Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-24

ly unsatisfactory to all concerned as the
school book law.
venture the assertion that any book
merchant, who would adopt in his pri-
vate affairs, the provisions of the school
book law in obtaining his stock from
publishers, and should sell it through
depositaries, not dealers, many of them
located at points not easy OF access.
would soon go into bankruptcy. II
the changes which | suggest are not in
harmony with the common rules of
business and the law of trade; if they
are not in the interest of taxpayers,
teachers, parents and pupils; or if they
are unfair towards publishers, who have
existing contracts, either with the State
or with county book boards, then l will
not ask the intelligent readers appro-
val of such changes.
DepOstary System Should BE Re-
pealed.
1. The depository system, first of all,
should be repealed. 1t has few, if any
friends in the State. 1t should be
buried, face formost, so that in case it
should attempt to dig out, it will get fur
Their down. Let school books be handled
by dealers, at fair profit, such as they
make on other merchandise, so that they
can afford to take, in exchange, butter
and eggs, and chickens, and such other
trade as their customers bring to the
stores. And, to good customers, they
say even sell book on credit, when the
child needs it and the parent orders it
and Is not just then prepared to pay.
Almost every teacher in the State can
testify that the cash system of the
depositary,' has sent many a child to
school scarcely half supplied with
books; and it has kept many a child
out c. school. from the fact that the
parents depended upon paying for every
ching Ill trade, and they could not COM
mand cash.
State Contracts should BE Renewed
For One Year.
z. There is one matter, which. if not
corrected by the Legislature, will dou-
BILE the labor and expense of adopting
school books in each county CT the
State. The contracts made with pub
fishers by the State will expire June
30th, 1901; and contracts made with
publishers, by county book boards,
will expire June 30th, 1892 So as mat
ter now stands we will have two school
book adoptions within the two sue
ceeding years, each for the term of five
years, In each of the fitty-five counties
Of West Virginia. And this state of at
fairs, if not corrected, would continue
for all time to come.
These conditions, if continued, will
certainly make West Virginia a fine
harvest field for book agents. Fortu-
nately, we have a precedent showing
what Legislature may do in case of a
dilemma. The West Virginia Legisla-
ture, in 1890, for sufficient cause. which
| need not here name, enacted an
amendment TO the school law, directing
the State Superintendent. with the as
sent of the publishers, to contract, for a
period of one year, with the several
publishers, whose books were in the
schools throughout the State. This
amendment simply authorized renewal
of contracts, for period of one year;
and present it herewith, together with
the chapter re-enacted
Chapter VIII.
An Act to amend and re-enact chap
ter four, of the acts of eighteen hun
dred and eighty-five, entitled: "An
act authorizing the State Superinren-
dent of Free Schools, to contract for
the supply of class books to BE- used
in the rec schools of the State
Passed February 10, 1S90.)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of
West Virginia:
That, chapter four, of the act of eigh-
teen hundred and eighty-five, be ard
the same is hereby amended and re-
enacted SO as to read as follows:
l. That the State superintendent Of
Free Schools shall, on or before the
first day of July, one thousand eight
hundred and ninety, with the assent
o. the publishers, contract with the
several publishers of the class books
named in section ffty-eight OF the
school law, for the supply of such
class books TO be used in the free
schools of the State.
2. Such contracts shall be made for
period of one year from the first
day OF July. one thousand eight hun
dred and ninety, with as great re-
dGction in price as he may be able to
secure; but no revised editions" CT
such books as may be contracted for.
shall be introduced during the time
covered by any such contract.
8. Such contracts shall be made III
accordance with the provisions and
conditions of chapter ffty-six. OF the
acts OF ons thousand eight hundred