Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-02
THE TEXT BOOK R1LI.

The Admission Hot Blast contains the following able editorial on the text book | bill introduced. by Senator Abercrombie4 | The one serious objection not mentioned | by the Hot Blast is, would not the ad0pz l ton of uniform text books create a mos nopoly among local booksellers in the sale of these particular books and eventu- ally increase the price by doing away with legitimate competition by other book publishers? If such a monopoly can be avoided and the public given equal advantage in price offered by publishers of other text books also to conform with conditions regulating prices, such bill, it seems, could but work to the best in- terest of our schools, It Is a known fact that nearly every teacher has his own ideas of text books, be he president of college or principal of high school, and if there Is a change of teachers every three month g. is more than likely change of text books also. This. of, course, is an expensive luxury simply to satisfy the whirns of the generality of pedagogues.. .-~
 There is -another, question that should be considered,s and that is the board to select these Uniform text books ought to be composed of7the most learned and experienced teachers in the state. Teachers who make teaching a profes- sion and not a side issue to obtain funds to complete their own education or pre- pare themselves for other professions.
 The Hot Blast says:
 Among the most important measures which the Legislature will have to con- slider during theanext session is the bill introduced by Senator Abercreinbie pro- o 1tr1if 1f4 To- .lr,, for use in the public schools of the state No bill introduced in either house has been opposed by a stronger lobby Sev- eral Of the strongest publishing corpora t1ons have sent men to Montgomery to light this piece of greatly needed legisla- tfon. Heretofore when similar bills have been introduced. the publishers of school books have succeeded in preventing their passage It remains to be seen whether the present legislature will be controlled by the enemies of the measure.
 There are many and unanswerable arr guments why the bill should become law applicable to. every county in the state Among them are these:
 Uniforpity-regularity, system-is the keynote to succsss in any organization composed of great numbers of individ- uals s.
 Without asuniform series of text books proper classification is absolutely impos- sible. An unclassified school is like a shin
 
 governor-it is powerless to accomplish it's purposes.
 The constant change of books under the present system caused by a change of teachers and by patrons moving from one locality to another is highly expens- i've 10 parents.-
 Without uniformity, pupils study one book about long enough to become1ac- quainted with the authors plan; then a change comes because each teaaher3l nrRfPTS n ic oho aF h I-.Fj which greatly retards the progress of pupils.
 majority of our teachers are third- grade teachers, and under the present. law a person can secure third-grade teachers license without knowing a verb from noun-witheut having a knowl- edge of percentage even; and a majority of the children of this state are having to study books selected by this class of teachers. Under state uniformity a bet ter grade of books would be secured, be- cause higher grade of intelligence would select them.
 As it is, merchants, especially country merchants, cannot afford to carry a, stock of school books, and. because of the constant change, even if they do carry a small stock, they are forced to sell them exhorbitant prices. They must make profit enough on those sold to cover the loss on those left on hand when change is made.
 
 are clamorlng for such laws shows the necessity for legislation along this line If uniformity be good for districts and counties, it would be better for the en- tire state, because we claim to have a state school system.
 Under the law proposed by the Aber- crombie bill each publishing house would have to file sealed bid. and give bond in a large amount as guarantee that the books would be furnished to the pupils at the. price designated and, as the pub- fishers could furnish books in lage quan- titles cheaper than in small quantities. the result would be a great reduction in their cost. Parents would have to buy fewer books and pay les for those bought.
 Then, again, if the law would not be good for the people. why are the publish CTS fighting it so fiercely? Their lobby- ists claim that 1t would be good for the publishing companies and bad for the -people-an argument similar to that ad- vanced by members of corpora tions when they fought bimetallism, because, in case of its adoption.s their laborers would be paid in 50-cent, dollars-good for them. but bad for the people.
 There are other and varied reasons why the, legislature should pass the bill. and we hope to see it become a law. It would be long step towards giving a more efficient school system to Ala bama. 1rsg