per cent, of the amount paid by the parents. Any comparison of the cost of books under state publication with the cost under local adoptions that does not take these special appropriations into account is mani- festly incomplete and unfair. For, waiving the question of interest, these appropriations, aggregating 23 per cent, of the sums paid directly for the books, loom up in any honest dis- cussion of the subject. Though usually overlooked in textbook discussion, these appropriations are as big and significant as the Fairmont Hotel on the skyline of San Francisco. They are significant, first, in removing the last reasonable doubt as to relative costs under state publication and local adoptions. Secondly, because of the ease with which we lose sight of these appropriations — ^the money of all the people rather than of individuals — ^they are significant in enforcing the necessity of a system of publication and adoption close to the people and responsive to their varying needs, before we dare commit ourselves to free texts. No more serious educational blunder could be made than free texts under state publication. Since free texts are right and desirable, it is evident that our rigid, cost-concealing system of state publication must give way for the introduction of free texts under an open, elastic, less ex- pensive and more democratic plan. While this accumulation of evidence may not be re- garded as demonstrably conclusive in detail, it points very 11 clearly to the conclusion that from 1885 to 1913 the prices at which books were sold to the people under the state publication plan were on the whole no less than prices at which they might have been purchased from publishers. In addition, the people paid the state $812,- 354, for it must not be forgotten that they were paying for publishing the books as well as for the books them- selves. The present free textbook law in California is different from that of any other state. In other states the local community buys the books and distributes them to pupils. In California the state bears the whole expense, including transportation, leaving to school boards only the work of distribution to pupils, and the cost is paid out of direct appropriations from the state treasury. In the administration of State Printer F. W. Richard- son, the prices of books were twice reduced, once just before and once just after the law was enacted providing for free texts, beginning about January 1, 1913. The prices fixed after the enactment of the free textbook law may be regarded as nominal, for it is admitted that they do not cover all the costs of publication. It makes very little difference to the people what these prices are, since the state provides pupils in the public schools with books free of cost. The few books that are sold are used by pupils in private schools and by that small number of pupils in public schools who want books of their own. The arguments sometimes offered in favor of the plan of state publication of school books in California are very misleading. While Mr. Richardson was State Printer and a year before the time when he was elected State Treasurer, there appeared in his paper, the Berkeley Gazette,* for Oc- * See also the report of F. W. Richardson, Superintendent State Printing, dated Oct. 4, 1913. 19 tober 6, 1913, an article in which it is claimed that by his efficient management of the state textbook business he had saved to the state from January 1, 1913, to October 1, 1913, the sum of $265,477.89. The foUowing extract from this article contains the figures used in that argument: During the nine months from January first to October first, 1,231,681 schoolbooks were distributed from the Cali- fornia Printing Office. The table below shows the state's manufacturing cost plus royalty, as against the catalogue list price of the book companies to dealers: State's Mfg. Cost Book Company Name of Book Plus Royalty Catalogue Price Primer $7,972.35 $17,007.68 First Reader 7,609.46 16,793.28 Second Reader 7,737.30 18,053.70 Third Reader 9,085.50 20,190.00 Fourth Reader 10,722.19 27,259.80 Fifth Reader 9,886.67 30,640.50 SpeUer— One 11,477.14 19,637.00 Speller— Two 8,836.70 19,637.10 First Arithmetic 10,983.87 22,613.85 Advanced Arithmetic 17,200.00 41,280.00 New Lessons— One 20,857.54 42,470.10 New Lessons— Two 17,657.25 42,377.40 Introductory History 10,385.86 20,431.20 Brief History 11,405.35 28,092.00 Introductory Geography 11,558.98 20,398.20 Advanced Geography 15,634.53 33,048.60 Primer Hygiene 8,466.34 19,920.80 Civics 10,717.50 26,793.75 Total $219,691.95 $485,169.84 Book Company Price $485,169.84 State Printing Cost 219,691.95 $265,477.89 This table shows the cost of manufacturing state schoolbooks at the California State Printing Office, under the administra- tion of State Printer Friend W. Richardson, and the price at which the same books are sold by the book companies to dealers. A full set of books manufactured by the State of 13 California, including royalties, costs $4.61, while the same set costs $10.42 when purchased from the book companies. Mfg. Name of Book Cost Primer $0,103 First Reader 097 Second Reader 0975 Third Reader 12 Fourth Reader 146 Fifth Reader 152 Speller— One 107 Speller— Two 11 Elementary Arithmetic 1175 Advanced Arithmetic 16 New Eng. Less. 1 1535 New Eng. Less. II 16 Introductory History 155 Brief History 256 Introductory Geography 25 Advanced Geography 465 Hygiene 11 Civics 175 Writing, Book 1 032 Writing, Book II 032 Writing, Book III 032 Writing, Book IV 032 Writing, Book V 032 Books VI, VII and VIII * $4.61 $10.42 * California Writing Books combine eight books in five. This article is not only misleading in its general import, but at some points it is absolutely in error. Note the fol- lowing necessary corrections: 1. The article gives as the cost of the books to the state under the plan of state publication, the manufactur- ing cost plus the royalty, that is, the price that the deal- ers pay for books on the cars at Sacramento. It com- pares these prices with the publisher's list prices, that is, the prices at which publishers agree to sell single books, 14 Co. Mfg. Cost List Royalty and Royalty Price $0,048 $0.15 $0.32 .048 .145 .32 .0525 .15 .35 .06 .18 .40 .09 .236 .60 .09 .242 .75 .025 .132 .25 .025 .135 .30 .0525 .17 .35 .09 .25 .60 .0675 .221 .45 .09 .25 .60 .15 .305 .60 .15 .406 1.00 .09 .34 .60 .15 .615 1.30 .06 .17 .40 .125 .30 .75 .01 .042 .06 .01 .042 .06 .01 .042 .06 .01 .042 .06 .01 .042 .06 •• ... .18 whereas it is a well-known fact that publishers regularly give dealers or school boards a discount of 20 per cent, from list prices, and that in the case of a state adoption they grant a discount of 25 per cent, from list prices, and pay cost of delivery to the dealers. In this case the dis- count alone amounts to $121,292.46, and the item desig- nated as the "Book Company price" should be reduced by that amount. 2. There is misrepresentation of the publisher's retail prices, as given in the column headed "Co. List Price." The Fifth Reader should be listed at 60 cents instead of at 75 cents; the Advanced Geography at $1.00 instead of $1.30; the Writing books at 5 cents each instead of at 6 cents each. This correction makes a difference of 50 cents in the sum of the column. 3. The statement of the "manufacturing cost and roy- alty" does not include the total cost, but only certain items arbitrarily chosen to represent that cost. It takes no account of the interest on the investment in the printing plant and revolving fund, of the depreciation of the plant, and of the salaries of the State Printer and other officers. Every business man knows that these three items — inter- est, depreciation and salaries — constitute a large part of the expense of a business. 4. The article takes no account of the fact that the mechanical make-up of the books printed by the State of California is very inferior in quality and that any pub- lisher, if permitted to furnish such books to the state, would gladly reduce his prices very considerably. When these four points are taken into consideration, the saving of $265,000 claimed in the article quoted is very greatly diminished. The first point reduces it by more than $121,000 outright, and the second, third, and 15 fourth points may fairly be assumed to do away with the balance. Indeed, that there is no saving at all, even un- der the newest, lowest prices at which the State Printer claims to be able to manufacture the books is clearly indi- cated by the following summary of cost and returns since January 1, 1913. It is a matter of record that the appropriations made for the manufacture of textbooks since January 1, 1913, and the assets in cash and books, April 1, 1915, are as follows : Books on hand Jan. 1, 1913 $72,451.79 Cash in School Book Fund, appropriated Feb. 4, 1913 155,803.66 Appropriated from state, Feb. 3, 1913 10,000.00 Appropriated from state, June 9, 1913 500,000.00 $738,255.45 $738,255.45 Cash on hand April 1, 1915 $247,317.42 Books on hand April 1, 1915 89,566.04 $336,883.46 336,883.46 Net cost of books between Jan. 1, 1913, and April 1, 1915. .