Chapter XIX: Part III: deals with the importance of the text book in teaching the

social studies. It describes the basis upon which the tests were formulated by means of which the text books covered in this report were evaluated. The summary of these evaluations are [_sic_] then presented, together with a résumé of the chief criticisms of the texts scrutinized. In all, 123 text books--47 histories, 47 civics, 25 economics, and 4 sociologies--were evaluated. The tests bring out that one-half of the books (55 per cent) are of the newer type, dealing with the broader aspects of government and the social and industrial life of the people, rather than with forms of organization, military events and abstract theories. Still, a larger proportion (60 per cent) recognized to a greater or less degree the power for growth in our institutions; are dynamic rather than static in their methods of treatment. In dealing with questions of particular interest to labor there is a great divergence in concept as well as in method of treatment. The older formal texts either omit these subjects entirely or treat them so unsatisfactorily that for all practical purposes they might just as well be omitted. Some of the more modern ones deal with them briefly and perfunctorily, but on the whole the newer type of text does attempt to give the labor movement in the problem of industry adequate and just consideration. Failure to do so is apparently due to ignorance of the author or to a hesitancy to deal with this difficult subject, rather than to a deliberate attempt to keep the facts of industry out of the schools. Although numerous cases of error, misleading statements, misplaced emphasis, discrimination against unions, and use of obsolete material, may be pointed out. The survey finds no evidence that text books are being used for propaganda purposes. The publishers, the report considers, are undoubtedly deserving of a great deal of credit for keeping school-books free from propaganda, and to this spirit of fair-play and desire for truth it considers that the organized labor movement may look for help in the correction of erroneous, misleading or unfair statements which mar the pages of otherwise excellent texts.

Concerning the text books in use, the report points out that not only is an increasing supply of the better books becoming available, but there is also a steadily increasing demand for them. The investigation made also reveals the fact that, especially in civics and history, the modern or more approved text is being used to a larger extent than the less satisfactory. Subjects discussed or investigated in supplementary courses of study such as Current Events, the report indicates, pay a great deal of attention to problems and matters of special interest to labor....

FOOTNOTES:

[922] American Federation of Labor, _Report of the Proceedings of the Convention of the American Federation of Labor at Cincinnati, June 22, 1922, Eighth Day Proceedings_ (Washington, D. C., 1922).

_F._ WISCONSIN LAW OF 1923 AFFECTING HISTORY TEXTBOOKS[923]

An Act To create section 40.36 of the statutes, relating to textbooks used in the public schools.

_The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows_: