The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-20
GREAT I YEAR FOR.
N INVESTIGATION
Legislature Had RInquiriilg Mind,
and Ordered Many Things to
BE Looked Into. M
SOME BEEN ALREADY ! HELD
School Book Matter to Come Up
Shortly, and Will Be Gone
Fully Into.


Fully Into.
Tie year 1905 ains been marked by the
number OF investigations that have either
! been made or are still I to be made by
legislative committees. fss q
The Corporation Commission sinvestiga-
1 ton headed the list, followed closely by
the Cloves investigation, which was held
in secret by the Senate; the Virginia MIL
itary Institute Investigation, the Eastern
State Hospital investigation. the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute (Blncksburg) y In,
n yestigation,a which Is yet to be heard,
4 while the end will not be reached until
sE the school book system OF the State has
been investigated by n committed, which
will sit In Stanton, beginning Its sessions
u on August 9Th. II al y
The school book Investigation will be
x full of intense interest, for Its outcome
, will affect materially every public school
child withinSthe limits OF the State. The
question which will be discussed and the
cxamlnation which Will be made Will be
to discover why 1t Is that the children OF
Virginia pay more--much more-for their
school books than those OF any other!
State In the Union
The Authority Therefor.
The investigation is authorized by the
s following Joint resolution:
"A joint resolution providing for a COM
nlittee OF the General Assembly to sit
during the recess to examine into the
price OF school books and the practica-
.bility OF publishing the same by the
State.
Resolved, by the House OF Delegates
(the Senate concnrring) That n Joint
committee OF three members OF the Gen 3
eral Assembly be appointed, one by the
President OF the Senate and two by the
Speaker OF the House OF Delegates.
This committee shall sit during the
recess OF the General Assembly and in
quire as follows:
p I'll Is the price Of school books required
to be used In the public schools OF Nir-
ginia higher than In any other State,
81 ind i II so. why?
e. Could the State with due consid-
Grafton to economy. publish the school
books used by, the public school pupils?
g. Are the profits OF the school book
publishing companies exorbitant. and, II
Is So. is there any remedy for this cond!-
Il ton 4s 81 gsti;
The committee shall have power to call
witnesses. examine them on oath and re-
quire the production Of books, papers
and contracts. s5s;s
Which was agreed to- g5
Extract from the Journal OF March s.
3 1906.
Mr.. Byrd, Chairman.
The Legislative committee Is composed
i Of Hon. Richard Evelyn BYRD, chair
& mar, OF Winchester; Hon. e. p. Cox OF
Richmond and Senator ATE. Strobe. OF
Amherst. Mr. Frank 3. Watkins viii
act as observation-disclosures. and Mr.. t. e.
4 Owens will be the clerk to the commit
81 tee and official tenographer. 15Ess3 y NJ
While the committee has no power to
call witnesses who reside outside the
+ ~ State, there is no doubt but the book
publishers will appear to testify and to
explain. as best they can, the uhsatis-
81 factory conditions which now obtain In
Virginia. regarding the prices charged
Il for school books. Sf{ 4.sy. 3;g a,1
Among the questions which will be
discussed will be the deslrability OF es-
tablishing State printing office 10 fur
rlish books for the public schools. and
also the merits and dement's of both the
single list, and multiple list" Of public
school hooks.
38S5In this connection, 1t is OF interest
to enquire II the Legislature has any
authority to actin the matter. and II 1t
rs can do more than merely recommend
certain changes TO the Board OF Educa-
tIon which, according to a recent opin-
Is ion OF the Acknowledgement has plenary
4 powers regarding the management OF the
public schools and the selection OF the
books used therein. 5si Il
Virgtnians Pay More.
In discussing the proposed Investigation
with a public official on yesterday, tide
veloped that Virginia public school chill
dren pay from four per cent. to seventy
81 one per cent more for school books than
hos ~ tott ytote q ,'fg1v
OF the differences In prices: X
4S Aiaurys Manual Geograph y--North
ii Carolina, Alabama, Texas, lightweight
cents: Virginia, sl.15. Maury's Elemen-
tarys Geograp hy-Nort Carolina. & Ala
bama. Texas. forty cents; Virginia. 4. fifty
cents. The Holton Primer-A !abama.,
nineteen cents: Virginia. twenty five
e. Georgia, twenty centsi Virginia, twenty
X fiye cents. Second Reader Georgia.
twenty-sx cents; Virginia, forty cents.
All OF these books are exactly the Same
edition; page By page. they are alike,
and even their covers are Identical. This
is the explanation offered for the marked
q difference In prices:
@tii4 The Virginia Board OF Education decided
that the III cities and counties OF the
State should each determine separately
what, books should be used In their re-
ypective schools. and approved the III
selections made by the local committees,
consisting Of seven members each.
Had to Send Samples.
This action meant that the book pub
fishers. some twenty or thirty in num-
Der, were compelled to send separate
ID samples OF their various publications, to
al seven members Of the III commit
tees. or $40 sets Of books. worth in all,
1t Is said. about sG5 900. 3,3 s&
itts8 In addition to this. agents of the pub
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