The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-06-28
Carolina, Civil Government of South
Carolina and the United States.
w. ". Wheeler and Co.
Primer, Basal, First Reader, Sec
ond Reader.


Primer. Basal, First Reader, Sec
ond Reader.
World Book Company.
Primer of Hygiene, Primer of San
itation, Human Physiology.
Bids invited on history Of mod
ern times, and on Latin Grammar
to be filed with the state superintend-
ent Of education on or before July /. -.
The following statement as to the
contract was made by Superintend-
ent Swearingen:
THE textbook contract adopted by
the state board of education was
originally drawn by II. +. Rice. j. L.
Glenn and j. f. Swearingen. the COM
mittee appointed for this purpose. The
original draft of this contract was
submitted to the full board at a spe-
cial meeting held in the governors
office April z. At this meeting several
amendments were adopted. and one
OF these amendments declared that
any and all books containing % per
cent, OF their original leaves with or
without back should be received in
exchange by county superintendents
of education and all managers Of text
book repositories.
This amendment appeared some
what harsh TO the committee when
the tentative contract was under final
consideration for publication. The
State superintendent Of education was
authorized and directed to confer
with Mr.. Glenn. md a meeting was
held in Chester for this purpose. At
this conference 1t was decided that
60 per cent should be substituted for
20 per cent. provided the author Of
the amendment would agree to the
substitution. His consent was secur-
ed over long distance telephone, and
the tentative contract together with
the official form for bids and a full
notice to all writer's and publishers
Of textbooks interested in the ap-
preaching textbook adoption was
printed anu sent both to the members
of the board and to all others con-
cerned.
THE textbook contract commit
tee held final meeting in the office
of the governor on May 81. At this
meeting of the official contract, was
drawn, and the secretary authorized
to print same. Mr.. Rice did not at
tend this meeting. because OF an ILL
ness, which kept him in the hospital.
Under this official contract SO bids
from publishing houses were submit
tea 20 The boasd on or before June
&c. Each bidder also deposited with
the State treasurer a certified check
or a bond guaranteeing his ability
to execute any contract that might be
awarded him by the board. On June
IL an additional delayed bid was re-
ceived from Iowa, and this. too, was
admitted for consideration by the
State board of education. The total
of bids before the members was thus
raised to 81.
"On June II the board met i'm the
office OF the governor. and the bids
were opened and read. 1t was found
that almost twp-thirds of the bidders
had submitted conditional proposals
regarding the exchange of textbooks.
The most serious objection raised by
the bidders was on the clause con-
corning the 60 per cent of old books
TO be received when offered in part
payment for new ones.
THE State superintendent Of edu-
| cation had insisted on promotional
exchange throughout the entire de-
liberation. Promotional exchange
means that any book in the hands Of
a pupil, patron or citizen Of South
Carolina shall have an exchange val
Tie when offered for any new book
on the same subject to be adpoted by
the board. This promotlonal en-
! change is a new feature in textbook
contracts throughout the United
States. but 1t means the saving OF al
most 90 per cent of the original cost
OF every book purchased by the chill
dren Of South Carolina during the
last five years.
THE secretary also insisted that
the period of exchange should eX-
tend to December Is, 1912, thus COW
ering q part of two scholastic years
and affording every child full op-
portunity to secure at the lowest
prices whatever books might be ad-
opted by the board. These features