$401,371.99 This figure, $401,371.99, represents only the cost of the basal elementary textbooks listed above, for in the State of California supplementary readers, library books, and high school textbooks are not provided by the State Printer. Now it is a fact well known among school men, that the cost of supplementary readers, library books, and high school textbooks amounts to from one-third to one-half of the total expenditure for textbooks. But, according to a recent report of the United States Bureau of Education, the average annual expense for school books per pupil enrolled in the public schools of the United States is $0,783. According to the same authority, in 16 1912-13 the schools of California enrolled 446,916 pupils. The annual expense for school books should be, therefore, about $350,000, and for two years about $700,000. De- ducting from this $700,000 the estimated amount which has been paid to publishers for high school books, supple- mentary readers and library books, we find that the cost during the two-year period would have been, had the basal books for the elementary grades been purchased direct from the publisher, between $350,000 and $466,000, say $400,000. This amount is slightly less than the State of California spent from January 1, 1913, to April 1, 1915, and it indicates that even during this period, the period of supposed lowest cost in the history of the proj- ect in California, there has been no saving over the cost that would have been incurred had the books been pur- chased direct from the publishers. Moreover, in this statement no account is taken of the interest on the enor- mous investment for state publication or of the fact that the books used are much inferior in quality to those which the publisher would have supplied at no greater cost. We desire to be absolutely fair toward the project of state publication and to draw no inferences that are not warranted by facts. We believe, however, that the evi- dence presented in the preceding pages shows beyond the shadow of a doubt that the textbooks published by the state have cost the State of California a great deal more than they would have cost had they been purchased from publishers. We fail to find any ground whatever for the "belief" expressed in a bulletin issued by State Superin- tendent Edward Hyatt, in July, 1915, in which he says: We believe that the state is getting its service of text- books at a saving of at least 25 per cent., everything con- sidered, over what it would cost if given to private publishers in the regular way. 17 Apparently this statement is based upon a comparison of the so-called "cost and selling prices at Sacramento" and the publisher's list prices of the same books. Taken by itself, this comparison is as misleading and fallacious in its import as the article in the Berkeley Gazette, previ- ously discussed, except that apparently there is no mis- quotation of publisher's prices. Mr. Hyatt acknowledges, however, that the comparison is not quite fair perhaps, in that some of the overhead expense, as the salaries of some managers and editors, the cost of exploiting, the interest and deprecia- tion of plant, the losses by unsuccessful books, is not included in reckoning the California costs. This is just the point at which the arguments of the supporters of state publication break down. They do not honestly take account of all the cost factors. It will certainly require a fuller, fairer and more convincing statement of figures and facts than that given in the Ga- zette article or in the State Superintendent's bulletin to commend state publication to the man who thinks. In the light of available facts and the testimony of prominent officials, the cost of state publication in California now stands condemned so far as expense is concerned. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that the state is still paying, or rather losing, the interest on the $812,- 354 that it appropriated and lost between 1885 and 1913, and that for nearly thirty years it has done its school children the great injustice of requiring them to use text- books some of which were inferior in content, and all of which were very inferior in mechanical make-up. The attitude of thoughtful California people towards the present law is expressed in the following editorial that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle for August 4, 1914. 18 OUR FREE TEXTBOOKS We Are Havixg a Costly Experience^ From Which We Should Learn The experience of California covers about all forms of pro- viding and distributing school textbooks, from the go-as-you- please plan with which we began business to the adoption of a uniform series by a legislature which knew nothing about the matter and cared less, and thence through county and city independent adoptions to state uniformity in the use of books written by local educational lights at so much a month, rewritten by a "literary proofreader and editor in chief," and then printed at the State Printing Office and sold at "cost," which was something more than books of the same size were sold for elsewhere, after having been purchased from the wicked and notorious book ring. Then, at the demand of the outraged teachers, we dumped the entire lot of home-produced texts as junk and entered into contracts with the "book ring" — there isn't any book ring that we know of, but that is what they call it — to rent plates of standard textbooks and print them at the State Printing Office on a royalty. But the "cost" would not go down. The people, having decided that they were unable to elect a State Printer to suit them, made the office appointive, and agreed to distribute the books free. The present State Printer, not being inclined to steal, did greatly reduce the cost, or rather the alleged cost, of the books — state costs do not consider cost and depreciation of plant — ^but it was no saving to the State, for, under free dis- tribution, the number of books called for was several times greater than had ever been used before, whereby the pub- lishers whose plates were being used profited mightily. The distribution of books last year was a scandal. For that not the State Printer was to blame, but the educational ad- ministration and "the People." It is evident that, although the free books were the same that had been used, every young one in the state demanded a new book, even if the house was full of books which had been purchased. It was a case of a unanimous rush of the People to graft on themselves. This was permitted by the educational authorities, from the state office down. No matter whether the child needed a new book or not, he got it, and no questions asked. No records of use are kept. No books are turned back when the pupils have done with them. Books covering several years' work are issued when the pupil first needs them, and are worn out, even by good honest usage before the pupil has finished the grades where they are used. But there is no record to show whether they are used hon- 19 estly or not, which makes it certain that they will not be so used. If a book is lost, the child apparently gets another. There is probably no instance of a book having been used by one child and passed down in fair order to a younger one of the same family, as was done in the bad old days when each family bought its own books. It is stated that there is absolutely no record of what be- comes of the books after they pass into the maw of the educa- tional system. And the taxpayers foot the bills. No matter. Nobody loves the taxpayer any more. It is said that this year the demand for books is much less than that of last year — thus far. In fact, but about one-third as great. Considering the number given away last year, one- tenth the number should be sufficient this year — and would be, if the parents had to buy them. So long as the state gives away school textbooks, ordinary prudence would suggest a pretty severe method of accounting for those in use. Georgia. — In August, 1913, the General Assembly of Georgia appointed a Joint Commission of Eight to inquire into and report as soon as practicable on the reasonableness of the present price of school books, and inquire into the prices of books used elsewhere, and also as to the practicability of the State furnishing school books for use in the public schools at cost of publication. The essential points in the printed report of this Com- mission are as follows: 1. The cost of a complete set of the required basal school books used in the grades below the high school in twenty- one states having uniform textbook adoption was found to be as follows: Alabama $9.85 Nevada $10.65 Arizona 9.95 New Mexico 10.43 Florida 10.10 N. Carolina 8.9T Georgia 7.90 Oklahoma 8.20 Idaho 10.09 Oregon 9.52 Indiana 5.85 S. Carolina 8.68 Kansas 5.57 Tennessee 9.09 Kentucky 8.82 Texas 11.83 Louisiana 9.94 Utah 17.41 Mississippi 9.54 Virginia 9.79 Montana 10.65 W. Virginia 11.97 20 The considerable discrepancy apparent in the total cost of books in the various states is explained by the fact that the list of books adopted in some states is much more extensive than that in others. An examination of these lists shows that the cost per book is almost exactly the same. 2. Consideration of the school book situation in Cali- fornia resulted in the following conclusions: A — The cost to the parent of the books made by California, all things considered, has not been, upon an average, cheaper than the Georgia texts; B — It is only just to state that there has always been considerable question, expressed, sometimes even by the Cali- fornia people themselves, as to the quality of their books; C — It is beyond doubt true that these California texts are inferior from the standpoint of paper, print and binding — this fact is apparent even to the careless observer. Even now, with all the experience of that State and with the best efforts of the most successful State Printer they have ever before secured, F. W. Richardson, the basal books for the public schools do not seem to be able to be placed in the hands of the children of California much cheaper than with us, to say nothing whatever of the salaries of the officials, the enormous sum invested in the printing plant, and the waste of unsatisfactory books which have been made and thrown away. . . . The prices (cost of books) do not take into consideration the deterioration of the plant, interest on money invested and possibly some of the salaries of officials, etc.; neither do patrons have the benefit of exchange price. It is proper to state that California has adopted free text book legislation. This does not alter the fact, however, that the expense is the same and must be defrayed by the taxpayer, even if it is removed from his shoulders under another name. 3. Consideration of the schoolbook situation in Kansas resulted in the following conclusion; From the situation in this State it is difficult to secure much argument, as yet at least, to authorize the creation of a printing plant and the publicatio/i of school books by the State. 