The Green Forest tribune., 1910-05-13
County Uniformity of Text Books.


 At the Annual School meetings to be held the 21st of this month the voters of each district will be called on to vote "For Uniformity" or Against Uniformity" If majority of the whole vote cast is For Uniformity, the State Superintendent will appoint two teachers, and the CountyyJudge will appoint two citizens, not teachers; these four with the County Examiner will constitute the Textbook commis- sion. This commission after full and careful examination of books, and comparison of prices will select series of books to be used in every district in the county for period of six years. l This commission also enters into con- tract with the publishers, fixing the price of each book for the entire term of adoption and requiring the publisher to put the books adopted on sale at points convenient for the purchaser.
 Said commission is also required, in making its selection, to give due con- sideration to the books already in most general use in the county.
 The above is brief synopsis of law passed by the Arkansas legislature ten years ago.
 At the first election thereafter, about one-third of the counties in the state voted for it and have had it in opera tion ever since. So satisfactory have been it's results that none of these counties have abandoned it, but on the contrary, with the expiration of each six years, adoption have re-voted it with increased majorities.
 The school election each year has added other counties to the list until now more than half the counties in the state have county uniformity. At the first election after the passage of the law, Carroll county voted against it, and l believe has not since voted on the question. Many counties have until now postponed it's adoption, hoping that our legislature would give us state adoption, but since there is no longer reason to hope for this, they are adopting by counties and it is very much to be hoped that Carroll will this year join the long procession.
 It is not possible in the short space of newspaper article to discuss all the advantages of County Uniformity, but subjoin here few that ought to be sufficient to induce every voter interested in the children of Carroll county to vote for it and if necessary to work for it.
 l It will give us better books.
 2 It will give us cheaper books.
 3 It will specially benefit the poorer class of children who frequently move from one district to another and with every move have to get new set of books.
 4 It will secure better teaching. The teacher going from one district to another will be familiar with the books and will not have them to learn.
 It will preclude frequent adoptions as there can be no change for six years.
 It will make the books more acces- sible to the purchaser. The dealer | knowing that the districts cannot change and leave him with lot of unstable books on hand will not be afraid to put in good stock. Under the present system it ire quently happens that children cannot get their books for several days after entering school. A would-be purchaser sometimes rides from five to twenty miles to get books, only to find that his dealer has not the books wanted. The dealer is not at fault, because he has to carry such large variety that he must needs order only few of each kind. In the interest of our children and in the interest of our pocket-books let us vote "For County Uniformity. y H. P. BURNEY.