The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-17

school books for Alabama is regarded as an event of the greatest importance by the book trade. The meetingA of the Com mission has attracted some of the most prominent book men in the Union to Montgomery. The firms competing for the big contract have detailed their best men to go before the Alabama Com mission.
 The Capitol was crowded all day yes terday by the book men. They were live and alert lot of men and they made a good appearance. A pleasing personality. good address and shrewdness seemed to characterize the book men who are here to go before the Commission.
 They were in the main, men of con- siderable experience and several of them had before this gone into competition for State contracts. They were impressed with the Alabama Com mission, several of them declaring that 1t was the best con- mission they had ever seen.
 Some of the Book Men.
 Prominent among the book men was Major c. L. Patton of New York City, President of the University Publishing Company. Among the book men were several authors interested in the adop- ton of school books which they had writ ten. L. D. Miller of Jacksonville, Ala. who has written and published a school history of Alabama, appeared before the Commission yesterday afternoon in the interest of his history. Frederick Manly 
 the Commission in the interest of a United States history which he has writ ten Other book men al the capitol yes- terday were Frank F. Powell, St. Louis; Young, Chicago; A. l.. Hart. New York James G. Coffin. Chicago; Truman II. Kempton. New York: B. K. Benson, Att lanta: J. D. Matlock, Birmingham; T. w. Florence; s. J. Cole. Birmingham; l.. B. Robeson. Atlanta, Ga; Haviland Stevenson, New York; c. B. Bowery, New York: G. H. Thigpen, Birmingham; F. c. Fidler. Chicago; C. II. Robertson. Philadelphia: George W. Duncan. Au- burn; R. P. Henry, Richmond: E. H. Me Michael. Atlanta.
 The Mode of Procedure.
 Three sessions of the Commission were held yesterday. At the first very little but organization was accomplished. At the afternoon session mode of procedure was adopted and outlined in the following resolution:
 Be 1t resolved,
 "First-That each publishing house sub mitting books for adoption by the State Text Book Commission. shall he given an opportunity to address the commission and present the merits of Its books either at this meeting or at future meeting of the commission.
 "Second-That the time allotted to each publishing house shall be proportioned ac-
  cred by the deposit as follows: One sub ject, fifteen minutes; two subjects. thirty minutes: three subjects forty-five min utes; four subjects. sixty minutes; five subjects or more, ninety minutes.
 ''Third-That the hearing be restricted to the accredited representatives of said publishing houses. and confined strictly to the merits of the books submitted.
 "Fourth-After the adjournment of this session of the commission agents. attor- neys or representatives of book concerns will not be given private or individual hearing by any member of either the commission or sub-commission, and all arguments in favor of any book submit ted will be heard only during the two sessions of the commission. Any time allotted for arguments before the com mission that may not be consumed at this session may be used at the subsequent session. All communications hereafter submitted to the commission when not in session concerning text books shall be in the form of briefs.
 Book Men Draw Lots. AS soon as the resolution was adopted the Commission announced that it was ready for business. The representatives of the hook concerns who were bidding drew lots to establish the order by which they were to appear before the Commis-
 Ali sAdders had previously sent in sam