The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-30
Opening of Schools
 May Be 7hroUn Late

Those who have kept in intimate touch with the conditions as they ex- tat' declare that 1t will be impossible Tor the publishers to get the books to the hands of the patrons when some of them will need them. The law cofnpels the teachers and pupils to use on and after September 1, only the books which received the adoption of the Text-Beok Commission at it's meeting
 Tuesday next, the old av..year con. tracts with the publishers expire. Now steps in the Code and declares thatlon and after that date the new books shall be Introduced and used as text books to the exclusion of all others in all the free public schools of this State"
 There was something late about the whole business. The publishers are slow. the Text-Book Commission was slow about their adoptions or they were started on their work too late. Some where the fault lies. But 1t matters net te the patron and the teacher. They are in dilemma and they are begin- ming to realize it. If they cannot pra- cure the new books as yet and must incur . nenaity from s10 to SIS for us- ing the old books that may be lying around handy. what. they ask. are they to dof
 lust how many schools will be af- fected by the delay of the publishers in placing the books on sale cannot be told. The schools will open at various intervals after Tuesday. Some are ex- pected to open this week. Others would open next week and the week following if they could get hold of the necessary books, It Is not altogether sure thing that the city schools will not be inter-. fered with by the lack of books.
 It Is a tremendous task before the publishers. Because Alabama makes certain requirements of the cover the Insertion of the original and the ex- change prices and other things, to dis tinguish them for use in Alabama alone. none of the publishers stock on hand could be used The covers must be put drying process. There is no way of reducing the time for the drying prn eess. It may be in some instances tive weeks or a month, and some venturs to say two months. before certain of the adopted books can be secured in ths state,
 WiH Throw Close Late.
 It will tend to throw many of the schools out of harmony. There Is no power to suspend the law binding the teachers and pupils to the new hooka Tuesday and thereafter. There can be no relaxing of the colds. The words are there and are plain enough. It now AbbAS tlht ~ tiu0t BdIic wait in the end may mean a tapping over into the hot summer next year in order to round out the sessions' work in each instance.
 The publishers. of course are under a penalty clause. The States contract provides penalty of s5 for every day thev default with furnishing the books or putting them on sale in at leasA three places in every county, But thia S5. it Is pointed out, ie less than tha fine the teacher and patron may suffer if they go ahead and use the beeks ale ready on hand
 There is a section which might pose sthly give relief and there Is doubt too. on that score. Section Ia, of thu law regulating the text book system after Section 12 had provided that thu new books shall be used to the exclu- aion of all others. has this to say:
 Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent or prohibit the patrons of the public schools throughout the State from procuring books in the usual way In case nc contract shall be made or the contractor fails or refuses to furnish the books provided for in this act at the time required for their use in the respective schools"
 sas But. 1t Is asked fin this connection, If the publishers cannot put the books in access through the appointed State