21 4. To test the question of manufacturing cost, the Georgia Commission requested bids from several printing establishments for the printing and binding of five books, which presumably they would have been willing to accept for use in their schools. The bids submitted were as fol- lows: Primer, 12 to 12% cents; Elementary Arithmetic, 20 to 231/^ cents; Reader, Book V, 22 to 22% cents; Copy Books, 5 to 7 cents each. These prices show that it would be quite impossible to make any saving to the state under state publication. It should be kept in mind that these prices are for paper, printing, and binding only, and do not include any charge for author's royalty, local dealer's profits, cost of distri- bution, transportation charge, etc. It is particularly interesting here to note that the Geor- gia Commission, in asking for prices from printers who were, of course, anxious to do the work, received bids for paper, printing, and binding alone which were far in ex- cess of the retail prices of similar books in Canada, as the following comparison shows : Bid to Ontario Commission retail price Primer $.12 to $.125 $.04 Elementary Arithmetic ... .20 to .235 .10 Reader, Book 5 22 to .225 .16 Copy Books, each 05 to .07 .02 This comparison confirms the statement made in an early part of this paper that the conditions in Canada are so different from those in the United States as to render price comparisons practically worthless. 5. With regard to the Ontario books, the Commission says : 32 Without saying anything as to the quality of these books, although educational experts have been practically a unit in pronouncing them inferior to our own texts, it is a fact easily ascertained that they are able to be sold at so low a price be- cause of two reasons: First, a part of the expense is borne by the Government, and second, another part by the depart- ment store for the sake of the advertising. 6. The summarized conclusions of the Commission are as follows: A — Compared with the prices paid for similar books in other States in this country, the cost in Georgia is not only reasonable but actually considerably less than the average paid in the other forty-seven commonwealths of this Union. B — The California plan, which involves the purchase and equipment of a printing plant, managed by State officials, for the purpose of printing State school books, does not appear to be desirable for Georgia. C — We would not recommend the publication of our school texts by the Ontario plan. Six of the eight members of the Commission agreed to the first two of these conclusions. One member, who was absent on account of illness, did not sign the report; a second presented a minority report concerning point C, and in its place recommended: that the State Department of Education be authorized to rent or lease plates and manuscript and print one other text [besides one of "local coloring"] such as may be deemed ad- visable, of the common and high school books, through com- petitive bids by publishers. A third member of the Commission, who, to judge from the printed Report, is more politician than educator, presented a minority report in which he maintained, though without presenting evidence, that it would be possible for the state to secure satisfactory texts at prices much lower than those previously paid. The bill providing for state publication in Georgia was defeated. 23 Kansas. — Previous to the year 1913 there existed in Kansas a law which provided for state uniformity in ele- mentary school books and which fixed a maximum price to be paid for the same. Because of this maximum price limit publishers often found it impossible to offer their best books, and consequently the schools were compelled to use books of inferior quality. In 1913 a law was enacted creating a state schoolbook commission with power to acquire by purchase or by condemnation proceedings the ground necessary on which to erect building or buildings additional to the present state printing plant, to construct buildings thereon, to purchase necessary machinery, type and other printing and binding material to print and bind school books, to procure copyrights for same, or to contract for the right to publish said school books, on a royalty basis, and to provide for the preparation, publication, purchase, sale and distribution of a state series of school textbooks at cost, making appropriations therefor and providing penalties for tlie violation of this act and repealing all acts and parts of acts in so far as they conflict or are inconsistent witii this act. The most significant provisions of this law are as fol- lows : The Commission consists of seven members: the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the President of the State Normal School, the President of the State Agri- cultural College, the President of the State Board of Agriculture, the State Printer, and two other persons to be appointed by the Governor. The Commission employs as secretary, textbook expert and executive officer of the Commission, an outside person whose salary shall not exceed $2,000 per year. The Commission shall "write, select, compile, or cause to be written, or compiled, or purchased" elementary textbooks. When a book has been authorized and published by the Commission it shall be 24 used exclusively. The use of supplementary books is for- bidden. The price of a book shall be based upon the State Printer's estimate of its cost, including the cost of mate- rial, labor, copyrights, royalty, authorship, and other necessary expenses. There shall be appropriated out of the state treasury $50,000 for additions to the state printing plant, $25,000 to pay authors, artists, com- pilers and stenographers and to purchase copyrights and other supplies, $50,000 to be used as a revolving fund for the purchase of paper, printer's and binder's material and for labor, $2,000 for a contingent fund, $2,000 for the Secretary's salary, and $1,000 for the expenses of the Commission from July 1, 1913, to July 1, 1915. There is a fine of from $25 to $100 for using textbooks contrary to the provisions of this Act — for example, for using supplementary books. It is now two years since this law was enacted. In the meantime a Primer, a History of Kansas and a collection of Classics for the eighth grade have been published un- der the law.* The Primer was prepared by a local author. Artists were employed to illustrate it at a cost of about $2,000. The book was edited by the secretary of the commission, assisted by a former school book man who had been act- ively interested in securing the passage of the law. The author is reported to have said that in the Primer as finally published she scarcely recognized her own work. Complete copyright privileges were purchased outright from the author at a cost of $2,000. The Primer is sold at fourteen cents. A casual examination shows poor print- ing and binding, to say nothing of more essential qualities. * Since this statement was written we are informed that two other hooks have been published, an Elementary Agriculture pre- pared by two professors in the Agricultural College at the request of the Statej and a Geometry printed from rented plates. The History of Kansas was written by a local county superintendent. The work was purchased by cash pay- ment of $3,500 to the author, $500 of this amount to be spent for revision and editing. As accepted by the commission, it was thought to be too crude for publication, and it was edited by one or more professors in one of the higher educational institutions of the state. In paper, printing and binding there is much to be desired. The illustrations are particularly unsatisfactory. The book is sold for twenty- two cents. The book of Selections for the eighth grade was edited by the secretary of the commission and by a professor of English in the State Agricultural College. The selec- tions are standard, but the book is poorly printed and bound. It sells for eighteen cents. The State Printer reports the cost of these books as follows : * Cost TRIMBR— Edition, 80,000. per copy Manuscript ($2,000), illustrations, engraving and electrotyping $4,731.75 Distributed over 200,000 $0.0236587 Composition 409.32 Distributed over 200,000 .0020493 Press work $ 550.31 Binding 2,118.92 2,669.23 Distributed over 80,000 .0333654 Paper stock $1,955.18 Binding stock 1,894.38 3,849.56 Distributed over 80,000 .0481195 $0.1071929 Cost of distributing to dealers .01 Total $0.1171929 Price to dealers .12 * "The Kansas Teacher," March, 1915. The amounts paid for the manuscripts, $2,000 for the Primer and $3,500 for the Kansas History are not definitely given in the State Printer's report. ^6 Cost KANSAS