tricts, and in some of the smaller villages, multiplicity is the rule and uniformity the exception. Why this difference? It is clearly due to the failure of township and village boards to do their duty. They have the same authority respecting text books as the boards in cities and towns, but, instead of adopting suitable books and prohibiting the use of all others, they simply leave the whole matter to parents and teachers. What our country schools most need is authoritative direction; and before they can have this, the people must be willing to entrust their management to the proper officers. As long as Tom, Dick and Harry can dictate respecting studies and text-books, our country schools will be in confusion.

We do not concur in the opinion that the multiplicity of books in our schools is due to publishers. Doubtless frequent and annoying changes in books are often due to the sharp competition between rival publishing-houses, but facts justify us in saying that this competition tends to a uniformity rather than to a multiplicity of text-books.

A school-book agent was a character unknown to the teachers of our boyhood, and yet the number of different reading-books, arithmetics and geographies found in the old log school-house, greatly exceeded the number now found in the neat white structure that stands in its place. "Many years since," says a recent writer, "it became my duty to serve on the school committee of a country town. There were 59 scholars enrolled, and the book account stood thusarithmetics 29, of 7 varieties, viz: Daboll 7, Smith 7, Pike (abridged) 5, Colburn 3, three other varieties, with title page out, 7; reading books, 13 varieties; spelling books, 11; and grammars, 4.” This was 66 many years since," be it remembered, when school-book publishers were few in number and the agency business was exceedingly modest, if it had any existence.

It is doubtless true, that if only one series of books in each branch of study was published, our schools would at once be relieved from the annoyance of a diversity of books and our school boards from the necessity of taking any action upon the subject. So, too, had there been but one plow, one hoe, one scythe and one churn invented, there would be an admirable uniformity in the utensils used by our farmers, and they would thus be protected from the sharp and sometimes unscrupulous practices of inventors and manufacturers. But who would like to see such a dead-level state of things? The truth is, there is no one agency that has contributed more to school advancement than improved school books. They constitute largely the means by which new and valuable methods of teaching are made known and available to the great majority of teachers. The publisher of a good school-book is a public benefactor.

Here is a matter which the zealous advocates of a State series of school-books are apt to overlook. They need only ask what would be the effect upon invention and the mechanic arts, were the kinds of implements and machines to be used in each State placed under the control of a central authority, to realize the importance of tolerating free competition among authors and publishers. The essential thing is a uniformity of books in each school district; and, in our judgment, the true policy is to secure this result through the action of the local school authorities. Instead of the adoption of a series of books to be used throughout the State, we should much prefer to see the enactment of a law

requiring boards of education to adopt suitable books for the schools under their control, and to interdict the use of any and all other books of the same class or kind. This would secure necessary, if not desirable, uniformity, and at the same time would leave the school-book business open to competition and enterprise.

It may be necessary so to regulate the introduction of new books by law that too frequent changes may be prevented. A statutory provision requiring books when once introduced, to be used for a specified period of time, say at least three years, would cause boards to be more careful in the selection of books, and would, to some extent, protect the patrons of the schools from capricious changes. The practice adopted by some publishers, of "giving in" their books to displace a rival series, is often an inducement to boards to throw out of the schools books recently introduced, and which have not been used sufficiently long to test their merits. It is not an unusual thing for teachers to be disappointed in new books, since the skillful use of a text-book requires a familiar acquaintance with it.

There is one advantage in a State series. The "floating" population, referred to by our correspondent, is not subjected to the expense of buying new books when removing from one locality to another. This is desirable, but we fail to see in it a sufficient argument for the State system. Nor is the common argument that local boards of education are not competent to decide upon the merits of school books, at all conclusive. The difference between the leading series of books now before the public is not sufficiently great to make the selection of good books a difficult task. Facts justify the statement that the average merits of the school-books selected by local boards, will at least equal the merits of the series adopted by a State board or committee.

What our schools need, we repeat, is ACTION by the local boards of education. One series of books should be adopted in each branch of study, and all others peremptorily excluded from the schools.

