The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-29

the carrying into effect this Act.
 and to provide punishment and
 penalties for the violation of the
 same.
 section i. Be it enacted by the Leg islaturs of Alabama, That on or before March 1, 190e the Governor shall se- feet and appoint nine Educators of known character and ability, men well acquainted with arranging courses of study and engaged in public school work. one from each Congressional District. who. together with himself. and the State Superintendent of Eduea- tion. shall constitute the Text Book Commission of Alabama. It shall be the duty of said Commission to select and adopt a uniform series of text- books for use in the public schools of she state for a period of Ave years. and 1t shall be unlawful for any school of- dciaI, director, or teacher, to use any books upon the same branches other than those adopted by said State Text Book Commission. Said uniform series shall include the following branches of study, to-wit: 0rthography, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic. Geography. Gram mar, Language Lessons, History or Ala bania. containing the Constitution or tbe State, History of the United States. Elementary Physiology and Hygiene. Elementary Principles of Agriculture and such other branches of study as properly belong in common school course, provided that none of said text books shall contain anything of par tisan or sectarian character. Before fransacting any business pertaining to the duties of this Commission they shall each take an oath, before some person authorized to administer oatns, to faithfully discharge all the duties imposed upon them as members Of said Text Book Commission and that they ' i-5 nvs tYfH in any contract that may be made un- der this Act, and receive no personal benefit therefrom Provided, further, that said Text Book Commission shall have the power by three-fourths vote to drop an unsatisfactory book at inc end of any school year during the con tfnuance of this contract, and to make another adoption.
 Sec, 2. Said Text Book Commission shall consider the merits of each book. takinr into consideration their subject matter, the printing. binding. material and mechanical qualities and their gem sral suitability and desirability for the purpose intended. as well as the price of said books, provided that. no text book. the subject matter of which Is of inferior quality shall be adopted by the Text Book Commission. Said Com mission shall select and adopt such books as will, in their best Judgment, accomplish the ends desired, and they are hereby authorized and directed In casa any hook or books are deemed by them suitable for adoption, and more desirable than other books of the same class submitted, and they further com rider the price at which the books are offered to be unreasonably hign, ana that they should be offered at small CT price. to immediately notify the nublisher or author of such book or books. of their decision and request such reduction in price as they deem reasonable and just. and if they and such publishers shall agree on price they may adopt his book or books, bur if not, they shall use their own sound Judgment and discretion whether they yyiIlladopt that or the books which are deemed by them next best in the list published
 Sec. 3. That said Textbook Com mission shall immediately after their appointment, meet and organize, the Governor being president of the Com mission, and the Superintendent of Ed ucatioII secretary of said Commission. As soon as practicable, not later than thirty days after its organization the Commission shall advertise in such manner and for such length of time and at such places as may be deemed ad- vfsable that at time and place fixed definitely in said advertisement sealed bids or proposals will be received from The publishers of school textbooks for furnishing books to the public schools in the State of Alabama, through such agencies in the several counties, and places in the several counties in the State as may be provided for in such regulations as said Commission may adopt and prescribe. The bids or pro ? sals to be for furnishing the books for a period of five years and no long CT, and that no bid for longer period will be considered Said bids shall state specifically and definitely the price at which the books will be furnished and shell be accompanied by one or more specimen copies of each and every book proposed to be furnished. and 1t shall be required of each bidder to de- posit with the Treasurer of the State q sum of money such as the Commis- sion may require, not less than Five Hundred Dollars, nor more than Twen- ty-hve Hundred Dollars, according to the number of books each bidder may propose to supply and notice shall fur ther be given in such advertisement that such deposits shall be forfeited absolutely to the State if the bidder making the deposit shall fail or refuse to make and execute such contract and bond as is hereinafter required. with in such time as the Commission may require, which time shall also be stat ed in said advertisement. All bids shall ye sealed and deposited with the Secretary of State, to be by him deliv- cred to the Commission when they are in. executive session, for the pur- pose of considering the sane when the. shall be opened in the presence of the Commission.
 Sec. 4. That 1t shall be the duty of said Textbook Commission to meet at the time and place designated In such notice or advertisement, and take out the sample or specimen copies sub mitted upon which the bids are based. When the members have examined all books submitted until thoroughly sat- isfed, it shall be the duty of said Text Book Commission to meet in eXecu- tive session to open and examine all scaled proposals submitted and receiv- ed in pursuance of the notice or adVer- isement provided for in Section of this act It shall then be the duty of said Commission to examine and con slider carefully such bids or proposals and determine in the manner provided in Section of this act. what book or books shall be selected for adoption, taking into consideration the size, quality as to subject ma tier, material, printing. binding and the mechanical execution and price. and the general suitability for the purpose desired and intended: provided, however, that all books selected and adopted shall be written or printed in English. After their selection for adoption shall have been made. the said Commission shall, by registered letter, notify the pub fishers or proposers to whom the con- tracts have been awarded. and 1t shall