HISTORY— Edition, JfO,000. per copy Manuscript ($3,500), illustrations, engraving and electrotyping $3,998.34 Distributed over 100,000 $0.0399834 Composition 513.75 Distributed over 100,000 .0051375 Press work $ 358.30 Binding 1,627.96 1,986.16 Distributed over 40,000 .0496540 Paper stock $1,429.27 Binding stock 935.09 2,364.36 Distributed over 40,000 .0591090 $0.1538839 Cost of distributing to dealers .015 Total $0.1688839 Price to dealers .22 Cost EIGHTH GRADE CI.ASS1CS— Edition, 25,000. per copy Copyrights, etc $ 181.00 Distributed over 60,000 $0.0030167 Composition and stereotype 1,036.84 Distributed over 60,000 .0172866 Press work $ 241.05 Binding 1,057.68 1,298.73 Distributed over 25,000 .0519492 Paper stock $1,024.47 Binding stock 597.41 1,621.88 Distributed over 25,000 .0648752 $0.1371277 Cost of distributing to dealers .02 Total $0.1571277 Price to dealers .18 27 It will be noted that the cost of these books as given in the above estimates is contingent upon the sale of con- siderable numbers — 200,000 Primers, 100,000 Histories and 60,000 Classics. If the experience of California should be repeated, however, and these books should be discarded as unsatisfactory before the estimated numbers are sold, the cost of those manufactured will be corre^ spondingly increased and the first cost of copyright and plates, which is always a relatively large item, will be al- most a total loss. It will be noted also that the estimate includes no state- ment of overhead charges — that is, interest on the invest- ment, depreciation of plant and plates, salaries, storage, insurance, postage, official printing, contingent fees, etc. Interest on the investment, to date about $230,000, at six per cent, is $13,000 annually. The other items probably amount to at least $17,000 per year, making a total of $30,000, which sum must certainly be included in an ade- quate statement of cost to the state. Let it be said again that it is difficult, if not impossible, to secure an adequate and accurate statement of the cost of books under the plan of state publication, but it is un- doubtedly much greater than would appear from any statement that is based upon royalty and manufacturing charges alone. The State of Kansas may be paying a little more or a little less for the three books named above than it would pay for similar (but better) books provided under the competitive plan of publication. Whether the cost is a little greater or a little less is relatively unim- portant. The farmers and business men of Kansas are wisely demanding the newest and the most approved ma- chinery with which to conduct their business, and so long as the difference in cost is not great, certainly there is no argument for forcing upon the schools of Kansas books 2S which are inferior either in content or in mechanical features. When the law of 1913 was passed there was a practi- cally unanimous sentiment among the school people of the state and a strong feeling among many others that the whole question should be thoroughly investigated for two years before positive action was taken. This proposition was voted down, however, and the law was enacted in the form indicated above. The people generally have been dissatisfied with it and apparently it has not worked out as weU as its supporters expected, for the Legislature of 1915 amended the law of 1913 at several points, chief among which are that the Commission shall "as soon as and when practicable, print, publish, or provide for the publication of a complete series of school textbooks" ia- cluding high school texts ; they shall provide by adoption for such books as they "find it impossible or impracticable to print or publish;" the use of supplementary books ap- proved by the Commission is permitted. It is evident that this amendment of 1915 corrects some very serious defects in the law of 1913, in that it provides for the use of supplementary books and for the adoption of books in cases in which it is found "impracticable to print or publish them." It remains to be seen whether the state will persist in its original purpose to publish its school books or whether it will find adoption from the open field the wiser plan. It will be seen from the foregoing account of the expe- rience of California and Kansas that two methods or de- grees, so to speak, of state publication of school books have been tried in these states. Under the first method the state, through a properly constituted commission, selects and employs the author or editor, usually someone of local importance, to write a book to order. It is then printed and bound at the state printing establishment and afterward sold to pupils at cost price or furnished to them free by the state. The early California books and the Kansas books (Primer, History of Kansas and Selections) were made in this way. Under the second method the plates of a book belonging to an individual or publishing house are rented and the book is printed and bound at the state printing establish- ment. Most of the books used in California are now made in this way. Some publishers refuse to rent plates. To the experience of California, Georgia, and Kansas there may be added certain general considerations con- cerning the cost of books when manufactured in large quantities in a well equipped plant. The uninitiated do not realize the great difference per hook in the manufacturing cost when books are made in large quantities in well equipped printing and binding plants. The initial cost for editorial work, printing plant, type-setting, and plates is heavy, and practically the same whether few or many books are made. The saving comes in spreading out this initial expense over a large number of copies printed and bound in large orders. This is just what the publisher does when he has a book that is widely used in different parts of the country. He prints many times the total number required for a single state, thereby making a great saving in the cost of stock, print- ing and binding over the best that a state can do. As a concrete illustration we may cite the fact that a certain publisher recently used 366 tons of paper in printing one order for 400,000 copies of two textbooks, thereby effect- ing a saving of about 7.3 per cent, of the total cost over what it would have cost to print these books in different successive orders of 20,000 copies each. The difference between the manufacturing cost in small quantities and in 30 large quantities sometimes constitutes the whole of the publisher's profit. Moreover, work can be done better and more cheaply in well equipped plants. It is an easy matter for a state to spend $200,000 on a printing plant to supply books that would cost not more than that amount annually in the open market, but it is very expensive to do so. Econ- omy in production consists in having the best machinery and using it to the limit. If a state printing establishment is to do satisfactory work it must have this machinery, but it cannot keep it busy, hence there is a loss. The large appropriations asked for by state printing offices are usually needed to keep them up to date, but they are expensive to the state. It is for this reason that most publishing houses do not print and bind their own books. So far as the amount of their business is concerned, many of these publishing houses are in about the same position as the average state, and the fact that they find it more profitable to buy their printing in the open market from well-equipped plants than to maintain their own printing plant for the relatively small amount of business that they do is the strongest kind of evidence that the state cannot save money by printing its own textbooks. Only a few of the very large publishers who have business many times that of any one state have found it profitable to conduct their own printing plants. Service Turning now to the question of service, what do we find under the plan of publication by the state? 1. The books produced are inferior mechanically. It is scarcely to be expected that as good material results would be obtained by a state printer who holds his position by political appointment or by election as would be obtained 31 by publishing houses working in strong competition and with a professional and business ambition to produce the best possible results at the lowest cost. The facts clearly bear out the expectation. Even in Ontario, where from the point of view of economy the plan seems to work best, the books used are patently inferior. In California there has always been complaint on this score; often it has been serious. In the words of State Printer Young (Re- port 1886-1888, p. 13), "the volumes fell apart after very little use, and the complaint against them was uni- versal." An interesting illustration is found in the re- cent remark of a prominent educator of California to a representative of a publishing company, "Your Geog- raphies are the best in the world, but why do you bind them so poorly?" He had forgotten for the moment that the Geographies used in California are printed from the publisher's plates and bound under the direction of the State Printer. In the investigation of this subject by the Georgia Commission in 1914 it was clearly brought out that textbooks used under the plan of state publication are much inferior to those provided under the other plan. The mechanical make-up of the three books manufactured by Kansas is not worthy of the great modern Sunflower State. It belongs to the period of the ox-team and the sod house. The marked inferiority of paper, printing and binding of books published by the state when com- pared with those made under the competitive plan is evi- dent not only to the expert, but to the casual observer as well, and actual comparison is all that is necessary to convince the most skeptical. 