The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-02-26
Heard Of Education Meeting.

three teachers to select text books from
the multiple list to be adopted by tn
State Board.
After full discussion Of the matter
the following minute and resolution
were unanimously adopted:
The patrons Of the public schools O
this county are now paying for Maury'
Manual Geography Sll5, while th
children Of North Carolina are payinl
s. cents for the same book. Tn
Elementary Geography is sold to oul
children for 80 cents in cloth and 4
cents in boards, while the children o
| Moth Carolina have the cloth binding
offered them for 40 cents. The primary
language book used in this county cost,
our children 80 cents; the same boOl
costs the children of Indiana % cents
and the children Of Texas pc, One o.
| the grammars used In this county cost.
our children IS cents; the same book
costs the children Of Indiana 40 cents
aud the children Of Texas 80 cents
Another grammar used i'm this county
costs 90 cents; the same book costs the
D NAAAlnANA VI ANAA1 ~ ANnAos AAH VII
| ference In price exists between arith.
metics, histories, spoilers and other
/ books used in Virginia under the null
| uple list, and the same books used IN
other states having a uniformed list.
/ II is therefore All annual occurrence
that our patrons are paying from 20 t.
I 80 per cent. more under the multiple
list in Virginia than patrons Of the
schools Of States using the same Oh
similar books under single, or uniform
| list. II is not Infrequent that patrons
in this county, when buying com
plete set of books for their children, are
compelled to pay from IS cents to 81. IL
more than do the patrons in other
states for the same books.
We respectfully protest against this
great hardship placed upon the patrons
OF the country schools. In our judy
ment this is an unnecessary aud there
fore unjust burden Of taxation placed
on our people; and in view Of the low
prices prevailing for tobacco II becomes
very serious matter with the people
Of SOuthside Virginia. In some Of the
districts of this county the schools run
only five months for full session, ow-
ing 10 the inadequate funds now placed
in the hands Of the trustees A move
ment is contemplated by the county
superintendent, most of the trustees,
aud large number Of our best citizens,
tO ask for "A district tax in order that
our school terms may be heightened
tO eight months, aud that good school
houses may gradually be erected In
place Of the unfit structures To which
our children are now compelled 90 90
We fail 90 see why our citizens should
be burdened with tax on books that
in many cases will more than pay the
extra tax levied for lengthening the
school term from five To eight months
This board has no desire 10 enter
upon an extended argument as 20 the
merits or dement's Of single or a
multiple list, or 10 discuss the beauties
Of local self-gOvernment in this matter
under ideal conditions. Ii is a stern
condition and not a pedagogical theory
that cOnfrOnts the country people Of
Virginia; and we deem il sufficient 90
call attention % the fact that 10 has
been stated that the recent adoption Of
a single list Of books in Georgia will
save the people Of that State over
s65, 900 a year for five years; that the
saving to the people Of North Carolina
is estimated at 500 900 since the adOp.
ton of "A single list. that the State of
Washington obtained reduction un-
der a single list amounting in the aver
age 10 40 percent. and that the amount
saved to the people ofTennessee under
a single list is stated by the State Super
intendent TO be 33 percent In each
of these States there has been no de-
teuOraliOn in the merit Of the text
books or in their binding, if we accept
the statements Of the officials I'm fact,
in several Of them many Of the same
books are used as in this State.
As the school officers Of the people of
Prince Edward we deem it not only
legitimate, but a positive duty, to call
the attention Of the people Of Virginia
to these facts and to urge upon them
the necessity and timeliness Of a petit
| ton to the State Board to recede from
their determination to put upon our
country schools the costly plan Of a
multiple list, and to adopt a single
/ list, or at least to adopt some way by
which the book publishers may be
made 20 furnish books as cheaply On
the children Of the country schools OF
Virginia as they now furnish them o.
the children Of Indiana, Kansas, Geor-
gia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
| Utah. Washington, Tennessee, Texas,
| Michigan, Missouri, and other states.
In the judgment Of this body, the
State Board is more competent to Sc
| lect text. books for the country schools
than the committees provided for under
| the present policy Of the State Board
Aud even if this were not true, there
are now so many good books published
for the schools, and the competition in
merit is so keen, that it would be next
TO impossible for the State Board 10 70
astray IN the selection Unsuitable books
The doubtful privilege given the c0un
ties Of recommending or selecting text
books can not of set the loss Of tens OF
thousands Of dollars TO our people 10y
this costly method Of adoption. The
| fault is not with the publishers. IL i
plain To- every thinking man that D.
The book publishers must send an
agent to each county, or hire one IN
each county, the salaries, travelling
expenses and board bills OF these agent'
must be added to the cost Of the books
aud the children Of the State must pay
this extra sum. Therefore be 1t
Resolved, first, that in obedience t.
the instruction Of the State Board e
the county boards to select three trus
tees and three teachers to recommend
books for use in this county, we reques
the chairman to appoint this commit
tee.
Resolved, second, that we respectfull.
petition the State Board Of Education
to adopt a single, or uniform, list o
books, or to adopt any other metho'
they deem proper. by which tn coun
try people may purchase school book
at prices obtaining in states now usinl
a single list.
Resolved, third, that copies of thi
minute be sent to the News Leader
the Farmville Herald and TO th
| Times Dispatch, with request that the
publish the same for Dissemination
among the people people Of Virginia
The meeting then adjourned.