SCHOOL AFFAIRS IN CLERMONT COUNTY.

E. E. WHITE-Dear Sir: According to my promise, I send you a few statements referring to rural and village schools in the southern part of the State. Our school-houses are poorly arranged and furnished for efficient teaching. This is the ninth year since the building of most of them, and they are becoming much out of repair. There seems to have been a mania for cutting benches, picking plaster, and in some places the weather-boarding has been used to kindle fires! There are a few of the old log houses in the country yet. They stand as so many monuments of former days.

The "cipher through" system of instruction still finds a place in most of our country schools. Children are governed, or ruled, by fear. The two extremes of corporal and non-corporal punishment are advocated earnestly. I incline to to the former under the family government at present existing in the country. Respectfully, J. H. KEECH.

CARMEL, O., 1866.

Editorial Department.

WEBSTER'S NEW DICTIONARY OFFERED AS A PREMIUM.

To the person sending us the largest number of cash subscribers between the first day of September and the first day of November, we will present a copy of the latest edition of WEBSTER'S UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY! This magnificent work is generally acknowledged to be the best English dictionary published. The retail price is $12.

We take pleasure in announcing in this connection, that four hundred new subscribers added to our list, will reach the number we hoped to secure when we commenced the current volume. We now feel sanguine that this reasonable limit will be reached before the first day of November. The present month is a favorable time to secure subscribers. It commences a new school year, and thousands of school-room doors are again open. Teachers have returned from their vacation invigorated in body, and animated with new hopes and purposes. Many have assumed new positions, and are stimulated with the desire to achieve a higher degree of success than they have heretofore attained. All are moved by more than ordinary aspirations, and, to a greater extent than usual, are ready to avail themselves of professional assistance. The superintendent or principal that improves such an opportunity to present the MONTHLY to the teachers under his direction, will be successful. Try it, dear reader, and may you be doubly rewarded.

The following resolution was unanimously passed by the Ohio Teachers' Association at its recent meeting at Zanesville:

"Believing the school interests of our State strongly demand a generous patronage and earnest support of a State educational journal; and that the OHIO EDUCATIONAL MONTHLY is in every way well worthy such patronage and support by the teachers and other friends of education in Ohio: Therefore,

"Resolved, That we heartily commend to teachers, especially, and other school friends, our official organ, the OHIO EDUCATIONAL MONTHLY, and bespeak their continued active and earnest co-operation in its support."

The subscription price is $1.50 a year; six copies and upwards, sent to the same or different postoffices, $1.25 a copy. Subscriptions for six months will be received at one half the yearly rates. All subscriptions must commence with the January or July number. We can supply back numbers. Those who commence in July will receive the August number containing the proceedings of the Ohio Teachers' Association. This single number is worth half the price of

the volume.

MEETINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS.

The three national educational associations of the United States held their annual meetings at Indianapolis, Ind., in the third week of August. The National Association of School Superintendents met in the Hall of the House of Representatives on Monday, Aug. 12, at 2 P.M. An evening session was also held, and two brief sessions on Tuesday. The National Normal Association. met on Tuesday at 11 A.M., and held three sessions. The National Teachers' Association met on Wednesday at 10 A.M, and continued in session three days, adjourning Friday afternoon.

The attendance, owing, doubtless, to the prevalence of cholera in Cincinnati, St. Louis, and other western cities, was not large. Very few delegates were present from New England and the Middle States, and even Ohio was represented by few of her superintendents and teachers. Still, among the members of each body were included many distinguished educators; and the proceedings were characterized by great ability and earnestness. They can not fail to exert a potent influence upon the cause of education throughout the country.

Our limited space forbids any attempt to report, in full, the proceedings of either association, but we give, instead, a brief summary, presenting, as far as may be, the substance and spirit of the action of each body:

I. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS.

This Association is composed of the school superintendents of the several States and of the leading cities, including the ex-superintendents who became members while in office. The number of States and cities represented at the Indianapolis meeting was about the same as at the first meeting, held in Washington, D. C., in February last.

