The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-26
GENERAL LAWS Enacted by the Legislature of Alabama.
AN ACT.

officers; 10 make an appropriation for
 the carrying into effect this act, and
 to provide punishment and penalties
 for the violation of the same.
 Section l. Be 1t enacted by the Legis- lature of Alabama, That the Governor, State Superintendent of Education and three eminent teachers of the State who shall have practical knowledge of tho public school system of the State and the methods of teaching therein, to be ap- polned by the Governor, shall be and are hereby constituted the School Book Commission of the State of Alabama whose duty 1t is to select and adopt a uniform series or system of text books for use in the public schools in this State. Said Commission is hereby authorized, empowered, and directed to select and adopt uniform system or series of text books for use in the public schools in this State as above indicated. and when so selected end adopted the said text books shall be used for a period of five years in all the public schools of this State, and it shall not be lawful for any school officer, director, or teacher to use any other books upon the same branches other than those adopted by said State Text Book Commission Said uniform series shall include the following branches of study to wit: Orthography, Read D. Grammar, Language Lessons, History of Alabama, containing ths Constitution of the State, History of the United States, containing the Constitution of the United States Physiology, and Hygiene, elemen- tary geology of Alabama, elementary principles of agriculture, clements of algebra, elements of plane geometry elements of natural philosophy book keeping, elements of civil government, rhetoric, and higher English and such other branches of study as said commis- sion may select and designate; Provided, that none of said text books shall contain anything of partisan or sectarian char acter. Before transacting any business relating to the duties of this Commission they shall each take an oath before seme person authorized 10 administer oaths, to faithfully discharge all the duties im- posed upon them as memters of said School Book ComH4ssion, ana that they have no interest, direct or indirect, In any contract that may be made under this act, and will receive no personal benefit therefrom
 Provided further that for cities and towns having population of 5000 or more said commission may select and designate such books and such branches of study as the conditions existing in such cities and towns may require.
 Sec 2 There shall be a sub-commis- sion of five to be selected as follows; A president or member of the faculty of one of the Normal schools of the State; a president or member of the faculty or one of the agricultural schools; super intendent of one of the city schools; and two teachers of the common schools each one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor
 Sec. B. It shall be the duty of said sub commission to report to the commission at such time said commission shall direct the books which they recommend for adoption arranging each book in it's class or division, and reporting them in the order of their merit, pointing out the merit and demerits of each book, and In dicating what book they recommend for adoption first; what book is their second choice; what their third choice. and so on, pursuing this plan with the books submitted upon each branch of study, and if said sub-commission shall consider such books upen the same subject, or of the same class or division of approSi- mately equal merit, all things being equally considered, they shall so report, and If they consider any of the books offered are of such class as to make them inferior and not worthy of adoption, they shall in their report so designate such
 
 such recommendation and suggestions to the commission as they shall deem ad- yisable and proper to make. Said report shall be kept secret and sealed up and delivered to the secretary of the commis- sion and said report shall not be opened by any member of the commission until the commission shall meet in executive session to open and consider the bids or proposals of publishers or others, des1r- .l..,. .1 1nid .aarn- mission. Each member of said sub-com- mission before entering upon the dis charge of his duties. shall take and sub scribe an oath to honestly, conscientious ly faithfully and to the best of his ability discharge said duties, and that he is not directly or indirectly in any man. ner interested in the proposed contract, nor in any books or publishing concern publishing any books of the kind or char acter contemplated for use in the public schools of this or any other state and that he will examine all books submitted carefully and faithfully and make true report thereon, as herein directed and prescribed. said oath shall be filed in the office of saiG Secretary of State.
 Sec f. Said text book commission shall herein consider said report in its selec- ton and adoption of the uniform series of text books, and shall also themselves consider the merits of each book, taking into consideration theii subject-matter the printing. binding, material and me chanical qualities. and their general suit ability and desirabilty for the purposes intended as well as the price of said books, and they shall give great consid- eratlon and weight 10 the report and recommendation of said sub-commission; Provided, That no text book, the subject matter of which is of inferior quality, shall be adopted by the text book com mission. Said commission shall select and adopt such books as will, in their best judgment, accomplish the ends desired. and they are hereby authorized and di- rected. in case any book or books are deemed by them suitable for adoption and more desirable than other books of the same class submitted, and they fur ther consider the price al which books are offered to be unreasonably high and that they should be offered at a smaller price to immediately notify the publisher or offerer of such book or books of their decision and request such reduction in prices as they deem reasonable and Just and if they and such publisher shall agree on price they may adopt his book or books, but if not they shall use their own sound judgment and discretion whether they will adopt that or the books which are deemed by them next best in the list submitted and when said text book commission shall have finished with the report of said sub-commlssion, the said report shall be filed and preserved in the office of the State Superintendent of Education and shall be open at all times for public inspection.
 Sec 5. Be it further enacted That said Text Book Commission shall, immedi- ately after the passage of this act. meet