DEAR SCHOOL BOOKS.

Evening Star, Issue 17923, 20 March 1922, Page 3

DEAR SCHOOL BOOKS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —This ever-repeated wail in regard to the price of school, books makes me, an early citizen of Dunedin, feel ashamed of the parents of to-day. During my early schooldays my parents had to pay 12s 6d per quarter for tuition for each child, as well as buy books (not as many as at, present) at the district school out of a very small income. Yet never a grumble. The same people who are making this miserable outcry over tho cost of books, which are essential (with some exceptions) to the success of a child's future career, will go and buy during the samo period (a year) quite an unnecessary variety of hats and clothes, as well as jointed dolls and teddy bears for younger members. They brag of these purchases to their friends. I may be.stupid, but considering the high cost of production I cannot see how any firm can have made undue profit out of school books during the last few years. The Government is wasting time and money on an inquiry from which little gain will result, as it is not in a position to launch into any big publishing undertaking. All the expense attached to these inquiries is paddled on the already overburdened taxpayer.—l am, etc., March 17. Struggler,