OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS

AUSTIN 

# 112

tlonorablei%illlp L. Stevenson, Presoidmt State board ot ‘LiZucation (\ Austfn, lexas

Dear Sir:

perlntendent of onwithin the tiate ale 2846, 

## a.c.s., ate Board of Educr

### tianmeeting, ber 11, 1043, mom conoption PR free textsubtitted by each publishers?

he V% instant readinK as

--At least thirty of themeeting 0C the

firm or corshall PrIe Fublia Xastruction nine copies of each book on rhich ILbid will be subtzitted,
. . .*

## 113

f tionorablePhilLip P. Ste's'XISOh - page a

intendtnt ot Publfo Ias,tructionthe required oopieo of books onwhich each desires to subtit bids until 8, date subsequent to thirty dnys prior to thedate of,thc scetinx set by the State board of !&ducatlonfur the purpose of ado1M.n~ textbooks. Xhe copies of the books each oompany is offering ar% IIQWon ill%. 1 

### presume that arch OQIUpahyhas qaalifi%d as 8n eligible biddar, unl%o% disqualiPied bwause the copies cm% not filed within the legal time. In the &as% of ilooverBrothers, ~ncorporoted, re have a worn statwent mad% to fuliClueute IicGuirt,Ctneral lianag%r,w George L. Tome, President of 

### TheOnirereity ~PubiisbingCoqany, 

### thatthe samples 

## 0rthe books &tooterI;rotbers,tacorporated, deelres to s~bpit uore &led to Texas on 

### September 4tII,I%& and that by some queer rata 

### th3st samples 8ere

## rtturYIsdto The 

### Uzxirtrsityi3lbll+kiag Coopany, harIng beea sent toAnstin, Ubtaaesota,instead of Austin, Texas. The samples reaohed 

### Auustin, Texas, September alst, loHa, ten days after the lrst legal &at% far the filing of th% 

### samples. In the oesa of Johnson EUblishlng Coqany, I do not hare the 

## fact43reaitiag reasons for its untimely filing. 1 presume that some extenuatln!:clrcunetanoe evidently **oauaed** its rrilure. The requiwd sampler were i?il%dby Johnson PubMaking C%Epony on sopteeber 13th, 1943, tro days subsequent to the lest legal date for Piliaq.

0Xou are respeotfully requested toanswer the r0110King inquiryi

l iIirs the failure of each Of these publishers tofSlo s.mplee with the State Superintmdent Oi'mblio SnstrUCt~OE Within thQ time r%- **qulrecl by**  the Artlols r.?P%rrerl ti>,axi under the circwstaacoe strtti, preoludodthe Btate Board of Erlucatlon8t its adaption mating beginn,LngOatubcr 11th‘ 1943, from considering for aiL*igtion

8s f-r%%textbcrJkothebooks oubmitted by each 0P those publishers? I

*The fctxtboukAdvisory Comxittee commnoes its official hearings in Austin, Toraa, onUon-

## 114

dsy next, and it crouldbcttsr write its final report to the State BoarU of E&ma-~ tion if your eyin.4.0~ upon this Batter sere srtpplisdto It by Tuesday, Lieptenber2sth, 1943. Please mail a copy of your opl.nton to &r. a. A. blase, Director, Textbook Dirision, and a oopy to me. If you can supply the opinion within the time requested, considerable time oan be sared and confualoa averted

..

Article 2846 provides as folles8r

ë* l I).

*At leaetthirty day6 prior to the date of the seetillgof the sa3.dcoadsaioa, erqry person, fira or corporation desiring

to sub&f bide shall file ritb the State Superintendent oP Publle Knstruction nine 

### GOpiC!S

ai each book 011rhlch abfd will bs **s&xl.tted, in**  **each of**  **lrhieh** 

### copies **there** shall be printed or ataqed 8~st8teaent ef theprtce at rhicb ua& book **and** special editions thereof are sold in other places under State or county ado,ptions,and the min&hum quuntitiea in vhiob it vlll be sold at such prices, and there shall alea be 

### prlated or stamped in suoh books a stateEent of the pabllsher'n oatalogue priae oi' the same and speaial edltione,tbereof, together with trade discounts and the cnnditions under rhich, and the purohasers to IhOSt,cuch discounts are allowed, am3 the place 0Pdeiivery. There shall also 

### be printed or stanpeclin each book the price at which it is @lYerod to Yeses, f'.D. b. the i~blisber'e Texas depository, -6il;h a?%% ritboet.exohangs. There shall also be print& or stas,pedin each hook the n;taivma rholesale pr&co at vbich such book, ati special editione tberevF, are sold , f. o. b. the shfppine point of'Che publisber ami thanam of the shippin point shall also be stat?dxlgBonorabls Pbillip Y. gteveaaou - pages4

OrdLaarily, whether 

### ornot a atatate lamaadatory ar directory only say be readily 4etcrPinad from & literal consideration ,but sueb is not always the case.

