The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-07


 supply is very voluminous. I enclose a bibliography of the subject prepared by the library division of this office. I. am, believe me, Very truly yours,
 L. A. KALBACH,
 Acting Commissioner Evidently the acting commissioner had not been informed as to the existence of the lease system in Greenville, Miss, and Columbus. Ga, the only cities, so far as l have been able to learn, that furnish an illustration of this plan. The popula- tion of the former is given as 7642, and the enrolment of white pupils in the schools is 600; textbooks under the rental plan are supplied only in the white school The latter city has a population of 17,614, and the white enrolment in grade schools is 2269
 The joint committee of the City Council and Board of Education has already re- ceived the information regarding the operation of the plan in Greenville from Superintendent E. E. Bass of that city, who, by invitation. appeared before the committee. An investigation of the plan in Columbus reveals nothing essentially different from the Greenville plan.
 It is not difficult to see that the free system may be made possible and practi- cal in a small city where the population is comparatively permanent, and where every family and every child may be known to the school authorities. The free system in the economic life of our people is already too deeply rooted. and do not feel justified in recommending it's extension into the schools. In my judg- ment it would be a distinctly backward step in it's ultimate effects. Letters were written to the superinten- dents of schools in the several cities men, tioned by the acting commissioner as hav- inc Sr, sN., tenn. The replies to these inquiries in dicate much popular satisfaction with this method. while there Is some diversity as to the methods of installation and the details of distribution in the different cities. there is much similarity in their general methods.
 In some cities the high schools are ex- cluded from the operation of the plan, in others they are included. Many cities, like Minneapolis inaugurated the sys- tenn al one time in all the elementary schools, while others, like Cincinnati. be- gan with tine four lower grades and added one higher grade each succeeding year. The operation of the system in Mfnne- apolis as a typical plan may be better un- derstood from the following letter. writ ten by Superintendent c. M. Jordan in reply to my inquiry:
 August 20 1910 Superintendent J. H. Phillips, Birmng- ham, Ala.
 Dear Sr-T have your letter of inquiry of recent date and am glad to reply as follows
 We have had free text books in our grade schools since the year 1893, and find the plan most satisfactory. The ini- tial expense of inauguarting the free text book system would be from $l50 to g per pupil in the grade schools. The cost of maintenance after the system Is in- augurated would be from Soc to 75c per pupil each year. The life of a book will average about three years. We do not furnish free books to the high school pupils, but furnish these texts at cost to those who wish to buy them of us.
 The office of our purchasing agent is at the supply room and from here the books are distributed to the different buildings according to written requisi- ton on file from the principal of each school. The principal receipts to the sup ply room. When books are distributed to the teacher she in turn receipts to the principal. The teacher keeps a record of each book and at the close of school these books are collected and returned to the principal to be checked up on another set of records. According to rule fine may be assessed for damage to books other than reasonable and usual wear and tear.
 I trust that the above may be of some