Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-10

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Farmville: Principal J. w. Lane OK
charlottesville: Superintendent ID. NJ.
Brown. OF Petersburg; Principals >. A.
Mauzy. of Roanoke; John /. Berkeley.
OF Danyille: Il. w. Tunstall, OF Norfolk'
w. y. Gum. of Radford; Horace II.
Epes. of Newport News: j. Dutner
Sheppe. OF Salem: u. r. smith, OF ADlils-
don; w. A. Crenshaw, OF Fairmoun.'
George McKendrie Balm, OF Noriolk' W.
II. Keister, Of Harrisonburg; IheouoIe
Flcllin Of Alexandria. and Superintend-
emit j. p. Mcclure, of Buena vista.
A WEALTH OF BOOKS.
The board has a wealth Of books from
which TO select this year. ano the erea.
value Of most OF the offers VIII no couDt
cause much embarrassment among ene
members. as # will be hard TO choose
where so much merit exists A large
number OF new readers have been offered
and IL may be said Of all OF them that
they are possessed Of great beauty ana
high literary excellence, while their Illus
trafions are Of the very highest order'
1t IS likely that a change will be made
in readers, but no forecast can be made
of the boards selection.
Next 10 a change in histories. the
strongest pressure is being brought 10
bear by the teachers for change OF
grammars. That now in use does not meet
the requirements. say those who use
them, and hence the demand for a change
A large number of grammars are being
offered, but no one seems able to predict
as to which will be selected.
FIGHT OVER BIOGRAPHIES.
The question Of Biographies will also
prove a perplexing one for the board TO
grapple with. No line OF STUDY SHOWS
greater progress than geography. Many
publishers, including Richmond mousse,
are Offering Biographies for the hst' anu
all Of them are mertoriOus publications
The works now being used are Maury s,
which are said TO be one Of the best or
the old-style biographies. a strong hght
will be made TO keep these on the hst'
because they bear the name Of Commo-
dore Maury.
The arithmetics Of Venable and White
are now on the list, and it IS likely that
they will remain there, though they nave
strong competitors, nearly all Of the pup
fishing houses Offering one or more.
A SINGLE BOOK LIST.
Efforts have been made TO induce the
Board to adopt n single-book hst-that
g.
acter, instead Of two or more, from "hlch
the student may select-as has been the
rule i'm the past. This same effort was
made in 1872. and It was then that DR..
Ruffner, the first Superintendent OF PUP
lie instruction of Virginia, made ms now
famous report, in which he characterized
such action as "intellectual death ana
tyranny" 1t is not at all likely that the
BOARD will come to the single-standard
idea. There is too much sentiment
against it in the first place, and then
again II has always been considered 10
the best interest Of the schools TO nave
al least two books to be selected from.
Heretofore it has been the policy OF
the Board to recommend high-school
list. though its duties cease with the
common schools, and it is probable that
The same policy will now be pursued
The board will have laid before 1t a large
number of books especially designed Tor
bigb-school use, and it is likely that a
Iiet of the best OF these books on all
subjects will be recommended for use IN
the high schools.
Great pressure is being brought 10
hear upon members Of the Board to in
duce them to give the preference to books
published by Virginia houses, or written
bv Virginia authors. Nearly all the busi-
ness ORGANIZATIONS have adopted resolu-
lions urging the recognition of home en-
terprise.