The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-28
HOUSE MORNING SESSION.
Majority Placed Text Book Bill on
 Calendar.

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 Majority Placed Text Book Bill on Calendar. The House met at 10 o'clock, the ses- | sion being opened with prayer by Rev. MT. Gray of Birmingham. Seventy eight members answered to their names at roll call.
 The roll of committees and counties was called for the first time in several days. The Rules Committee favorably re- ported the bill of Senator Dunn of Clarke. scaling and pro rating the appro- priations in the event that the Treasury is not able to meet the demands made upon it.
 The DuBose bill providing for County uniformity of text books was favorably reported by the Committee on Education. Mir. Lusk of Marshall moved that the State uniform text book bill be taken from the adverse calendar and referred to the Committee of the Whole. The mo- tion was carried by a viva voce vote and the House resolved itself into the Com mittee of the Whole.
 Mir. Blackburn of Jefferson moved that the Committee of the Whole rise and re- port the bill favorably. He did this, he said, in view of the fact that only two days of the session remained and that there were a number of important bills on the calendar.
 Arnold Speaks Against Bill.
 MT. Arnold of Calhoun spoke against the motion and the bill State uniformity of text books, he said, did not exist in the great States of the East, States which were famous for their educational excel lence. It did prevail, he said, in South Carolina where the percentage of illit- eracy was the highest.
 
 bill providing for that had been put upon the calendar for final passage with fa- vora ble report.
 Was not that bill reported by six out of nineteen members of the Committee on Education?" asked MT. Thach of Limestone.
 T submit" replied MT. Arnold. that the gentleman has no right to inquire into the motives and actions of the Com mittee."
 MT. Arnold had the clerk read the County uniformity bill as a part of his remarks. The friends of State uniformity were restfve under the reading of the bill and they raised number of points of or der but the chair ruled that the bill could be read.
 MT. Arnold resumed his remarks
 q challenge denial of the statement" he said, that not five educators of dis tinction in Alabama favor State uniform ity."
 Criticises Book Company.
 MT Arnold declared that 1t would in next October, take S750,O00 from the peo- pie of Alabama to put the law into eff feet He called attention to the propos- als of the Southern Book Company at Atlanta and read an extract from an ed- ucational paper to show that the con cern was not established nor responsl- ble.
 He declared that there was no such thing as book trust. A monopoly. he said. could not be imposed on intelligence. A number of book companies, he said, were in favor of the bill in the hope of getting a contract
 He made an able argument for County uniformity, declaring that if A County Board made a mistake in selecting school books the evils of the mistake would fall only on one County. while the mistake Of State Board would harm the entire State.
 Callahan is Disappointed.
 MT. Callahan of Morgan expressed his olsappolntment at his experience in the Legislature. He was disappointed. he sald that 1t was not in truth as we'll as in name deliberative body. The I,eeis- lature. he said, had shown hut uttIe de- liberation. The time to consider the great question was now and it should be con sidered calmly and dispassionately.
 The Committee on Education, he said had reported the bill and that report should be given careful consideration and discussion. He decried the attempt of the House to override the committees report He saw harm in the ironclad rule for using books for five years. The A- ton were educators and it was known that they were opposed to State unifor mity
 MT. DuBose of Jefferson, a teacher bv profession protested against the bill He protested against the disposition of mem bers not to listen to reason nor hear arguments against the bill The dis position of some of the members to slight the subject and evade information, he declared. struck him with horror.
 The spirit of the dollar, he said, seemed to actuate the friends of the bill. He decried this commercial spirit which sought to control the schools of the State.
 Dubose Scores Governor.
 He was surprised, he said that the Governor. in the dignity of his office. had seen 1t to send in a message asking for State uniformity The message, he said. | had been sent without consultation with the State Superintendent of Education. The Governor. he said, had not been teacher. nor had he had much experience in educational matters. The Governor, | he said. he had been informed was op- posed to the teaching of geography. The | teachers of the State were opposed to the | bill.
 q would send my resignation to the l Governor before I would cast my vote | for this damnable measure exclaimed I MT. DuRose with deep earnestness.
 Docs not President Ahercrombie of the | State University favor State uniformity" | asked MT. London of Jefferson.
 "I believe he does" responded MT. Du- l Bose "but with all his splendid and Iowa l bIe qualities do not think he has had | the true university training"
 Icontinued on Page Ten.)