ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE

Dunstan Times, Issue 553, 22 November 1872, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE

—o — do not identify ourselvaa with the opinions that may bo expressed by our correspondents.]

(TO THE editor of the dunstan times.) Sir, —Believing that many of your readers hero have perused the statements made lately by the Alexandra correspondent of your contemporary, the Tuapeha Times, regarding school hooks, I will thank you to give me space in your columns, for a few remarks on the subject:— 1 am represented by A lexandra correspondent, as supplying the scholars here with hooks, for the purpose of making a profit on them. Now, I must inform this person in the first place, that I do not wish now, and that I never did wish to have anything to do with the supplying of school books. But in compliance with the wish of the School Committee, when I first came here, as the children had no other way of getting the books they required, I purchased the hooks which my predecessor had on hand, to be supplied to the children, the Committee undertaking to take the books oft' my hand in the event of my leaving. In no case has a hook been sold by me at a higher price than when this arrangement was entered into. On the contrary, the prices of the books used in the most advanced classes have been all reduced, so that every book is sold at »s low a price as the smallest coin current here, 6J., will admit of, without selling under cost price. This can he seen by looking at the price list furnished by the Alexandra correspondent himself, in the Tuapeha Times of the 10th of October, and surely any one laying claim to so much shrewdness as the Alexandra correspondent does, would not have mcto’sell books under cost price. He may say, however, that although we have no coin here smaller than 6d., a note might be kept of all hooks given out, and when as many were supplied as would be an exact equivalent for a certain sum, the price could then be paid. This may do in theory, but any one who knows the value of the Teachers time in school, would not like to see it wasted in keeping such memoranda. While it is true that one or two of the hooks at the bottom of the list might be sold a little cheaper, had we smaller coins, yet this is more than counterbalanced by the prices charged for the books at the top of the list, some of which are sold at cost price such as Principia Latina, a* 3s. Gd, It did not suit the purpose of the Alexandra correspondent to give the prices of the six or seven hooks at the top of the list, otherwise he would no doubt have furnished them. 1 may revert to this subject at a future time, meanwhile, begging to be excused for occupying so much of your space. I am, <fcc., GEORGE REID,