Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-03-07
A GOOD TEXT BOOK LAW.
Hon. W. H Carter's Bill.

An Act to Provide for Furnishing the People
| of the State of Missouri with cheap Tex
Books and the Proper SelesE.t--l-----..--:
! trihi,t4E;! =! tie same.
Be It enacted by the General Assembly OF
the State of Missouri. as follows:
SECTION l. The State Superintendent OF
schools, -. president Of the State Universi-
~, and the presidents of the State Normal
shooIs ut rirksviIe, Warrenshurg and Cape
Girardeau. together with the >uperntendents
of the public schools of the city OF st. LOUIS,
X ,nsas City aud st. Joseph are hereby con-
stituIed u Board of Selection, maj,lity OF
whom shall be a quorum, whose dut, ii shall
be 10 meet ut the Office of The state superin-
tendent of schools in j. .fferson City, within
thirty davs after this act shall take effect and
after canvas>ing the merits Of the various
school text books, and common school publi-
cations (thst may be presented Tor their con-
slderaiOn.) shall proceed TO select such books
and publications Us in their judgment shall be
best calculated to serve the interesS ot the
common schools of this stale If one or more
books or publications encumbered with copy
rights shall be selected, and the owners there
Of shall iail to agree with the person or per-
sons who may secure the Contract under this
act as to the price to be paid for such copy
right, or royalty hereunder, the board may
determine what, in their OpinIOn, would be
q fair compensation, and If the owner be
willing to accept the same, on The terms and
cenditiOns imposed by The said board The con-
but If the SAID owner shall refuse to sell, or
shall place the price at such exorbitant rate
as might defeat the OBJ ects Of this act by ex-
orbitance, then the said board may select
other like works in lieu thereof or they may
proceed LO comp pile an adopt new series OF
works throughout, until complete ] ST or
complement shall have been selected; nor
shall the said board be restric'e ed to any one
line Or series of publications, but may III their
Judgment select two or more of the same
series by different authors, and may. at any
time during the lite of the contract herein
provided tor after the expiration of two years
from the lime of adoption by SAID commission
Of selection, and at every recurring period OF
two years, change from one series to anoth-
er, If in the judgment of twc-thirds of said
commission 1t be deemed wise, but in no
event shall the state be made liable for any
sum under the provisions of this contract, for
text books. royalty or any expense attending
the manufacture or sale of said text books.
SEC. 2. When the said board shall have
completed Its selections. as herein provided,
the state superintendent of public schools
shall give nolice 10 the county clerks Of the
several counties of the state by detailed
statement of all such selected publications.
Size. 3. The superintendent OF public
schools aud the attorney general are hereby
required to let the Contract for furnishing all
the common schools Uf the stale with such
text books and publications., as the said board
Of selection may fiuall, determIne upon, 10
tue first respon .Ihle bidder who shall f.e an
app icati.'n with SAID super nteudent OF pub-
lie schools aud aItOi ney general for sucn con.
Tract aud proposing 10 accept all ihe term.
anu condition OF This act that Liay be dp
plctOle 10 the contractor herein mentioned.
and at'any Time alter such appiication, and
within thirty days after his act shall take
effect. at the request of such first appiic ant
the attorney general shall draw UP con-
tract between the state Of Missouri and such
II Ia hull all ong
provisions uf this act a part Of the same, in
cluding specifications u 10 workmanship and
mat ial>. which shall be equal 10 The trade
supply of the Appleton or Mcfiuffey series OF
1854, and the attorney general shall also draw
up bond running TO the stale, in the penal
sum of one hundred thousand dollars condi-
toned for the faithful performance Of all
conditions OF said contract, and such hond
shall be signed by not less than ten freehol.
ders of this state who shall justify in IA sum
double the amount of his, her or their under
taking over aud above all legal Liabilities; and
when such bond shall have been approved by
the governors shall be FL d in the Office OF
! the secretary of state. The said contract
shall run and be in force for full ten years
from the signing of the same and filing il
with the secretary of state. Should the con-
tract and bond he not fully e ecuted ~ here
in provided, within four months after this nc,
shall go into effect, the right to contract shal
be deemed to have been waived, and the at
iorne' general shall proceed to let the con
tract to The next applicant who can and will
give the bond required.
3 SEC. 4. The following are hereby establish,
ed rs the maximum rates for all such publi-
cations as may have been selected, as herein
before provided, reference TO the table being
only Intended to illustrate the computation
and for comparison, and the said table n l
have no other effect, as to number or kind,
OF books that may be selected