The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-14
AN ACT


schools in this State a uniform series
of Text Books; to define the duties and
powers of said Commissions and other
officers; to make an appropriation for
the carrying into effect this act, ana
to provide punishment and penalties
for the violation of the same.
Section l. Be 1t enacted by the Leg
islature of Alabama, That the Governor.
State Superintendent of Education, and
three eminent teachers of the state VINO
shall have a practical knowledge OF the
public school system of the State. ana
the methods of teaching therein, 10 be
appointed 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
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 ana
adopt uniform system or series OF text
books for use In the public schools In this
State as above indicated, and when so
selected and adopted the said text books
shall be used for period of FIVE years In
all the public schools of this State, and
II 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; photography, reading,
writing, arithmetic, geography, grammar.
language lessons, history of Alabama,
containing the Constitution OF the State,
history of the United States. containing
the Constitution of the United States,
physiology and hygiene. elementary geo-
ogy of Alabama, elementary principles
of agriculture elements of algebra, ele
ments of plane geometry, elements of
natural philosophy, bookkeeping, ele
ments of civil government, rhetoric, and
higher English, and such other branches
of study as said Commission may select
and designate; Provided. that none of said
text books shall contain anything of a
partisan or sectarian character. Before
transacting any business relating to the
duties of this Commission they shall each
take an oath before some person author
lied to administer oaths, to faithfully
discharge all the duties imposed upon
them as members of said School Book
Commission, and that they have no in
terest, 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 a population of five thous-
and designate such books and such
branches of study as the conditions ex-
listing in such cities and towns may re-
qulre.
Sec. 2. There shall be a sub-commis-
sion of five to be selected as follows:
President or member of the faculty of
one of the Normal Schools of the State;
a President or member of the faculty of
one of the Agricultural Schools; Su
psrintendent of one of the city schools,
and two teachers of the common schools,
each one of whom shall be appointed by
the Governor.
Sec. 8. 1t shall be the duty of said sub
commission to report to the Commission
at such time said Commission shall d.
rect the books which they recommend
for adoption arranging each book in its
class or division, and reporting them in
the order of their merit, pointing out the
merits and dement's of each book, and
indicating 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 con-
slider such books upon the same subject,
or of the same class or division of APP
proxmatey equal merit. all things be-
ing equally considered. they shall so re-
port, and IL 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 des-
ignite such books and In said report they
shall make such recommendation and
suggestions to the Commission as they
shall deem advisable and proper to make
Said report shall be kept secret and
sealed up and delivered to the Secretary
of the Commission 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 proposals of
publishers or others, desiring to
have books adopted by said Com
mission Each member of said sub
commission, 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 abil-
ity discharge said duties, and that he is
not directly or indirectly in any manner
interested In the proposed contract, nor
in any books or publishing concern pub
fishing any books of the kind or charac-
ter 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 snail be nleQ IN the
Office of said Secretary OF State.
Sec 4. Said Text Book Commission
shall herein consider said report in it's
selection and adoption of the uniform
series of text books, and shall also them
selves consider the merits of each book,
taking into consideration their subject
matter, the printing, binding material
and mechanical qualities. and their gen.
eral suitability and desirability for the
purposes intended as we'll as the price of
said books and they shall give great con-
sideration and weight to 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 de-
sired, andt they are hereby authorized
and directed, in case any book or books
are deemed by them suitable for adop-
ton and more desirable than other books
of the same class submitted, and thew
further consider the price at which books
are offered to be nreasonably high and
that they should be offered at a smaller
price, to Immediately notify the publisher
or offerer of such books or books of their
decision and request such reduction in
prices as they deem reasonable and lust
and If they and such publisher shall
agree on a price they may adopt his book
or. books, but II 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