The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-01-30
ESTATE CAPITOL.
NEWsY NOTES PICKED UP IN TEE
STATE DEPARTMENTS
YESTERDAY.
i'emS OF Interest for the People and Official
Figures and Opinions for
County Officials.
STATE DEPARTMENT.


The Queen City Iron Mining and
S smelling company, capital stock,
S3oOOO. Incorporators-J. G. Hutch
lson, S. k. Smith, w. w. D. Hunt, S.
): Hossod, H. ]. Allen, w. E. Boyd,
M. NJ. Woodward, w. G.sWadly and
W. F. Mathews.
The Fort Worth Candy and Cracker
company. Capital stock, $4,000.
lncorporators-A. R. Mignon, A. P.
Luckett and John F. P. Capera.
The Cleburne Lighting company.
} Capital stock, $4,000. Incorporators
Max Elser, N. Wallerich and E. G.
Senter.
The w. S. Hume & Co. Distilleries
OF Kentucky. Capital stock, $4,000.
EDUCATIONAL. DEPARTMENT.
Superintendent Cooper yesterday
wrote the following letter relative to
uniformity in textbooks:
Dear Sir: Yours of 9th inst, is
received this morning and commands
my close attention. l acknowledge
with pleasure the receipt of the invi-
tation to meet the teachers of Kauf-
man county on the Goth of June, and
shall be very glad to do so if my Of
fetal engagements will allow.
1 am glad that you find so much to
commend in the graded register which
have recently issued, and note the
points you make in favor of such a
register as confirming my own judy
ment.
Your thoughts on the necessity of
uniformity in text books are weighty
and worthy of careful consideration.
This question is involved in much
difficulty and l am giving the matter
good deal of serious thought. Be
fore the issuance of my next report in
January next 1 expect to investigate
the experiments which have been
made in other states toward the solu-
ton of this question by personal con-
ference with the school authorities of
these states whom / expect to meet
at the National Educational associa-
ton and by extensive correspondence
You are aware that there are num-
Der of solutions which may be sum-
married. as follows:
l. District adoption.
2. County adoption.
3. State and district adoption of a
single uniform series.
4. State and district adoption-Un-
der this system the state superintend-
ent recommends number of series,
and the district trustees adopt some
one of these series.
5. State publication as illustrated
by California.
6. State contract system, as used in
Minnesota, and more recently in In
diana.
7. Free text books, adopted in all
the large eastern cities, and recon-
mended by large number of the
state superintendent as the best So
luton of the question.
Something must be done. The want
OF uniformity in single schools rem
ders good teaching in many instances
a physical impossibility. Frequent
and unnecessary changes impose a
burden upon the poorest classes
which practically excludes many chill
dren from the school room. If we
can eliminate the influence of alien
interests from the discussion and con-
sideration of this question, l have no
doubt that we shall reach a conclu-
sion which will materially aid in the
improvement of our school system.
am glad to receive letters from
thoughtful teachers like yourself on
matters relating to the development
of our school system, and shall be glad
to hear from you again when you shall
feel disposed to write. Yours very
truly, OSCAR II. COOPER,
State Sup't Public Instruction.
He also sent out the following
circular:
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT,
AUSTIN, Tex, January q, $780,
To County and Ex-0ficio superintend-
entS:
l am preparing circular ofinstruc-
ton and advice to teachers pertain
ing to the progress of public educa-
ton and the perfection of the public
school system. Iwant to reach every
certifcated teacher in the state with
this circular, and in order to do this
it is very important that | should
have their names and postotfice ad-
dresses. You are thereby earnestly
requested to send me as soon as con-
venient the names and addresses OF
the certifcated teachers.
The facilities of the department OF
education for issuing and mailing cir
culars are doubtless, better than
yours, and in order to save you
trouble and expense will unpertake
TO reach the teachers directly from
this department.
Please be prompt in this matter. l
ask it of you that I may be able to
fulfill the duties imposed on the
state superintendent by that section
of the law which requires that che
shall advise and counsel" with all
school officers aud teachers "as to the
best methods of conducting public
schools" Very respectfully,
OSCAR H. COOPER.