The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1900-09-26
school Book Contracts.

1t was recently stated through The
Herald's jackson correspondent that
pending school book contracts would
differ from those made at the begin
ming of the expiring term. The At
torney General, as has been published,
asserts that the law contemplates and
requires that the said contracts shall
specify the book price to be paid by
the pupils, instead of by the local
book dealers. To plain reader of
the law it seems curious that any such
Interpretation should have been need
ed. The code provision reads as fol-
lows:
Code Section 4O69-Upon the adop-
ton of a series of text books by the
committee (therefor) it shall be the
duty of the county superintendent to
enter into a written contract-the
form of contract and the amount of
bond to be given by the publisher be-
ing fixed by the Board of Education
with the publishers of the books
which have been adopted, for a supply
of books at the rates specified in their
price lists; and the books shall be used
in the public schools of the county for
a period of five years from the date of
their adoption. In case
the committee in any county shall fail
to make an adoption on the day fixed,
the Board of Education may appoint
another day and reconvene the CON-
mittee.
Now who would suppose upon read
ing this provision that it meant that
the price stipulated applied to the
local book dealers, who could add on
any profit they deemed fair, or fit,
when selling to the patrons aad pn-
pills? And yet we judge from the con-
tents of the Attorney Generals opin-
ion, referred to above, that such has
been the custom. In Warren county,
and the city of Vicksburg, such knowl-
edge as we have points to even greater
irregularities and disregard Of the law.
Here the contract and bond required,
if ever filed, has disappeared from the
public repositories. If books are sold
at any contract stipulation i is solely
because the publishing companies so
will.
The following, section 406S of the
code, is the law as TO school book con-
tarcts:
A record shall be kept by the coun-
ty superintendent of the books adopt
ed, together with the names of pub.
fishers Of the same and their price list
for exchange, INTRODUCTION, and per.
manent supply, which record shall
be published by the county superin-
tendent three consecutive weeks in a
newspaper published or circulated in
the county.
OF course this provision will be OBJ
served by our school officials as to
the contracts to be made in October
But the law as to school book con
tracts should be radically changed
Let the counties and districts make
their selections as at present, but the
contracts and bonds should be entered
into by the State Board, and at a uni
form price. This would effectually
guard against the irregularities and too
little regard for the law natural in
those who are acting under mere
special and temporary delegation OF
official authority. There would be an
end of talk-reports of undue intlu-
ences by publishing concerns-over
county and town purchasing commit
tees. Such talk may all be unbound
ed, but the disregard, or neglect, of
the essential forms of law to which
we have referred will be alleged as cor
roborative of Partially toward ia
vored publishing companies at the ex-
pense Of the public. In detail school
book extortion may be a small matter.
But in the aggregate the saving
through exacting impartial competi-
ton is enough to amply warrant the
attention The Herald is giving the
question.