The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-02
Agreement Reached by
Which High Schools
Are Supplied.
CONTRACTS TO BE
SIGNED AT ONCE
Rules Will Issue Against For.
eign Corporations, and Whole
Matter Will Be Determined
Later On by the State Cor
poration Commission on
It's Merits.

Saving the high schools of Virginia
from what threatened to be an ex-
tremely embarrassing and depiorable
situation. Judge William g. Rhca, Of
the State Corporation Commission. yes
terday took the matter OF the sale OF
school books into his hands and work
ed out satisfactory solution.
AS result Of Judge Rhea's efforts.
the Attorney-General's Office agrees
to sign the contracts with the book
publishers without further delay or
question. In these contracts the ques.
tion Of the right of the foreign cor
porations TO dispose of their publica-
.tions in Virginia is not a factor. This
means that within very few days
the books adopted by the state Board
of Education will be on sale in every
school district in the State.
On the part OF the State Corporation
Commission. and for the purpose or
testing Judge wiliiams's contention
regarding the domestication of those
| foreign corporations which desire to
furnish school books. Judge Rhea
agrees that rules shall issue against
these concerns. They will he required
| to show cause why they should not
be fined for transacting business In
| Virginia without hrst having procured
! CeEllUCdteS OIL dutHOHISs.
| BY this means the whole matter VIII
come before the Corporation Commits
, sion. sitting in judicial capacity, on
It's merits The Attorney-General Will
| be expected to present his side OF the
! case. and the corporations VIII also DC
/ heard in their defense.
| AS the situation stood before Judge
| Rilea took hold OF 1t yesterday, 1t was
| doubtful IL the high schools of the
| State would be able to do any sort OF
| satisfactory work during the coming
session. Their opening is imminent.
| while but small proportion of the
books required is upon the shelves
| of the booksellers OF Virginia. Judge
| Williams had refused to sign con-
tracts with publishers who were cor
4 porations chartered outside of Viz
4 sinia until they had complied with
the law as he constructs 1t by pro-
1 ducing certificates of authority and
4 by paying the accompanying fees.
Firms Remediless.
This left the book publishers with
/ out remedy and without an opportun.
ity to be heard in their behalf. They
/ were not even given chance to tes
the ruling, since they could not fur.
nish the books. nor could the princi
pals authorize the pupils to buy, unit
. contract was required such as wa
! prescribed by the State Board of Edu
cation. There was apparently NJ
!. chance OF getting books wherewith t
conduct the high schools for the ap
preaching session.
Realizing the exigencies OF the oc
i casion. Judge Rhea took the matte
in hand He sees the point made b.
1 Attorney General Williams. although
he has, of course. not expressed al
opinion on 1t, since he will be calle
upon later to consider 1t In judicia
i capacity He also saw the position
in which the publishers were placed
without a chance to show their POSI-
ton. More than all. the embarrassin,
situation of the high schools appeale'
to him. and he looked about him 10
remedy.
The law distinctly. gives the stat
], Corporation Commission the power .
ascertain II any foreign GO Gorpofia,ao' 1oithnu
having procured the necessary author !,
lty. Which is granted by the commits
sion itself. Such action is elearl
within the province OF the oody y
which. Judge Rhea be1ongs, uirrin,a
j, as amended by the Acts OF 1910, pro
vides that ST any foreign corp
1 tlon shall transact business IN I'M I'M
State without first obtaining such Ger
tificate OF authority provided 1oe s,, y
the preceding section, IT shaL! De !. hme ne
not less than $40 nor more than Sa.ov. e.n.
q such fine to be imposed by the stat
Corporation Commission, whose dut
ii shall be to see that the provisions 9
!, the preceding section are compile'
with +hot tha or
!, noration Commission will proceed JUS
as soon as the book publishers bes1I
, to do business under the new con
tracts. They will be cited 70 appea;l
and % both sides will be heard, shoul
the the Commission decide that the con COZ,
Germs are not doing business IN Vlr
rinia. the rule would be dismisse &c g
q m the other hand. 1t should hol
that the Arms are liable to hne. the
& would still have the right of appea
~ the Supreme Court.
Judre Rhea's contention Is that tf
: s,sn;nr uEs Of contract is not doin
hmsiness and that it Is for the com
: mission to determine. when some &C
,indar the contract Is committed
/ whether or not it Is In contraventio
> Of the statute laws OF the Common
. wealth.
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