The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-26

tfOrr11tty OF RECORDS ana SrepOEts, IL 20 III
4cssarilysn single list book. n 3, h
THoMAs's STATEMENT.
Declares That He Is Proprietor
Of Register-L.a With Him.
Appended Is tho statement OF Principal
julian r. Thomas, OF the Richmond High
r ssrhool. az regarding the school register re-
Sferred to: 95
TO the Editor OF The Tlmes-D ispatch:
sir.-In the announcement OF his Sand X
dacy for State superintendent Of Public
INSTRUCTION, Mr.. .. Eggeston alludcs
8to the Virginia Sch DOL Register in such
a way az to reflect upon the State Board
OF Education, and possibly to affect In
sJurlously the reput Ati on OF others.
desire to state chat X am tho owner
OF the Virginia school REGISTER. and that
no : ono else has any interest whatever
|Ein It. / desire furthe to state all the
facts about which 50 much inquis tiveness,
+ has been shown. ia 5g$5. e
Under the school la ", r, as well us all
other teachers. have the right to write
school books or invent appliances for!
use in the public schools, and TO- make
contracts with the State Board OF Ed Ill-
cation for their use. The statute says
so. But, independent OF the statute
I8common sense and common experience
| show that this Is my right Perhaps no
name OF any teacher In Vir ginla is held
| Tin higher or more d deserved reverence,
than that OF John B. Minor. late profess--l
sori OF law at the University Of Virginia
He wrote the books that his students
bought and studied. But would It occur
to any one to heittle this teachers pu-
| tation or his work or his reward for this 2:
Would any one criticise the University
OF Virginia for allowing It? The same
reasoning applies to humber teachers,
and their humber works. It cannot be
scontended, therefore. that I did not have
make my contract concerning It with the
State Board OF Education. II
lss6&ButR It Is contend ed y that was not
KNOWN to be the author OF the register
1t Is immaterial VIII Their the board knew
the authorship OF 1t or not. i { they kne W
1t, then the contract was 4 nj AIDE as the!
Isletter of the law directs. II they did not
know It. then the work was selected
solely.upon dts own merits. and this was
even moro In accord with the spirit Of
the law. which; Is intended to prevent
any undue influence BY reason OF tho
tcacher's position: for, the author being
unknown, his position US "a teacher was
t hus prevented from Influencing the
i boa I'd. N ss "
But Mr.. Eggleston's article implies that
| the law required the board to do this
work Themselves. and that they neglected
to do SO, or that they foolishly or gno-
rantly made an i'm proper bargain with
4 some scheming person. who has over
j reac hed and outwitted them. But one
night think that the State Board OF Edu-
4cation, composed OF tho Governor OF tho
\ State, the Attorney-Ge the Super
|&intendentMof Public instruction, besides
i the eminent professors and teachers on
the board would be capable OF making
i a proper bargain III an ordinary teach
er or publisher: that they would exam
i Inc what they were buying and agree on
a. fair price; that they knew their rights
and duties the Iattorney-gene being
a their legal adviser. fs3 5s5
. But Mr. Eggleston speaks OF the regis
i ter rs a single list book s the Object
OF tho register is to secure uniform re-
4 norts and statistics, 1t sds hard to zee how
This could be otherwise. one would be
j laughed at should he contend for q DIFF
i 4ferent form OF tax books or poll books
i for different slocalitics.5 & 55
But what Is the Virginia School Regis
1 ter, and what contracts have been made
concerning 1t in the past?
1856 Mr.. L. 2. IS Holland. then frst
i clerk and secretary of the board. with
i the assistance OF several teachers and
school officers; published a school regis
i ter, submitted 1t to the board. and It was
J adopted, Its price being seventy-tive cents
i n copy. From 1856 to 1898 It was repent
eddy readopted at the same price.
4 In 1898 I made my register.sIo DO this
i i procured some sixty school registers
i from the most important states and cities
lin the Union. All theseI examined with
1.-the utmost care, SO q 8 to make the best
i register / could I examined all the
Il changes in the school laws, so S to make
I my register conform thereto Z con-
Pull tno ,t1ar fOr q
/ use. with n carefully prepared page illus
tratlng how the school records Should be
!; kept; the school laws and regulations
|Sthat the teachers have to be familiar
A within suggestive daily programme for
J srccitatlons, and blanks for adapting It to
the school; q dally-record OF atte e
a of pupils and the studies they pnrsl e :
"A term records; q register Of pupils for
!. each termga record OF visitors to tho
u SCHOOL,, an itemized Inventory, Of x the
q school property; including necessary IN
4 formation concerning the school house.
a Each register is designed to last each
i school from four to six years, md the
\ from fifteen to twent y cents Frers school
d per year, In making his register. !, Of
4 course, took the chance of losing my
4 work should IT not be adopted It was a
X business venture which might ray or
might5not, Just as Is the case with every
school hook that's printed It contained
more and cost more la Dor than the regis
A ter formerly used--yet the prce was the
4 same. Prior to Mr., Holland q register,
Il am Informed that such records cost the
a state far more, hut do not know the
n facts as to those older records, sf AZ
n hut whether 1t has been profitable to
II mo Or not contract was made in res
n gard to 1t by conlpetent parties. The
a state wa ranrasented by her highest off
A GERS, and they examined the work. and