The Monticellonian., 1899-04-07
TEXT BOOK BILL.
Conformity of school Books Left to the Option of Electors in Each
 County.

passed by the general assembly and signed by the governor April l, is given in full below:
 The electors of every common school district shall when lawfully assembled in annual district school meeting on the third Saturday in May, with not less than five electors pres ent. have the power in addition to the powers already provided by law to vote on the ques- tion Of county uniformity in text books.
 The ballot Of the electors shall have written or printed on it for county uniformity and against county uniformity.
 The county court at it's regular meeting for levying taxes shall open the returns and ascer- tain in addition to it's other duties as now pro yided whether majority of all the votes cast at that election in the county be for county uniformity" " and If such be the fact the county clerk shall, within ten days thereafter, so eer- tify to the county examiner, and to the state superintendent of public instruction.
 In each county in which a majority of all the votes cast shall De for county uniformity, the county examiner. together with two resi- dent teachers Of the county holding first grade certificates, to be appointed by the state super intendent of public instruction within thirty days after receiving notice as in section 3. and two citizens Of the county interested In the public schools to be appointed by the county judge within thirty days, shall constitute the county school book board,
 The co lnty examiner who shall be chairman Of the county school book board, shall call Its members to meet together at the county seat in the court house. on or before the third Tues day in Nouember, for the purpose for which the board was constituted. The board, after it's organization, shall proceed to carefully ex- anime and compare the school text books and their prices. which may be submitted for it's consideration, and shall within sixty days, by q majority vote Of al it's members, select and adopt list or series Of school text books on following Writing. ing. reading, arithmetic. language lessons, English grammar. geography, history Of Ar kansas and Of the United States. civil govern ment of Arkansas and of the United States, physiology and hygiene, elementary algebra for uniform use in the public school districts Of the county for period of six years from the date Of their adoption. In making such adop- tloas. the county school board shall give due consideration to the school text books which are used in the majority of the school districts Of the county and 10 the wishes and recom- mendations of the teachers and school patrons, as may be expressed to the board by petition or otherwise; provided equally as good terms can be obtained for the regular supply Of the books already in general and satisfactory use in the schools of the county, and for any change Of books required. as can be obtained from publishers Of other school books of equal merit and workmanship and no school books shall be adopted the price of which exceeds the price a which said books are furnished or sold to school patrons in any other state or territory.
 The county school book board shall be in session not to exceed ten days in any year and each member Of the board shall receive 92 per day for each day he shall serve to be paid out of the common school funds Of the county. The chairman Of the board shall file with the county clerk 8 statement showing the number Of days each member has served and the county clerk shall issue his warrant on the county treasurer in favor Of each member in accord anee with such statement. payable out Of the common school funds of the county.
 The county examiner shall keep a record Of the proceedings Of The county school book board and of the books adopted b. 1t for uni- form use flu the schools of the county, with the contract prices of the same of which adopted list and prices he shall give due notice to the teachers and school directors of the county by circular letters or otherwise. The books so adopted shall be brought into exclusive use in all the public schools of the county as soon and rapidly as practicable; and any teacher or school director permitting any other book or books than those adopted by the county board to be used in schools under their charge afTer one year from the time of their adoption, shall be subject to fine Of not less than sl5. and any person selling any book adopted tc school patron at price greater than the con tract price thereof, shall be subject to hne of not less than sl0; provided, that nothing .E
 
 any board or school directors, superintendent, or teacher from using readers or other books Tor supplementary purposes, but no such sap plementary book shall take the place o; any adopted book oa the county list.
 Before any school book may be lawfully adopted by any county school board in this state, the publishers shall deposit in the office Of the state superintendent of public instruc- tion sample or standard copy thereof with ite regular wholesale or mailing price plainly written or stamped therein, together with B written proposition to furnish such school book to any school or school board, to their authorized agent at the lowest wholesale O. making proposition to the state superintend- ent for furnishing school books in this state shall file with the auditor of state a duplicate copy Of his or their proposition to the state superinte ndent, and shall enter into bond to and with the state of Arkansas in the sun of 20, GOO for the faithful performance Of his or their stated proposition, said bond to be made through some reputable guaranty company
 Each county board, before adopting any text book, shall require it's publisher to deposit In the office of the county examiner a copy of the same, and after it's adoption shall require said publisher to enter into contract to furnish said text book for the entire period Of It's adoption and use in the schools of the county at it's low est wholesale or mailing price. as certified by the state superintendent; and shall require the publisher of each and every school book s1 adopted to guarantee and maintain the me chanical quality and execution of such book equal to the sample or standard copy thereof filed in the office of the county examiner; and no county school book board shall adopt any school book whose publisher shall not have compiled as to said book with the provisions of this act.
 Board of directors Of special school districts in any county which shall adopt uniform series of books as provided in this act, snail each have the option Of adopting the county uniform series or different series in whole or in part for in its schools.
 In counties in which the vote IS "agains, uni- tormity" there shall be no change in the school books in use in the public schools therein for one year; provided, the publishers of the books so in use shall furnish them upon the same terms as the same books are furnished in counties voting for county uniformity" ac- cording to the provisions of this act.
 To Certify to Thoir Reports.
 H. B. 29 an act allowing school directors to
 certify to their general reports under their
 official oaths
 That the annual and enumeration renorts Of the directors Of the various school districts of the state Of Arkansas, shall be good under their official paths when signed by them officially Provided. that any director or school officer who certihes falsely to any such report shall be guilty of mtsdemeanor, and fined in any sum not less than & nor more than S25
 Approved March :, lsge