The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-13
THE TEXT BOOK LAW.

600.
THE TEXT BOOK LAW.
For many years great discomfort has
existed in this State with the method o
furnishing primary text books for chill.
dren who attend the public free schools
the gravaman Of the complaint being thai
too frequent changes in the books were
made, which added to the expense ant
that original prices were exorbitant II
the light of experience both OF these
charges seem to be true. It is said tina
publishers often effected changes IN the
books unnecessarily through financial ar
rangements with school trustees and
teachers and kept prices high by means
OF illegal combinations and trusts
Whatever the whole truth may be, 1t Ii
certain that in manv cases teachers act
as agents of publishers Of school books
either during the school term or In va
cation, and there arc circumstances tend
ing to the conclusion that prices have
been maintained through some character
Of agreement, understanding or method
Of business between the publishers. To
remedy this injustice to the public, the
last legislature passed. a uniform text
book law. The more general and I'M
portant provisions are that the governor,
comptroller, secretary OF state, attor-
ney general. superintendent OF public
instruction and president of the Sam
Houston Normal institute constitute the
State text book board; this board is au-
thorized and required to appoint a text
book commission OF five members COM
posed OF teachers or city or county super
intendents; bids are to be received by the
board, accompanied by samples of the
books, from publishers for furnishing
books to the school children for a period
of not less than five years, inc1ud-
ing spelling. reading, English language
metic the elements of physiology and
hygiene. history of the United States.
history of the State of Texas and a
graded system OF writing books; the
books are to be examined by the commits
sion as to merit, irrespective of price,
taking into consideration chiefly the In
ternai merits or subject matter of the
books but having proper regard also to
the material and mechanical qualities
thereof; the commission is to report
classified list OF said books to the board,
arranged in the order OF recommends
tion; and the board is to consider the re-
port OF the commission together with the
bids. and adopt books to which the COM
mission gives its first recommendation,
unless other books on the same subject
coming later on said list are offered at
lower prices. taking into consideration
subject matter, material, style, binding
and mechanical excellence, in which case
the board may exercise discretion and
make an adoption Of books in view of all
the circumstances. Any county, city or
town which has assumed control of Its
schools and prior to April /. 1897
adopted uniform system Of text-boooks
is not required to comply with the act
prior to September /, 1899, or until con-
tracts previously entered into have
expired. and the act does not apply to
clties of 10000 inhabitants or over, I'M
less by their city council or school board
they adopt the provisions of the act.
Preference is expressly given by the act
to Texas authors or publishers, price ana
merit being equal the books are IN no
printed In the English language, pub
fishers are required to exchange new
books for old ones in use, and provision
IS made against partisanship in histories.
me commission was duly appointed and
MADE Its report, the board made an adop- /
Ilon, contracts for all books REQUIRED nv |
The act were entered into and the hooks
nave been in use since September /
lsss The books adopted by the board |
were not In many cases. those recom- |
nended by the commission. FreouentIv
The grading of different books nv the
commission varied but slightly. and Ia
what these differences We're due. whether
,or instance, to the fact that some mem
ueI OF the commission marked book
, ,ms hieh or low, thus distinctly
Affecting the general average. the hoard
iia not know. because the commission de-
, ,.l, upon request, to furnish the in
iiVidual grading of its members Sor,n-
hihg is also necessarily due to differanc.
u opinion which might naturally he exs
pected to arise between thoughtfuI and
CONSCIENTIOUS men on the merits OF The
BOOKS. But the largely controlling con.
:, accounting for the adoption
- poons otner IMAM those Recommended
s the fact that the statute exnresslu ,.
lnired tho commission TO consider ~
Irrespective OF price, while tho hoara
vas en)oined to give due weight n 49,
'or several reasons the law annaars ~ ,
ne " ne one OF the most useful and hans
,cial ever enacted in the State II nre
,snts chanse OF books within Ave wears
' IN mus saves the cost OF new hooks RI 1
indar ,hore cniidren In the same family.
,ra non. ~ sou'Iaets entered into books q
'revious prices and the agrreeata osiow b
, ,on Oh ms expense to the peonla =, w. c
'Iate is not less than $3.50 900 nsr ., uno b
WI 10 TINS Uniformity and rednc,;.., G
ureu az the sacrifice Of merit ~ 20 a
,,a.s 'ea. an books elected are arst. r
,se IN ,h s'%e OF them were In genera, n
aw thus cue s,aie before the passage ~ M II
hat - ~ suuing the choice OF the nuhi,c ~ Ell
& ne ,ons poard, and the others are ec".I G
.r. as good all things considered nc eguaI. 4,
'is ID use. EmphaticaIly ga 40 muse v
aa..y indorsed by the peonIs 81 anu sig a
hh a,, OF the books by the hos.s sr tne pI
-, merits discussed, this statm,a ane al
ena oH pe preserved. but It's hsnes Should pl
ona - VIII give II strength ma eA. II
sa,,, y, .he Vaccinations interSaS aI'cst s,
ar sra !, be made criminal ow. a.s pc
,r,' ana .uacher or school trustee =. onehse nj
10 a,, "eni py publishers Of schoa "ceept III
~ y, si,y OF 10000 inhabitant. ooi books, vi
conseomsra me provisions OF the act ~
ondltiops , ra not only do the hnr,t',, In
nasrruch s'elred to still exist there ~, an
eneral ru,s opposition publishers a. DC
ooks ,h a,e supply those cities with ses TO
/ onsr NY are using the cities ~ 'snool ha
hes z ss In their war On r. oases otl
,rres suonsners and other eIemsns Jaw: co
pssfr, endeavoring TO prevent a. snc I'M
IN ss,n.oreement, to undermira 80 ,uc- be
peeis, ivy y, and II IL worthy ssu nm Gu
mn,io, eonsideration how yar ~. your co
Me-, =. o. cities viii m,.o, MS ex- BIZ
, this :, elsewhere. Without rsssy co
,,, Ans " Y difficult n rsr references DO
q adv.r me cities should 4. ny me IN
= saaanisgcs offered ~ ~ DC denied
- .ontrary, the prannrS eue act. On pa