The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-17
SCHOOL BOOKS ID
 BE MUCH CHEAPER Sharp Competition Before State
 Board at Montgomery COMMISSION FIXES RULES Only One Representative of Each Pub fishing House Will Be Allowed to
 Address Board and That Will
 Be In Open Session.
COMMISSION FIXES RULES

I thirty-one bidders for furnishing text books for the public schools of Alabama the state text book commission will likely be able to secure very low prices for books to be contracted for for A term of five years.
 The commission held meeting today for the purpose of receiving bids and samples. The subcommittee met with the commission, and to them were de- livered the samples submitted by the sev- eral publishers. While thlrty-one bids were received, none of them were openoi. These bids will be kept in the vault of the secretary of state until the final meeting of the board in June.
 It will probably require three days for the commission to hear the several book men. In a resolution adopted, 1t has Been decided that the commission and sub commission will sit jointly and hear argu- ments from the several book men in favor of their samples. The joint commission adopted the following resolutions gov erning the hearings:
 Resolutions Adopted.
 l. That each publishing house sub hitting books for adoption by the state text book commission shall be given an opportunity to address the commission and present the merits of its books, either at this meeting or at a future meeting of the commission.
 2. That the time allotted to each pub fishing house shall be proportioned ac- cording to tho number of subjects cov- ha cif GiII, ject, fifteen minutes; two subjects thirty minutes; three subjects, forty-five min utesi four subjects sixty minutes; five subjects, ninety minutes
 3. That the hearing be restricted to the accredited representatives of said pub fishing houses and confined strictly to the merits of the books submitted.
 1. After the adjournment of this ses- sion of the commissions agents attor- neys or representatives of book concerns will not be given private or individual hearing by any member of either the com mission or sub-commission, and all argu- ments In favor of any book submitted will be heard only during the two sessions of the commission. Any time allotted for arguments before the commission that may not be consumed at this session may be used at the subsequent session. All com munications hereafter submitted to the commission when not in session concern ing text books shall be in the form of briefs
 Fourth Is Important.
 The fourth section of the resolutions adopted is considered by the book men here as most important, providing as it does, that book men cannot make their harangues to members of the commission Individuality
 Some of the bidders who are asking for the adoption of a single series, argue that this section is against their interests These representatives have apparently come here with the purpose of presenting individually to the members of the com mission arguments in favor of their books. The members concluded that this would require endless time and trouble and with attempt to be uniformly courteous, the resolutions were adopted. Governor Jelks personally made the an- nouncement of the commissions decision to the fifty or more book men at the capital. The commission was in session all the afternoon until a late hour tonight hearing arguments under the provisions of the resolutions.
 Under the law the first commission Is permitted to personally examine all books submitted and 1t is by no means assured that the books recommended by the sub commission will be finally adopted. As a matter of course these recommendations are expected to have great weight.
 The Commission.
 The commission is composed of Gov ernor Jelks, Superintendent Hill, Presi- dent Abercrombie of the State university, President Charles c. Thach of the A. ana M. college and Prof. F. M Peterson of the Girls Industrial school.
 The subcommission is composed of M. c. Wilson of Florence: H. J. Willing l..w-. IF T-4.. mi mlngham J. H. Foster Of Tuscaloosa and w. w. Benson of Fort Deposit.
 Publishers Who Are Bidding.
 The following publishers submitted bids: R. L. Meyers & Co.,, Harrisburg Pa.
 Maynard, Merrill & Co.,, New York.
 Eldredge & Brothers, Philadelphia
 American Book company, Cincinnati.
 Glnn & Co.,, Boston.
 Benjamin H. Sandorn & Co.,, Boston.
 Rand. McNally & Co.,, Chicago.
 B. r. Johnson Publishing company, Richmond, Va.
 Southern Book Publishing company, Att lanta, Ga.
 Newson & Co.,, New York.
 Eaton & Co.,, Chicago.
 w. II. Wheeler & Co.,, Chicago
 Educational Publishing company, Att lanta.
 Southern Publishing company sher- man. Tex.
 Silver Bfirdette, Boston.
 Prang Educational company, New York. McMillan company, New YorK.
 Ellsworth company New York
 Charles Scribners Sons, New York.
 D. Appleton & Co.,, New York.
 Woodward & Herman Printing com pany, St. Louis
 Columbia Book company. c. c. Burchard & Co.,, Boston. Globe School Book company, New York. Educational Publishing company, New York.
 J. P. Lippncott company, New York.
 D. c. Heath & Co.,, Boston. l.. D. Miller. Jacksonville, Ala. c. T. Thurman, Chattanooga.
 J. w. Beverly, Montgomery.
 It will be seen that there are thirty-one bids, and each bidder Is required to file With his bid certified check for $500 for each book If he does not make a general bid for all the books ana each bid for all the books must be accompanied by certified check for s2500. If all the bidders filed a certified check for the maximum amount the state treasury will have de- posted in it on account of the text book law s77,500