The Association was welcomed to Indiana by Hon. G. W. Hoss, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, in a neat and eloquent address, to which an appropriate response was made by the President, B. G. Northrop, of Massachu

setts.

The President announced the presence of Senor D. F. Sarmiento, Minister from the Argentine Republic, and, alluding to his eminent services in the cause of education in South America, invited him to address the Association. Inasmuch as he speaks the English lauguage imperfectly, he presented a paper which was read by Prof. Wickersham, of Pennsylvauia. He paid a high compliment to the United States as the first nation of the earth in wealth, energy, industry, and intelligence, and declared it to be the high province of the great Republic to conduct others through the new paths she had opened for mankind. Alluding to univesal education as the source of our greatness, he expressed the hope that the time would come when the South American Republics would have the complete system of education which now bless the United States. But we dismiss the attempt to give an idea of this brief and excellent address, with the promise that it shall appear in our next issue. It was received with the highest favor.

A brief paper was read by J. W. Bulkley, Supt. of the Public Schools of Brooklyn, N. Y., on "The Cost per capita of Education in the different States." To attain the necessary information on this subject, a correspondence had been

opened with every State and Territory, and with many of the leading cities. Replies had been received from about one-half of the States, but the want of uniformity in the statistics reported was so great that no satisfactory tables could be compiled. We quote from the report:

While we have not obtained the information sought, and are not able to spread out before you the results we hoped to present, still our labor has not been in vain. By our correspondence the whole matter has been magnified in importance, and the necessity of action by which the subject shall be clearly presented to the several States demonstrated.

The question for us to settle is: "What elements shall be taken into the account, in order to ascertain the cost per capita of education in the several States?" 1. Shall it be our teachers' wages alone? or,

2. Shall it be our teachers' salaries, including salaries of officers, room rent, janitors' wages, repairs and furnishing, heating apparatus, printing, and other incidentals? 3. Shall the cost of school lots and the expense of buildings erected during the year, be taken into the account?

4. Shall the legal interest on a proper valuation of all school property form an item in the estimate?

5. Shall the estimate be on the average attendance, or on the entire register number, or both separately?

6. How shall the register number be reckoned, and how the average obtained; and shall the number in attendance be taken by half days, or once a day?

7. What shall constitute the time upon which we reckon the cost? days, weeks, months, or the year?

Shall it be by

In the foregoing we have the principal elements necessary to form a basis upon which, if clearly defined and carefully set forth, having the authority and influence of this Association, will give us the basis upon which the comparative cost of education in the several States and cities of the Union may be ascertained.

The paper closed with the recommendation that the whole subject be referred to a committee of three, with instructious to prepare and distribute to school superintendents a circular asking for the requisite statistics, accompanying the same with the necessary blank forms.

The discussion of this suggestive paper was suspended to receive the report of a committee appointed at the Washington meeting to report a "plan of collecting uniform statistics in order to compare the school systems of the several States." In the absence of the chairman (Mr. Adams, of Vermont), Mr. White, of Ohio, was called upo to present the views of the committee. He stated that the only feasible plan of collecting the statistics referred to, was the organization of a national bureau of education; but something in this direction may be done through a committee of this body. He gave an enumeration and analysis of the statistics required to make a comparison of the school systems of the several States, and described the basis on which each item should be reported. He alluded to several absurd comparisons that had recently been made between the scl ool-attendan e of different cities and States, all drawn from statistics that do not afford the necessary data for such comparisons. He read a brief paper which had been submitted to the committee by Hon. Chas. R. Coburn State Supt. of Pennsylvania. He concluded by recommending that the Asso. ciation, at its present session, agree upon the items of statistics which the committee suggested by Mr. Bulkley, should call for, and the basis on which these several items should be reported.

The report was followed by a general discussion, in which the want of uniformity in the school statistics of the several States was admitted, and the importance of co-operative action on the part of school officers, strongly urged.