2. More often than otherwise the books are inferior in content also. In California the first books made by the state were soon thrown away because they were so un- satisfactory in content. In Kansas — it is too soon to say S3 with certainty what will ultimately happen, but if edi- torial remarks in the Wichita Beacon for January 23, 1915, represent the feeling of the thoughtful people of the state, it would be safe to hazard a guess. THE LITTLE KANSAN'S PRIMER Sometime ago the Beacon wrote an analysis of the first textbook printed under state publication — that of the History of Kansas. The book fell so far short of the educational standard which Kansas ought to set that it attracted much unfavorable comment, but it is in our schools just the same. Now comes the Kansas Primer. The title of it is "The Little Kansans Primer." The author or the printer was un- certain whether to put the apostrophe after the "n" or after the "s," so left it out altogether. The illustrations are fairly good. In this respect it is a decided improvement over the Kansas history. This is the only kind word that can be said about the book. If you don't believe it, get a copy of the book and examine it for yourself. The most convincing part of the Beacon^s argument is found in following the suggestion to examine the books for yourself. In cases where authorship or editorship is limited to the state in which the plan is being used, inferiority is almost sure to result because no state has a monopoly of the best authors in all subjects, and if it should have one such author, he is not likely to be willing to limit the use of his books to one state. Are not the children entitled to the use of the best book regardless of the author's residence.'^ It is safe to say that if the teachers of Kansas were free to choose among all the books now available, not one of the three made by the state would, in its present form, find a place on the list. If a publisher were to put out such books under existing conditions of competition, they 33 would certainly be a total loss to him. But the sovereign State of Kansas, under the present law, permits no com- petition; it creates a monopoly in these made-to-order books, and thrusts them upon the schools of the state regardless of the opinion and wishes of its own teachers and in the face of the fact that in any competent and unprejudiced court these books would be judged inferior both mechanically and pedagogically. It is particularly noteworthy that even California has found it necessary to fall back upon the resources of pub- lishers in order to secure books that are satisfactory in content. The first books, made to order by local authors, were extremely unsatisfactory, as is shown by the report of the Secretary of the State Textbook Commission, quoted on page 43. Revised editions of these books "failed to meet the requirements of the schools." For sev- eral years nearly all the books used in California have been printed from plates rented from publishers. The state has been unable to develop an acceptable series of texts. 3. There is likely to be serious delay in delivery of books. In California there has been much complaint on this score. In the editorial on the California Textbook System previously quoted, the writer says on this point: Supplementary to the question of exchange lies a question of administration that has worried every school official in California. We refer to the impossibility, under our present system, of getting enough books the first week of school to supply all the children. Practically every teacher, principal and superintendent in California will bear eloquent testimony that never have the children under his charge been able to secure all the necessary books the first week of school. At such times the newspapers all over the State are voicing the complaints of superintendents. The reason for this state of affairs is not far to seek. Usually the State Printing Office is partly at fault; but even when its skirts are clean, the trouble persists, owing to the unwillingness of local dealers to order freely for school opening. With cash accompanying all 34 orders for State books, with no return privileges, and with only a small margin of profit, the dealers dare not take the chance of being "stuck." Hence they invariably order light and continue to reorder for two or three months. Experience has shown the dealers that this is the only safe way. Mean- while the schools suffer. Many parents who naturally expect to buy books for their children at the time of school opening object strenuously later on. Local adoptions (with or without free texts) would enable every school in California to be fully equipped the first week. How so? Whenever a book is dis- placed under local adoptions, the publishers of the new book take from the dealers at dollar for doUar all the stock on hand. Thus protected against loss, dealers have no hesitancy to order freely on the estimate which the superintendent or principal is always glad to furnish. In free-text territory the problem of securing books on time solves itself. To encourage boards to order adequately for prospective needs, publishers grant a return privilege on the books up to 20 per cent, of the original order. To this statement may be added the explanation that when a publisher is under a $50,000 bond to supply books by a fixed date, as he usually is in the case of a large adoption, there is not likely to be delay in delivery. 4. When a book has been made by the state, it is par- ticularly difficult to effect a change to another, even though that other be much better. When the state has incurred the initial cost of preparing and manufacturing a new series, it is but natural that the supporters of that series should desire to use it as long as possible. If it were manufactured by a publishing house, the state would be free to change at any time that it seemed desirable to do so. The importance of occasional changes in textbooks is often not appreciated by parents and taxpayers. If books must be bought for the children, the introduction of a new text may mean to the parent simply the additional expense of that book when, from his point of view, an old book in the house would do just as well. He does not 35 always realize that there are improvements in school books as there are in other things. If he is a progressive farmer or manufacturer he knows the advantage of up-to-date machinery; if a merchant, he knows the value of modern methods of serving his customers ; if an automobilist, he wants the latest machine. It does not always occur to him, however, that he may be as ignorant of the best things for the school as the teacher is of the newest things in his business, and that teachers and pupils want the best books for the same reasons that he wants the most modem and effective appliances. 5. State publication sometimes brings the disadvantage of being limited to a single text. This limitation to one text in one subject is the logical position to take under the plan of state manufacture for the sake of the lowest pos- sible cost, but it limits tremendously the efficiency of school books as educational tools, for in no state is a single book likely to be the best for aU the conditions existing in that state, and the use of only one book is often dead- ening in its effect upon pupils. In a recommendation to the legislature made by State Superintendent Ross, of Kansas, he says: An actual incident will illustrate the true situation graph- ically. The Supreme Court decision in the supplementary book case was handed down on a Saturday. The following Monday a little 10-year-old Topeka girl went home from school, and in her childish simplicity (thinking that court de- cisions should be rendered on what the law ought to be, in- stead of what it is), said to her father at the dinner table: "Papa, what do you suppose the Supreme Court has done?" Her father said: "Why, I don't know — ^what has it done?" "Well, it has just spoiled school," the little girl replied. Then she explained that her class had finished their reader and were in the midst of one of a very interesting series of little "classics" on the industries, this one being on the formation, production and uses of coal, when they had been compelled to quit because the Supreme Court had said they could not, under the law, use any books in their reading class except the 36 state-adopted reader." — Advance Sheets from Biennial Be- port, Dec, 1914-. The alternative, namely, the adoption of supplemen- tary texts, is practical acknowledgment of the failure of the one-book plan. Moreover, if supplementary texts are needed — and the best opinion and practice indicate that they are — it is pertinent to inquire why, if it is wise for the state to publish the basal text in a subject, it would not be equally wise for it to publish the supplementary texts also. General Consequences 1. At the outset we meet the general objection that always prevails against state participation in business en- terprises. The function of the state, particularly as it is regarded in a democratic country, is to carry on those affairs of the people that cannot be trusted to private effort. To do that well is quite enough, and nothing else should be included in its duties. This objection is founded in part on the instinctive de- sire of the American people to be governed as little as possible, in part on their antipathy to a