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Show stroyed so many books that they cost the State moie than they had formerly cost at retail. He closed by urging the Legislature to let the districts vote on the question. Mr. Merrill of Cache sard lie thought Air. Roberts was mistaken mis-taken as to the sentiments of a majority of the people of Cache county. He said he had talked with people of every class and condition and had found only i one person who did not want the i bill passed. In answer to the argument that the children would not take care of free books, Mr. Merrill I became really personal. He said: 'When the members reach in their pockets and feel the smooth .side of a pearl-handled penknife, ;do they rot prize that pearl and steel because it cost them nothing? noth-ing? Of course they prize it. Or 'as they look in their upper vest pockets and see the shining end jof a flowing pen, do we prize j that less because it cost us nothing?" noth-ing?" The bill passed the house. Cache Members Speak. In the Utah house of representatives repre-sentatives last Thursday, when the tree text book bill came up, r Representative D. R. Roberts of Cache county took the floor and ' made an impassioned speech ae-ainst the measure. ''This is a . Socialist measure," he declared. u "1 am surprised that there are so many Socialists in the House. v Next thing you will want to feed and clothe the children of the 'y poor in order that they may be e, fed and clothed as well as the children of the rich. " He said that the people were even now groaning under the - burden of taxation; that the exchange ex-change of books would promote the spread of disease, immorality . find shiftlessness. He claimed ; that the law was a failure in I , Idaho because the children do- X v ' |
