The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-03-28


On the first week in August OF each year
after due notice has been given, an exam
ination will be held Of all applicant
qualified under the law to be students o
the University. Three examiners are pro
vided for, one to be appointed by tn,
board Of curators, one by the count,
court of opposite political faith, and tn,
third by agreement Of the two examiner
thus chosen. The applicant thus choser
can enter the University or any of il
departments free OF charge and receive
pro rata Of the income OF the scholarship
fund defraying his expenses. No appli.
cant will be received unless the examiner.
are satisfied that he is dependent upor
his own exertions for his education.
The agricultural college will remair
in Boone county and will continue a,
a part of the State University. Th,
senate, by a decisive vote, defeated
the Murray house bill roviding for
dismemberment, of the college ant
izin3E&rsifg,r and . removal Of thl
- :xssa ssf5Sqas eenniy. In,
measure occupied 3 large share q
attention for the past ten weeks A
one time it looked like it would pas
the senate, but later there was ;
change Of sentiment. When the bill
was called up Senator Harrison made
such long speech in its favor that
no one felt like replying to it. The
vote on removal was IL for and Is
against. The defeat of this measure
leaves the management of the uni =
versity, the agricultural college and
the Rolla school of mines and metal
lurgy just where it has been for years.
The senate bill continuing the state
school book commission until 1897
was called up in the house and
indefinitely postponed by vote of
Sc to Al. This ends ano her chapter
in the remarkable history Missouri
has made in the matter of school
text book legislation, and now the
state is back where it started from
in 1891. AT that time there was
widespread complaint about the
excessive cost of school books
Each school district adopted its own
book and made such bargains as it
could. 1t was soon discovered that
some districts were obtaining books
much cheaper than others. The
legislature then changed the law so
that all the school directors in a
county should meet in convention
and adopt uniform system of school
books for the county and make con
tracts continuing for five years.
Agents of the various rival publish
ing houses swarmed over the state
and each firm secured all the terri
torv possible.
Charges of corruption were freely
made, and it was readily discovered
that some counties had made better
contracts than others. Meantime
many of the publishing companies
found out that they could not afford
to fight each other, and accordingly
formed pool. This caused greater
complaint than ever. Cities COM
menced slipping from under the pro-
visions of the law and the legislature
again commenced to tinker with it.
An effort to engage the the state in
the school book publishing business
was very near successful. The next
move was to enact a law for a state
commission of five to contract for
furnishing all the districts in the
state, out side of st. Louis and Kan
sas City, with uniform system OF
text books for the common schools
for a period of five years, and fixing
an absolute schedule of retail prices
of such books.
Under this law contracts were
made which will not expire until next
September. The commission was
composed of Prof. George L. Osborne
of the Warrensburg Normal, Ex-
Chief Justice Elijah H. Norton, of
Platte, Congressman U. S. Hall of
Randolph, Thomas J. Lingle OF
Henry and the state superintendent
of public schools. The action of the
house discontinues this commission,
and accordingly all existing contracts
will expire next September and each
district in the state will be left to
make such contracts as it can.
Opinion is Iiuch divided as to the
result. That the commission OBJ
tanned much cheaper books than the
counties or districts had previously
done is admitted. 1t does not seem
to make much difference what kind
of a law is enacted, the people soon
want something entirely different,
and the legislature has been giving
them such changes with much regu-
larity. Sensational reports are cir
culated about the defeat of the s;n-
ate bill and the matter will doubtless
be lugged in the next campaign,
although partisan lines were not
perceptible in the assembly.
NAPOLEON'S FOOD.
From the New York Recorder.