In all statutory eonstmotion tba intention of the Legislature when dlscorerable &ON the lot as a rho10 is the controlling consideration in determining tliequestion of marxktory or direotory n+ture of the lmguage.
Wen Article 2844 is read in the light of other pertinent **portiona of**  **the statute,**  **we think**  it **ia clear**  the requireamnt ef the 

### Artiolewith rmpeat to the depositing of sample books 

### was inserted ao’lelyPer the **benefit of**  **tb8** Cm?dasion, to the end that the atmibsra could ocqurint theaaelvea rith **the** 

### books **upon whlab**  the bids are a&e. To the extent that the Coamlsaion uay disregard auy bid of one failing te aoaq~lytherewith tbs statute is auucdrtery. s&me, howwar, t.bsCeaa&ae@ou baa bad the privilege of uam.laatian, and has satiai%ed Itself with **rkapect to**  theoerita of such books, It would appear the purpose of therequiremat ior esbibition of aaxples **has been**  **set, ati**  there appears to be no reason why the Cosniasion **doea not**  hare the power to act upon the bid precisely aa though 

### thestatutehad been literallyconplied ritb by the bidder. The requirmwt of thirty r daya 6.ubm.baianof ample, the.refore,is to that extent direotory
. 

### In otherfords,such subaisalonfop themull time imationed la not awaiatory 1x1the samse that ritbout it the Comisgion is deprived of porw to conaider the books and bid.

It ia easily onneeirable that a bidder rho has failed to comply Uterallp with **the** requirement of samples, for even a short tim ,way nevertheless submit books which the Commission after a full **exzmlaation and**  appraiseisentof their writs wxzld fiad them tebe the sost aoaeptrble, and to deny it **the** pouw **to accept**  them 

### would **be** 

### adieservios to the Gtoto and aat a set-vice,as oontcn;plated**br** the statutes.

Tbhaconstruotlon wehare girea **to the**  statute is aooentuated by the language of Article 2847, which cmtains prwlaiona requiring each bidder to file w,itb the secretary ot”the ComaPisaion**on the**  **&IT** that the COP mission Js%.?t.S)

an aifldavlt ,to the ct’feotthat oertainI ’


### Honorable phillip LI.St4venaen - pug0U

taxes have been paid, and further coritaiaingcertain othe;rinformation, t’ollowmlby the language, *lo publisher orbocannot and does not coatplyvaiththese proolsioas ahmll bo eli&Ble tobid..

It ~111 be seen that Article 28846makes no such eapbatio prorisioa with reapect to the depoelting of assplbs of book3 oCf4r4d.

The cas4 of Faderal Crude Oil Co. t. TouatLea Oil Co,, b2 8. 1. (2) 56, illautrates the rule of ooaatruotlon we hare here e~ounood. It is there sald~

l l a a. The rula in this regard is well stated by Lhr.Sutherland in his fork **OA** StatUtQv CoA8trilOtiOA (2d i%d.)8 SW, p. 1x171 ~Prmiato~s regulating;tbe duties or public offtioero8Ad specifying tbs .timefor their peHorraaoea.re intbatregard generally directory. rbough a rtatute direote a tbi.ngto bedone at a particular tiAe, It does not neoeaearil~ fol10~ that it 08y Wit be doAe afterwards. In atber worda, aa the oases unirersal~~ &old, **P StdtUtb**  

## l **peOifjiDg a**  tin4 Within which 

### a publio officer is 

### toparform a~ official act rega?diAg the rights and daties of others isdireotoey, unless tb4 nature of the act to be perforsued,or the phraseology of the Statute, is such that thS design&tioD Of tiE4 SRIStbe coDeiderled

### au a 1isdtatioD of the parer of the officer."

What we bare esld abole 1s sufflcisnt to irultoats our opinion that the Board has the power to co~aid4r and to accept, if it sees fit to do so, the bld of a publlshcr rbo has failed to ocnply ritb the literal.reqtirecent of Article 28&1 of the statutea with 

## raepsetto tba mabvahsion of samples of books fer the p4rL0d of tiaa there m4DtiOAed.