Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-08
IN THE OLD DOMINION
BOOK AGENTS MAKE LIFE MIS-
ERABLE FOR STATE BOARD.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

The state is being flooded with book
agents from all the big school book
houses. They are going to every point in
the state and are making the life of each
| member of the state board of education
a burden. The reason for this activity
on the part of these people is that the
state will have to adopt new book list
in the coming summer for the public
schools of the Old Dominion The list
vii contain a single book on any one
study fer the entire state. while at this
time there is what is known as the null
tiple book list. allowing each city anG
county to adopt any one of a large num-
Der of books on certain studies.
1t has happened that a child moving
from one county to another has been
forced to buy a complete new set OF
books because of the operations of this
system The present board of education
is committed to a single list. This m leans
4 saving of many thousands of dollars to
the taxpayers of the state. 1t is to- have
the members select the products of the
houses that the agents are here fighting
'or the possible advantage that may ac-
crue by an early representation of hte
merits of their publications.
The report of the schoo-book investga-
ton, conducted here by Richard f. Byrd
of Winchester as chairman. is being pre-
pared at this time, Mr. Byrd arriving
here this week. The report will deal with
the matter in manner that will
present the book trust in an un-
enviable light. 1t is alleged that the book
companies have violated their contract
with the state and sold books for less
money TO other states than to Virginia
The report will also have something to
say of the methods of John z. Kennedy,
the deposed state librarian, and his trans
actions in buying books for the state
library.
The Debt Controversy.
Virginia and West Virginia are to get to-
gether and arrange a settlement of the
debt controversy and end all the litigation
that is now in the courts. This is the
unofficial announcement made in this city,
and it is generally accepted as correct by
those who are familiar with what is going
on. John B. Moon of Albemarle and the at
torney general held a conference with the
governor and discussed the matter here a
day or two ago. They We're closeted for an
hour or more. and while they say they
cannot divulge what transpired they do
not deny that an overture of some sort
has been made to irginia officials. SEEK
ing to ascertain the attitude of the Vir-
gnia authorities on the subject of ar
ranging to adjust the difference without
further straining the relations that have
so long existed.
The principal of the debt and the inter-
est on it to this time will reach very
many millions, and it is known that the
sentiment of the Virginia officials is to do
what is fair and Just, not to exact too
much and to have due regard for her own
interests. 1t is pointed out that by
making an adjustment of the matter the
credit of the state of West Virginia would
not in the least be impaired. and that she
would come out of the affair with her
honor and dignity maintained. Then.
too, it is held that the litigation would
entail very heavy expense. and that from
an economical point of view West Vir-
ginia would be the gamer.
The report of the state health board for
the month of October is Just out, and con-
tains much that is important on the con-
titions in the state. The vital statistics
for the 100 counties are not embraced in
the report, but those for eight of the
cities are set forth with some care. 1t
discloseS that the death rate among the
negroes is nearly three timas as great as
that of the whites The bulk of the negro
population is confined to thu cities, the
farms and rural districts being almost
deserted. In fact. there are two countless
in the state in which there are no negroes.
These are Buchanan and Dickinson. The
report shows that in the cities of Rich
mond, Norfolk, Lynchburg, Roanoke,
Newport News. Petersburg. Manchester
and Elizabeth City county (Which en-
braces the cities of Hampton and
Phoebus), there is a population of 337. 791.
of which 210.044 are white and 121,747
colored. There were $40 deaths for thu
month. of which 241 were of white and 305
of colored persons. The major portion OF
the deaths are accredited to consumption,
heart disease, brain disease and intestinal
troubles.
The diseases predominating in the sew
eral counties for the month were given
follows: Typhoid fever al counties,
diphtheria in "a, tuberculosis in 10 scarlet
fever in 16, measles in s. whooping cough
in 80 and smallpox in 8.