The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-25
"WEDNESDAY. MARCH Is. 1919.
WHY7ThlS BILL 2

WHYThlS BILL
one OF the most remarkable bills that
has been passed by this Legislature Is
known as Senate bill No. 245, and Is as
b follows:
y %.,Be enacted by tho General Assembly
&c Virginia, That no division super,n-
IL tendent Of schools shall be< selected ma
y associated as member of tho state
4 BOARD OF Education, under article .. SEC
ton 1S0, Of the Constitution Of Virginia,
WHO Is the author or editor OF any ,ext
book or text books now In use or Which
belong to class which may hereal -,
q be eligible for selection for use IN Inc
,chnols, Of tho state, or who Is interested
h the duplication or sale Of such text
X book or text books, or who Is Interested
y h the invention. manufacture or sue OF
ichool appliances for such use or VINO IS
A b, any way interested In such text DOCKS
II Sr school appliances
E3'..Thls act shall be IN force from It's
s passage. Z iiSSs$ w
The bill has been passed by both the
Senate and House. but has not yet peen
& signed by the Governor Our information
is that 1t was adversely reported by the
" lIouse Committee, and in the Senate was
taken out OF the hands OF the committee
Il ana passed, Just what the true object OF
a this BILLS we know not, but from many my
points OF view 1t is open to serious oo-
lection. First Of all. It is species OF class
Legislation, for Its provisions apply TO
# only two OF tho members OF the Board
n Of Education and not to tho others i
u does not apply to tho Governor. the, At
torney- General and the Superintendent OF
\ Public instruction, nor does It apply 10
3}'the three experienced educators to pc
\ elected quadrennialiy by tho Senate"
:, These ,'three educators have already
Il been elected by the Senate, and why,
H in the name OF common sense, should
The Senate FIX qualification for the two
members Of the board to DO selected from
&the public schools which does not apply
Fl, to tho members Of the board elected by
The Senate itself? Moreover, It Is the
opinion OF distinguished lawyer and
members of the Constitutional Conven-
ation that tho General Assembly has no
right to make q qualification for these
81 two members which Is not provided for
Il al the Constitution itself, and the Con-
stitution makes no qualification what
u ever except that ono OF these cligtbles
shall be from county, and the other
from o city. u
81 Now, If this bill be signed by The Gov
ernor and become law OF the State 1t
will exclude any and every superin-
te,dcnt who is sensible and industrious
enough to have written or edited any text
book, or who has made any sort of an
invention to facilitate school work. It
matters not that he has sold his right
3% and tito to his book or his Invention.
and has no further pecunlary interest;
the moro fact that he Is such an au-
thor or such. an. Inventor is sufficient to
exclude him from membership on the
4. State board Of Education.
To illustrate, Superintendent Fox, OF
Riclunond, is inventor OF "Fox's Chart
Of Civil Government OF Virginia." which
Is so useful that 1t has been put upon
the Virginia list. But because Mr. FOX
has made this invention. II Senate bill
No. 249. becomes a law. he would be
Ineligible to membership on the State
Board OF Education,
Superintendent Glass. OF Lynchburg Is
al author of GLASS Spellcr." Some time
y ago he sold his right and title In this
book TO a New York publishing house
and has no pecuntary interest whnteve.
# in the book, 1t Is on the Virginia list
but that is a matter of no material con
corn to Mr.. Glass, for he receives M
royalty on the book But because he !.
the author OF the book under this law
lie would be excluded from membership
on the State Board of Education.
The bill seems to us TO be so utterl,
absurd that we are at n loss to under
stand how 1t managed TO get throug,
both branches OF tho Legislature. and W
should be pleased to know from its patro
or from any member who voted for It tn
why's ard wherefores OF It's existence.
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