El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-07
NO COERCION
is DESIRED
The School Board Demands
Continued Exemption From
STATE TEXT BOOK LAW

The Board Was Unanimous In Its us
approval Of the Proposed Exten-
sion Of the Provisions Of the Law.
Greater Care Will Hereafter Be
Exercised InAuditing Bills.-Plans
For the New School Buildings and
Repairs.
The school board met last night at
the office of the superintendent, with
Messrs Race, Pew, Foster, Martin, and
Superintendent Putnam present. Ed.
Kneezell, architect for the board, also
met with them.
Secretary Pew read the minutes of
the last three meetings, one regular
meeting, the second an adjourned
meeting, and the third special called
meeting. After some amendments byMr.
Foster to the minutes of the special
called meeting Chat at which the
architect job was carried through the
minutes were approved.
ATTENDANCE INCREASED.
Superintendent Putnam made his
report verbally. He stated that the
receipts from tuition during the month
were 1913 Attendance had improv-
ed very much during the month OF
January, and some of the rooms, es-
pecially the third and fourth grades,
were badly crowded. The teachers
meeting on February was one OF the
best ever held, said Mr.. Putnam, and
he hoped that the members of the
board could find time to attend the
next meeting SO as to see what the
teachers were doing in the way OF self
improvement.
Mr.. Putnam then presented the fol-
~
superintendent of public instruction:
THE TEXT BOOK LAW.
AUSTIN. Tex, Jan, %. 1899.
Dear Sir-Measures looking to tho
enlargement of the scope OF the present
text book law enacted by the Twenty
fifth legislature will, in few days, be
before the Twenty-sixth legislature,
now in session. The points of enlarge
ment proposed are fully set forth by
the open letter of ex-senator Pressler
to Governor Sayers, dated December
Is, 1898, and may be briefly summed up
as follows:
First. the complete annulment of the
Op ion now given to cities of 10, 600 in
habitants. or over. aud an extension of
the operation of the law to all parts of
Texas alike.
Second, in addition to thesuniform
text books now prescribed by law, to
add mental arithmetic, algebra, geOm
etry, trigonOmetry, rhetoric, English
and American literature, chemistry,
Latin beginners book, Latin gram
mar, Latin prose composition, Caesar,
and Virgil-making the teaching
commendation of the local board of
trustees.
It is contended on the one hand by
Mr.. Pressler and other advocates of
the measure, that there is need for this
extension in the list of text books re-
quired by law at present. and also an
extension of the application of the law
30 as to make it apply with equal force
to cities having over 10000 population
as we'll as to rural districts. On the
other hand it is asserted that the pres
emit law is sufficient to meet the real de-
mands for which this law in it's present
form was created.
From the school officials of the cities
to be affected by the first proposition,
1 desire to receive Immediately some
explicit Information. These officials
are chosen by the people of their res
pective sections and are supposed to be
the opponents of public sentiment on
educational questions. The high
schools under the various towns and
cities throughout the state will be af-
fected by the second proposition, name
ly, bl0 SSlectlOu Ol UNIFORM SSb Oh
high school text books. From as many
as possible of the officials of these
schools 1 likewise desire an early and
clear expression of their desires on this
point. Whatever information may be
obtained will be furnished by me to
Governor Sayers ADD legislators desir-
ing to know the views of those who are
to be affected by this legislation. Please
to secure meeting OF your school
L
tion, at Gnce, and report to me as soon
rs possible whether or not your people
are in favor of the proposed changes. I
beg 10 remain yours very truly,
J. S. KENDALL,
State Superintendent Public Instruc-
ton.
superintendent Putnam then read