monopoly even though it be a government monopoly, and in part on the belief, based on evidence, that government ownership is often a failure if all the facts be taken into consideration. President A. T. Hadley, of Yale University, says in his treatise on Economics: "The advantages of intervention on the part of a govern- ment are visible and tangible facts; the evil that results from such intervention is much more indirect and can only be appreciated after close and intensive study." In his book entitled Where and Why Public Ownership Has Failed, Mr. Yves Guyot, the well-known French econ- 37 omist, points out in detail that even in Europe, where the people are much more submissive to government control, and public ownership has a much better chance of success than in the United States, it has not been nearly so suc- cessful as its advocates would have the world believe. He summarizes the "results of experience" as follows: Against a wider extension of public economic responsibili- ties nothing but experience stands in the way. But it con- demns unreservedly any such extension. From the point of view both of the quality and the cost of service, state and municipal ownership show incontestible inferiority to private enterprise (p. 398). Of course, no one condemns the postal service or any other service for the government management of which there is equally good reason. Where conditions are such that satisfactory service requires unified, permanent con- trol, as in the case of the postal service, people are willing to forego the advantages that free competition might bring. But where permanent, monopolistic control is not necessary or even desirable, where occasional change is advantageous, as in the case of school books, where free competition can be relied upon to produce a better prod- uct than monopoly, even though it be a government mo- nopoly, the spirit of democracy justly resents state in- terference. 2. The plan of state manufacture leaves an open road to inefficiency and graft. The California Senate Daily Journal for January 29, 1913, contains the following statement from the committee appointed to investigate the school book situation in that state: For many years prior to and at the time this committee entered upon the discharge of its duties, under the admin- istration of William W. Shannon, Superintendent of State Printing, the cost of textbooks, as charged by the State Print- 38 ing Office and levied against the school children of this State, was grossly excessive and extortionate. This situation was due to the manner in which the business of the State Printing Office was being and had for years been conducted, which was as deplorable as it was astounding, and which tolerated a system reeking with fraud and dishonesty. The entire business of supplying materials used in the publication of state textbooks was, with the active connivance of the Superintendent of State Printing, monopolized by four favored firms, which thereby profited to the extent of many thousands of dollars extorted from the parents and guardians of the school children. • •••••■•• The methods pursued in conducting the internal affairs of the State Printing Office were as incomprehensible as they were ineffective from the standpoint of ordinary business effi- ciency and economy. No adequate system of bookkeeping was followed; no proper check was kept for the purpose of determining whether the materials paid for were in fact fur- nished, or were of the character or quality ordered, or con- formed to the provisions of the contracts, or from which the exact quantity of material that went into any particular job could be determined, or what charge should be made against any particular book; no accounts were kept showing the cost of each particular textbook; certain employees were carried on the pay-roll of the State Printing Office not because any necessity existed for the services to be rendered by them, but to satisfy political and ante-election obligations and promises ; an excessive amount of overhead charges and administrative expenses of the whole department was charged against the publication of school textbooks; an excessive and exorbitant cost constantly resulted from the excessive prices paid for the materials which entered into the printing and publication of these books, and in addition there was a charge for labor which should have been charged against other work; an un- lawful profit of twenty per cent, was arbitrarily placed upon every textbook printed, and last but not least, the vast sums collected from the school children and their parents in pay- ment for the books were deposited to the credit of the State Textbook Fund, only to be withdrawn immediately to satisfy the greedy demands of the supply contractors who had exercised an effective control over the State Printing Office for many years. But, it may be said, if graft and inefficiency in the of- fices of state printer and state superintendent were elim- inated, could not the state provide books more cheaply 39 than they are provided through private competition? The latter experience of California does not appear to sanction this conclusion. Moreover, in the present state of Amer- ican industrial efficiency and social and political ethics, does not the supposition involve too great a hazard? 3. Even in cases where there is no attempt at graft in high places, and where there is an honest desire for effi- ciency, school interests are likely to suffer bcause the book business is sure sooner or later to become dependent upon political ambition or caprice or emergency. The campaign cry for cheaper school books is one that reaches many homes, as events in Ontario, California, and Kansas show. To lessen the cost of books^ — ^whether actually or only apparently, it does not matter — is to store up polit- ical capital. Political debts must be paid, some of them by appointments, and state departments offer a fine field for patronage. There come political crises when a change of books or of management must be made or must not be made regardless of whether it should be made or not. Ignorant meddlers cannot always be ignored. For ex- ample, in a recent state-adoption campaign a politician of some note, who had publicly charged unjust dealings in the book business, was called before the State Board to give evidence. He was sure there was something wrong, but on the witness stand he was utterly unable to sub- stantiate, or even to make, any definite charge. There are many of his kind, ignorant and ready to make trouble. It is an open secret that our great state universities suffer at times through the enthusiastic efforts of well- meaning but mistaken politicians. Under a system of state manufacture of textbooks, the common schools are in even greater danger. 4. The professional spirit of teachers is violated. How can it be otherwise when state publication has been under- go taken and is continued in the face of the almost universal opposition of teachers ? They feel that by depriving them of an opportunity to secure the best books, state publi- cation imposes upon them and their work an unnecessary handicap. It is surprising that the supporters of state publication have not recognized the injury, not to say the insult, done to the members of the teaching profession by imposing upon them school books which in any professional court would be judged inferior in quality. If these teach- ers are at all worthy of the responsible positions that they occupy as leaders of the rising generation, their indi- vidual and professional protest against the products and policy of state publication should certainly be heard and heeded. Nor is there any doubt about the existence of such opin- ion. In 1882, at a Convention of the County Superin- tendents of California, a report on the feasibility of state publication was made, and resolutions were passed the con- clusion of which was that In consideration, therefore, of all the above facts, we are constrained to advise against the state undertaking to print, publish, or "provide" any of the school textbooks. At the annual meeting of the California State Teachers' Association, held in December, 1883, a full report on the subject was made and the following prophetic resolution adopted : Resolved, that in the opinion of this association, the pub- lication of school textbooks by the state is inexpedient and impracticable, and will if attempted result in great pecuniary- loss to the state and expensive and unsatisfactory books to our schools. In the (California) Overland Monthly for July, 1888, ex-State Superintendent F. M. Campbell wrote: 41 In conclusion, let me say that I am opposed to the state going into the business of manufacturing furniture, clothing, boots and shoes, cigars or books. That all these things could be bought a bit cheaper (if it were true) would not be an argument with me. The opinion of State Superintendent Ira G. Hoitt, written in December, 1890, has already been quoted. See page 6. In his report, dated December 15, 1892, J. W. Ander- son, Superintendent of Public Instruction, says: The difficult}'' incident to securing the services of persons fully competent to prepare school textbooks can scarcely be imagined except by those who have had experience in such work. The making of school textbooks has been reduced to a science, and authors fully competent to execute the work as it should be done can and do secure greater compensation than it is possible for the State Board of Education to give; and, inasmuch as they could not do the work themselves, they were under the necessity of assigning it to such