National Republican., 1878-08-14
The PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Business Transacted by the Board
Last Evening.
Battle OF tho NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. from All
sides - Opposition to the Change Of
Test-Books-The Robinson Series
Finally Triunphs-Arrange-
ments for Reopening
the Schools, SC.

lHe regular meeting Oh the boaru ol schoo
Trustees was held last night. Present, Trus.
tees j. p. Davis (president), Brooks (secrctary),
Reyburn, Lovejoy, Baldwin, Lambert, Middle
ton, NJ. Davis, Lloyd, White, Curtiss, Smith,
Farley, Holland, c. d. Smith, W. II. Smith,
Pope, and Collins.
A communication referred to the board from
the District Commissioners relative TO the en-
ploymont Of married teachers was read and
laid on the table.
Applications for tho position Of janitor were
received from Moses =. Thompson, Daniel
Washington, and John l.. White. For the
position of teacher from Mary Mcnamara,
Emma W. Ormstcad, Maggie Lynch, Charlotte
L. Ray, and Mrs. Mary q. Despcnvillc, of New
York. For teacher Of elocution, Professor J.
II. Siddons, and for the position of plumber,
from J ohm W. Sebastian.
The sub.board of the sixth division reported
favorably upon the petition fora white school
at Good Hope Hill, and recommended that a
building be secured Immediately at u yearly
rental not exceeding 500.
Bills to the amount of SIN31I were approved
THE TEXTBOOK QUESTION.
Mr.. LpvCiuy from the special committee ap.
pointed to consider the proposed Textbook
| port:
Your committee. to whom was referred the pro.
posed contract uf Mcssrs ivtsou plnkum1n. Tay OF
| u Co., book puhlisher, Of New York city. with the
Commissioners Of the District, looking u the ratii'
cation aud completion Ufthe unfinished elton Ofhc
late Board of Trustees In regard to change OF text
books in the public schools, report that they have
considered the same and recommend that II be re-
turned 10 the Commissioners disapprOvcd; and
| further they deem It inexPcl.cnt to advise u
change of text books in the public schools before
p0ph i1Cn4F of the hoard has Ii AL reasonable timt
for a careful examination Of the whole subject and
especially OF the leading works on arithmetic aud
tionS received from the respective publishers of the
| two series Gud other exhibits such as prcc.lists
&c. We ilc herewith our individual views on The
Il. g. LOvEIOY, Chairman.
ALEXANDER FARLEY.
FAIRLY CONSIDERED.
Mr.. Farley submitted his individual views
as follows:
The undersigned. member Of the special com
mlttee appointed to consider and report on til
memorandum agreement Of lvison, Brakeman
| Taylor Co., Proposing TO rltnish the publ
sons Shorter Course Of Mathematics" &c. bcgs b
report that he attended u called meeting of tn
committee at the Franklin building, on Frida
evening last, at hglf.past seven o'clock, and Will
fayoring change of the mathematical textbook
now In use In the schools, hc considers II ineXpch
ent and impolttic TO make change at the pTcsen
''''''' '' ALEXANDER FARLEY.
IR. LovEJoY's VIEWS.
Mr.. Loveioy also submitted AN individua
report giving history of the question of th
change OF Textbooks since IL first came up II
the old board last June, aud urged rs objection
to the change;
First, the high chnractcrof Davies works that IN
principals and assistants are familiar with DRvic,
scTics that the manufacture ana multiplication q
textbooks. Inspired by mercantile hvalry an,
commercial speculation, should hc dl,c"untC
| nauUed: that the proposed contract would cnlaI
cSI-nse ii' the fu;ure that the regular retail rrir
ui Dawes three bDuks arc thirtv.iwu cents lss TIN
Tie. regular retail! price Of Fish, tw book scric
and l9rty'ci2ht cent less than the req
lar price Of Fish'> thrru.hIIk series tha
the special retail prices proposed by Dayie
prices rr"Io.ed Ly Fish's puTiisLcrs. are thr,ccr
cents les fyg Hlv.es thiru bIJk. thuu lvI Fl,iI
!wo. and twCnty'eight cents ic,s than for Fish
| three books; thGt the contract price for Davic3
series Is nine cents per dozen les than cDntrnc
price for fi.iS two books. and 81 ~ per dozen lc'
ihau Fish. three book sere' that n any cUni4l
Et!vC Gspect OF the two sCrVs Davies books are tn
cheapest.
lie adds as final reasons for recomncndin
the disapprpval of the proposed change
,, First That the prescnt board stand In tlduciar
} relation 20 the Commissioners an ! the public. an
, are officially pledged 10 aid the one and proc,
the other.
, second. That We should not blindly acQulescc
, the pTclHLnary action Dl the late board, hDwrv,
cause we are responsible FOR the conclusive acto
on this slhJc't and cannot refer our errors u I'll
account OF our predecessors.
rnird. That the changes In textbooks EaN
always been and ALWAYS VII bI Justly unpUpulu
: and that our schools ure supported by the pul
lie, We should always rc>icc! their prejudice
when reasonable.
, Fourth That however advantageous, In an CO.
nOmicd point Of view this change might bc Ia Il
pupils Of This year, prcsuiniuE that this contra
could lie legally executed To the beneficial cxtC
it, sI pOr!crs claim, nevertheless year hence Il
J substitution will be an additional expense to Il
! parents of the pupils, and the sIightst impostiu
, upon the taxpayer or parent under existing Ci
! cuinstances Is WRONG and incxcusable.
Mr. Lloyd submitted
. MINORITY REPORT