The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-30
ACTION ON HISTORY
CITY BOARD TO CONSIDER DuBOsE
 VERSION.
At An Early Meeting question To Be Discussed Of Using other Than Text Book
 Adopted.


 There is every indication that the Alabama history matter will be taken up at a near meeting of the Mont Romerv Board of Education. It is said that such a meeting will be held be- fore the, end of the week anu just as soon as the night school proposi- . ton, live wire with the board, has been settled
 The situation is said to demand i'm mediate attention. Members of tho board as well as patrons and teachers of the schools are impatient over the delay In getting copies of the DuBose History of the State Some of the members, it is reported, are opposed to the use of the edition adopted TOT the public schools by the Text BOOK Commission on account of the tulsome praise therein of the present Governor of Alabama and the pnitry mention or other executives preceding him.
 But 1t will be a problem more acute than that presented to the Mobile ed- ucational authorities. The latter have constitutional right to reject the history. That appears to be undisput- ed by lawyers who have examined til" instrument from all angles.
 The Montgomery board enjoys not such exclusive freedom. But so anx- ious are some members to avoid the
 
 are under way already to find loop hole. Opponents of the edition are ln- clined to take advantage of the fact that the history is not yet available for the public schools. Only advance copies are off the press and 1t may he two or three weeks before the schools can buy them.
 Therefore, it is said that if the city board acts quickly, before the new history comes to the local depository. another version of Alabama history may be approved and ordered used in the Montgomery city schools There is apparent authority for such a pro- ceedure. It is in Section 13. General Acts of Alabama, 1907, D. 762. as fol- lows:
 "section IS. That nothing herein shall be construed to prevent or pro- hlbit the patrons of the public schools throughout the State from procuring books in the usual way in case no contract shall be made. or the con tractor fails or refuses to furnish the books provided for in this act, at the time required for their use In tho re- spective schools.
 It is now practically two months since the contractor should have fur nished the history adopted to the schools of the State. If he has not failed to get them to the schools some one has. and lawyers interviewed Thursday did not deny that patrons and teachers. even without the order of the board. could go ahead and buy and use any previous history of Ala bama
 The question would arise then: After the old book was put In use would 1t oe violation of the text book statute to continue It's use when 1t became known that the DuBose version was obtainable This may cause the city board to hesitate and il may not. It Is practically certain. however. that an effort will be made to get around using the latest adopted book.
 About the only other book to sub stitute for the DuBose History would be Browns History of Alabama that has been used for the last five years in the public schools. the edition adopted by the first commission. This was written by William Garrott Brown. It was published by the University Company and as that es- was absorbed by the American Book Company 1t destroyed the chances of getting the book adopt ed by the present commission. ru- nor was rampant during the June session of the commission that the American Book Company was trust and anything so tagged met quick death
 There was some talk of the city board using another Alabama History than the DuBose version as a supple pentary study. The following section of the text book act gives the right to use supplementary books:
 As soon as the existing contract for books expires, the books adopted as a uniform system of text books for the next five years shall 'be introduced anl used as text books to the exclusion of all others in all the public free schools fin this State Supplementary books shall be used but such books shall not be used to the exclusion of the books or adopted under the pro- visions of this article !"
 Tn connection with the adoption or the puoBse history which was in man script form, the following section of the act has been mentioned:
 "Section 2 Said Text Book Com mission shall consider the merits of each book. taking into consideration their subject matter. the printing. biniing. material and mechanical oualities. and their general suitability and desirabilty for the purpose In tended, as we'll as the prise of satd books. provided that no text book, the subject matter of which is of inferior quality shall be adopted by the TeXt Rock Commi