parties as it was possible for them to secure, and whom they considered best capable of properly discharging the duties. Both the readers and spellers are so defective in what is needed by the schools as to require entirely new publication instead of revision. The advanced arithmetic also needs re- vision, in order to suit it to the wants of the schools. The grammar meets with more serious complaint than any other books published by the state except the readers and the his- tory, and the interests of our schools imperatively demand its revision. Much complaint was heard relative to the charac- ter of the history of the United States; it is not at all suited to the pupils in the classes where it is required to be used. The arrangement of the matter is not regarded as good, and the style of treating the various topics is abstruse to such a degree as to render it very difficult to be compre- hended by the pupils. In an Historical Review of State Publication of Text- books, prepared by Mr. Robert Furlong, Secretary of the State Textbook Commission and printed in the Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, dated Sep- tember 14, 1906, the writer says: 43 The teaching force of the state murmured its dissatisfac- tion with the contents of the prescribed books. Crudities, mis- statements of facts, and a general want of attractiveness in the texts made them diflBcult for teachers and uninteresting to pupils. Evidences of a lack of skill in textbook-making appeared in every book that so far had been prepared under the system. Quality had not been considered a factor, for most of the texts were neither pedagogical nor modern. Quan- tity, at first restricted, was later enlarged when the number and kinds of books were increased, which fact added mate- rially to the cost for school patrons. This latter result was especially disappointing to the promoters of state publication who had promised great reductions in cost of books. Upon the whole, the method of providing children's schoolbooks cheaply, to which the people had given emphatic approval by engrafting it on the constitution of the state, had in practice proved quite unsatisfactory. While the revised books were an improvement on those that had preceded them in use, they failed to satisfy the re- quirements of the schools. Dissatisfaction was heard from every classroom. So general did fault-finding become that it found open expression in resolutions adopted at nearly every institute of teachers and at every convention of superintend- ents held in the state. It was repeatedly shown by competent judges that in a comparison with texts used in several other states, the California books suffered. They were found to be inferior in both plan and content, while the mechanical work on them reflected no credit on the book-maker's art. So far the texts had been compiled by California writers who, as authors, were previously unknown. These writers employed for the work were doubtless "well qualified persons," since the statute directed that they should be so, but evidently their high qualifications extended in other directions than in the writing of textbooks adapted to California schools. The finished products of their skill were not of the "first order of excellence," which standard the state had established for its schoolbooks in the act provided for their preparation. Teach- ers demanded textbooks in keeping with the state's pro- gressive school system. They found their work in the class- room hampered because of the inferior texts they were compelled by law to use. The effects of this condition in the schools, serious as they were, would doubtless have been even more disastrous had it not been for a saving provision in the law permitting the use of other books to supplement the state texts. Boards of education had authority to adopt lists of books for supplementary purposes. The names of the best elementary textbooks published in the United States soon appeared in school manuals, associated with the prescribed 4S state publications. It was permissible under the law to pur- chase supplemental books with certain funds of a district or city. When purchased they belonged to the school library, to be used for class-room purposes. Pupils were required to buy only the state book in any study, as the supplementary books, enough for class use, were furnished at expense of a district. In a measure, this method of purchase meant free textbooks, since the supplementary books furnished schools often outnumbered the state books owned by the pupils. In 1915, when an amendment to the Constitution pro- viding for the publication of high school textbooks was before the California Legislature, a committee appointed by the California Council of Education to investigate the attitude of the school people of the state regarding the proposed amendment reported that at least one hundred and fifty letters had been written by high school principals to legislators, and they were unanimous in their opinion against the amendment, which was afterward defeated. In a bulletin issued in July, 1915, the present State Superintendent of California, Edward Hyatt, says, con- cerning the criticisms of the first twenty years of state publication : Those in charge of state publication became very uncom- fortable over the general clamor. They revised books and added to them in vain, and continually they looked for some way to improve the matter, to stop the howls. Undoubt- edly, if it had not been planted deep in the Constitution itself, state publication would have gone by the board during this period. At a meeting of the National Educational Association at San Francisco in August, 1915, one session was de- voted to a consideration of textbooks. The discussion, in which California educators took a prominent part, was a severe arraignment of the state publication system. Al- though many California teachers were present, not a voice was raised in its defence. The last speaker. Dr. P. P. Claxton, United States Commissioner of Education, was U unsparing in his criticism of any plan that limits the choice of textbooks to the authors of a single state and that emphasizes financial saving at the expense of educa- tional efficiency. The enthusiastic response from his listen- ers left no doubt as to their approval of his position. In the Journal of Education for January 1, 1914, Mr. D. C. McCray reports the sentiment of the Kansas State Teachers' Association as follows : "We build schoolhouses, equip them witli every modern convenience, including seats, desks and furnishings. These we buy in the open market because the open market is bigger and wider than Kansas. We do this with taxes levied on the property in the school district. Why should we not go into the open market and buy the best schoolbooks and pay for them with taxes levied just as we pay for school furniture, and make them free to every child in the state? If Kansas authors and Kansas printing offices can supply the best books at the lowest prices, buy them. But let Kansas compete with the open market. The education of our children — the school- books that lay the foundation of their lives — ^is too sacred a thing to be discarded for 'sentiment' or for 'cheapness.' The best school texts are none too good for Kansas." This sentiment was expressed by hundreds of teachers who had hoped that in getting away from the evils complained of in the sixteen years of state uniformity the legislature would consider the better way — district ownership, free textbooks and the open market to select from. But this legislature, like others that came from the farms on the wave of a poli- tical upheaval, was pledged in the platform to pass a law providing for the state publication of schoolbooks. Edu- cators, teachers, and men high in educational councils came here to reason with the members and to beg of them to wait two years and in the meantime investigate the California system. But these appeals were in vain, state publication was in the platform and the platform was the will of the people — expressed by less than 400 men constituting the party council and all candidates for office. Urging the party coun- cil to heed the will of the people were the experts, agitators and hopeful authors, with their respective axes to grind. Private information concerning opinion in California shows that leading educators there regard the state pub- lication scheme as a sort of octopus which, although it is 45 dragging educational efficiency down into the depths of political necessity, nevertheless, survives because of the patronage it affords. It maintains its hold in the face of the practically universal opposition of the educational public — the extra-political educational public — and since it cannot be killed, the practical problem is to render it as harmless as possible. A similar sentiment prevails in Kan- sas, but many are now hoping that under the law of 1915 adoption from the publishers' lists will take the place of local authorship and state manufacture, and that the state may be saved both the expense and the humiliation that the latter have been found to bring. Is it not passing strange that in the face of this uni- versal professional attitude on the part of teachers, poli- ticians persist in pushing plans for state publication .^^ And does it not also provide just ground for criticism of the practical efficiency of our American form of gov- ernment that professional opinion is so lightly swept aside in a matter of so great national importance.'