The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-29
GENERAL LAWS
Enacted By the Legislature of Alabama

! schools or Nn1s state a uniform SeIleS
 of textbooks, to define the duties and
 powers of said Commission, to make
 an appropriation for the carrying
 Into effect this Act. and to provide
 punishment and penalties for the vio- ! lation of the same.
 Section 1. Be 1t enacted by the Leg aslature of Alabama, That on or before March 1, 1908, the Governor shall select land appoint nine educators of known hcharacter and ability, men well ac- fuuainted with arranging courses of lstudy and engaged in public school hwork, one from each Congressional District, who, together~> with himself, Rnd the State Superintendent of Educa- E8ion, shall constitute the Text Book Eommission of Alabama. It shall Be hhe duty of said Commission to select hnd adopt a uniform series of text books for use In the public schools of lfhe State for period of five years, and ht shall be unlawful for any school of Edcal. director, or teacher, to use any books upon the same branches other hhan those adopted by said State Text lBook Commission. Said uniform series lBhan include the following branches of lstudy, to-wit: Orthography, Reading. fWriting, Arithmetic, Geography, Gram mar, Language Lessons, History of Ala lbama, containing the Constitution of hhe State. History of the United States, lElementary Physiology and Hygiene. lElementary Principles of Agriculture and such other branches of study as properly belong in a common school course. provided that none of said text books shall contain anything of a par ltlsan or sectarian character. Before Itransacting any business pertaining to hhe duties of this Commission they Eehall each take oath, before some tperson authorized to administer oaths, Ito faithfully discharge all the duties I1mposed upon them as members of said NText Book Commission and that they have no interest directly or indirectly, Bin any contract that may be made un- luer this Act, and receive no personal beneft therefrom. Provided, further, that said Text Book Commission shall have the power by three-fourths vote So drop an unsatisfactory book at the end of any school year during the con Ninuance of this contract, and to make hnother adoption.
 Sec. 9 Said Text Book Commission shall consider the merits of each book, taking Into consideration their subject matter, the printing, binding, material and mechanical qualities and their gen eral suitability and desirability for the purpose intended, as well as the price of saIl books, provided that, text book, the subject matter of which is of in ferior quality shall be adopted by the Text Book Commission Said Commission shall vii n their best judgment, accomplish the ends desired, and they are hereby authorized and directed in case any book or books are deemed by them suitable for adoption and more desirable than other books of the same class submitted, and they fur ther consider the price at which the books are offered to be unreasonably high and that they should be offered at a smaller price, to immediately notify the publisher or author of such book or books, of their decision and request such reduction In price as they deem reasonable and 1ust' and if they and such publishers shall agree on a price they may adopt his book or books, but If not, they shall use their own sound judgment and discretion Whether they will adopt that or the books which are deemed by them next best In nhe list published.
 Sec B. That said Text Book Commission shall immediately after their appointment meet and organize, the Governor being aresident of the Commission, and the Superintendent of Education, secretary of said Commission As soon as practi- cable not later than thirty days after st5 organization the Commission shall ad- Nertise in such manner and for such length of time and at such places as may be deemed advisable, that at q time and lplace fixed definitely in said advertise hnent, sealed bids or proposals will be received from the publishers of school text books for furnishing books to the public schools in the State of Alabama Through such agencies in the several tcounties, and places in the several coun- lies in the State. as may be provided for. in such regulation as said Commission Lmay adopt and prescribe. The bids or Eproposals to be for furnishing the books xor a period of five years and longer, und that no bid for longer period will be considered. Said bids shall state spe- Sctfcally and definitely the price at which Ethe books will be furnished and shall be accompanied by one more specimen kcopies of each and every book proposed to be furnished, and 1t shall be required lpf each bidder to deposit with the Treas Eurer of the State a sum of money such hs the Commission may require, not less lfhan Five Hundred Dollars, according to Ishe number of books each bidder may propose to supply and notice shall fur ther be given in such advertisement that tpuch deposits shall be forfeited absolute ffy to the State If the bidder making the heposit shall fail or refuse to make and texecute such contract and bond as Is hereinafter required, within such time as the Commission may require which time shall also be stated in said advertise Esnent All bids shall be sealed and de- Iposited with the Secretary of State. to be by him delivered to the Commission ewhen they are in executive session, for the purpose of considering the same when ahey shall be opened in the presence of ahe 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