The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-28
MANY CHANGES IN THE SCHOOL BOOKS Old Ones May Be Exchanged
 for the New GOVERNOR PRAISES WORK State Text Book Commission Has Fin ished Its Labors and the Contests
 Made Are for the Better
 ment of Schools.
GOVERNOR PRAISES WORK

Montgomery, June 27-(speciaL)-Th state text book commission, which has
 been in session for two weeks, changed 9S per cent of the books. In other words,
 it is said that only 2 per cent of the
 books now in use in the schools will be available for next September, save in that they may be exchanged for the new ones with some credit In the price The figures show that the American Book company, which had a goody lot of the old list secured only a small portion of the whole. though it did very well as compared to other publishers.
 It is understood that a minority stood all the time for the fewest changes, but were voted down. These contended that the changes would disrupt the whole sys- tenn and cause general readjustment of the course of study. The majority, how ever, took the view that the contracts should be scattered so that there would be more interest in the cause among those who publish books and promote school literature.
 Governor Conner. who is head of the commission, said that he thought the members had done good work and rem dered service to the state by the selec- tions made and the contracts provided for. He thought the books were entirely good and felt that what changes had been made were for the general good. He com plmented the commission for having done what he thought was the best thing for all and believed that whatever of criti- cism that would follow the changes would soon pass away.
 State Superintendent of Education H. C. Gunnels is reported to have been opposed to changes where book was satisfactory He Is said to have stood for as many of the old books as could be kept with good to the schools and with equal econ omy. He feared the result of the gen.
 eral changes and anticipated that it would mean a great deal of expense 10 patrons and disorder in the schools. That is, these are the reports that one hears on the outside.
 You may say for me-" said MT. Gun nels, that the books selected are in every way efficient and will be all right for use in the Alabama schools. I think there will be no trouble along that line. I am sure the commission did what it thought best, and I believe we will be able to carry on the adoption to the continual development of the Alabama schools. The books selected, I know, are good, and 1 i have no fears along that line. 1 Those Adopted. The full list as adopted, with the names of book and the publishers, fol- l lows:
 Speller-The Eaton Speller, Eaton & Company.
 Prinmer-Arnold'S Primer Silver Burdett & Company.
 Reader-First and Second Stepping Stones to Literature, Silver, Burdett & Company. Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Baldwin's Readers. American Book Company.
 Arithmetic-1. Van Amburg's First Days in Numbers, Silver Burdett & Company. ?. (two books) Colaw, Duke and Powers and one book, Colaw and Elwood, B. F. Johnson Publishing com pany. 8. Brooks Mental Arithmetic. Christopher Sower company.
 Geography-1. Tarr and McMurray's Home Geography, MacMillan company. 2. Frye's Two Book Series, Ginn & Go.
 Gramar-1. With Pen and Pencil" Ginn & Co. 2. Reed and Kellogg's High CT Lessons, Charles E. Merrill company. 3. Emerson and Bender Ctwo books), MacMillan company. Copy Books-The Alabama Copy Books W. E. Stripln. U. s. History-Thompson D. c. Heath & Co.
 Agriculture-Dugger MacMillan company.
 hysiology-Krohn's, D. Appleton & Co.
 Algebra-Stone-M Mills, Benjamin H. Sanborn Company. Mines Higa Sch ool. American Book company , Drawing-Augsbur Educational Publishing company. Dictionaries-Webs Series Amer ican Book company. Civil Government-"How We are Governed in Alabama and the Nation" McBain & Hill.
 Alabama History-Joel c. DuBose, B. F. Johnson & Go.
 Basal Supplementary Readers-First and Second Baldwin's, American Book company. Third. Fourth, Fifth and | Sixth Stepping Stones to Literature, | Silver, Burdett company. Real Things in Nature"-Holdeu, | MacMillan & Co.
 Supplementary reading recommended: i Life of Lee. Life of Jackson, Half | Hours in History, the entire list of
 Riverside Classics. Plants Are Dying. l Reports come to the commissioner of | agriculture that root knot and wilt Is | playing havoc with the watermelon vines | in Southeast Alabama, as we'll as doing much hurt to the cotton. In some fields 1 the cotton is dead and hundreds of wa | termelon vines are ruined by the blight | that the diseases put upon them. Speci- mems of both plants are being sent to the l department of agriculture at Washington l for examination
 | Negro Boy ParoIed. | Alex Bracy, a negro boy of 13 years, who was sent up for nine years in 1908, has been paroled by Governor Conner.