* It may soon become necessary for American teachers to register at the polls their protest against this violation of their pro- fessional rights, rights which are also the rights and the interests of the people and the state.* 5. Professional authorship and competitive publishing enterprise are discouraged. If quality as well as cost of product is important, authorship and competitive pub- lishing effort should, on the other hand, be encouraged and stimulated as much as possible. The laborer is worthy of his hire. If the financial rewards of superior author- ship are reduced below a certain profitable minimum either * In 1915 a bill, providing for state publication of school books, was introduced into the Alabama Leg^islature by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules. It passed in the Senate, but be- fore it came to a vote in the House the school people of the state had become aware of its significance and undoubtedly their protests were a large factor in its defeat. 46 by cutting down royalties or by the limitation of sales by state lines, the most competent authors will not find it worth while to write school books, and we shall be limited to the use of books prepared by mediocre or inferior tal- ent. If the state creates a monopoly of school book making so as to destroy a reasonable publisher's profit, the publishers will leave the field and we shall be deprived of the improvements that necessarily come through com- petitive private effort. Book publishing includes much more than merely print- ing and binding. It is an intricate business in which train- ing, constructive imagination, experience, and business and professional ambition are large factors. Excellence in product comes only through expertness in the worker, and expertness comes only through years of training. To know educational conditions and needs, to know what has been done in the world of book making, to have a wide acquaintance with authors, to know what constitutes a good and attractive book, mechanically considered, and how to make it at reasonable cost, to devise methods that represent the best modem psychology and pedagogy, to have the foresight and constructive genius to plan a book that will sell well because it meets existing needs better than any other book — these are some of the problems that confront author and publisher. How successfully they have solved them and how much they have contributed to modern educational progress is known only to those who have given the matter careful consideration. The critical public hears much of the relatively few highly successful books that are an educational success and that make money for author and publisher. It hears little or nothing of the many unsuccessful books into which author and publisher have put just as much effort and money, but which, the test of trial shows, lacked some 47 essential but unknown quality necessary to make them a success. The publisher does not advertise his school book graveyard, but it cannot be hidden from those who are interested in reading the inscriptions on its tombstones. The publisher experiments in the making of a new book, using the best judgment that years of experience and training can give and incidentally spending thousands of dollars. The public benefits from his failures only a little less than from his successes, for it is often extremely worth while to know what not to do or how not to do it. If the unsuccessful books had been published by the state, the schools would have been compelled to use them even after they had been found to be unsatisfactory. Experience shows that textbooks cannot be made to order with any assurance of success; they are an evolu- tion. The problems in making them are altogether too difficult to be solved offhand by the chance compiler and printer who hold their positions not by virtue of adequate training and professional ambition, but through some lucky turn of the political wheel of fortune; and the proper solution of these problems is of so great importance to the educational welfare of the American people that we cannot afford to lose or to check the beneficent influence of competitive publishing effort, which has undoubtedly been the greatest factor in the evolution of the modem school book. 6. State publication emphasizes cost rather than qual- ity of education, a radically wrong view so long as the cost is not unreasonable. The only argument urged in favor of state publication is that it decreases the expense for books. That this claim is not well founded is clearly shown in the preceding pages. But even if it were true, it would not follow that we should not pay the larger 48 amount for the sake of securing the better book. Why not buy the cheapest clothing, the cheapest food? The largest factor in the making of a good school is undoubtedly the teacher. The next largest is undoubtedly the textbook. A really good teacher will teach well from a poor book. A really poor teacher will not teach well from any book. But in either case the work will be better done if a good book is used, and well qualified teachers are not so numerous in American schools that we can afford to be satisfied with any but the best books. A good book at least gives the pupil a chance. In an article on School- book Legislation, Professor J. W. Jenks, the well-known economist and educator, says: A saving of even fifty cents a year for each pupil, impor- tant as it is, is not of such vital consequence as good train- ing, and this training, considering the poor preparation of many of our teachers, is largely dependent on the text- hooks. {Good Citizenship, p. 229.) The human, commonsense way for the parent to con- sider this matter is to ask himself the question, "Is this good book worth two cents (or twenty cents) more to my child this year than that inferior book.?" Neither is the cost prohibitive. We spend in the United States annually for Spirituous liquors about $579,000,000, an average of $5.79 per person 512,000,000 " " " 5.12 417,000,000 " " " 4.17 Boots and shoes Tobacco Bread and bakeries... Moving pictures Automobiles Agricultural imp'm'nts Patent medicines Confectionery Coffee Chewing gum School books " 11,000,000 " " " -^7 The average animal cost of books per pupil enrolled in the public elementary and high schools is about $0,783. 49 397,000,000 " " " 3.97 275,000,000 " " " 2.75 249,000,000 " " " 2.49 146,000,000 " " " 1.46 142,000,000 " " " 1.42 135,000,000 " " " 1.35 100,000,000 " " " 1.00 25,000,000 " " " .25 With these figures before us we can not well escape the conclusion that to choose an inferior school book because it is a few cents cheaper, while we spend lavishly for less important things, is to "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel." Conclusion I. In California the prices at which books were sold to pupils by the state from 1885 to 1913 were in some cases lower and in some cases higher than those at which the same or similar books might have been secured from pub- lishers, averaging about the same. Since elementary texts were made free in 1913, a lower nominal price has been fixed for the few books sold to private purchasers, but, according to the statement of the State Superintendent, this price does not cover the total cost of publication. In Kansas the three books published by the state are now sold at prices somewhat lower than could be secured in the open market for good books, but these prices do not represent the total cost to the people of the state, if all the expense factors are considered. In no case is lower cost to the people proved if all the expense factors are taken into account. II. The service rendered under the plan of state publi- cation is unsatisfactory in that 1. The books produced are always inferior in mechan- ical features. 2. They are often inferior pedagogically. 3. There is often serious delay in delivery of books. 4. It is difficult to change to a better book. 5. Pupils are sometimes limited to the use of a single book, supplementary books being barred. 50 III. There are serious general objections to the plan of state publication in that 1. The state should engage in no business enterprise which can safely be left to private effort. 2. It provides an easy road to inefficiency and graft. 3. It subordinates school interests to political emer- gencies. 4*. It violates the professional spirit of teachers. 5. It discourages authorship and competitive pub- lishing effort. 6. It emphasizes cost rather than quality of educa- tional equipment. 51 IF a state is willing to publish as cheaply as possible made-to-order books and impose them upon the schools without first testing them, it may be possible to do it at slightly less expense than would be incurred in buy- ing the best approved books from publishers ; but experience to date shows that in every case the result is inferior books, and that lower cost is not proved, if all the expense factors are considered. If the state should experiment with its books, as the publisher is compelled to do, and should require the use of no book until it had been tested and proved successful, the cost to the state would be increased to an amount greater than that required to purchase the best approved books from publishers. If the state adopts and prints only books that have been tested and proved by the pub- lisher, it must pay and it should pay to the publisher enough to reimburse him for the cost of his experimenting, and to yield him a reasonable profit. The choice seems to lie between inferior books at prices that show no saving when all the cost factors are included and the best books at prices that permit a fair publisher's profit. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 021 302 774 8