The Prescott daily news., 1912-09-07
DISCUSSES TEXT
 BOOK COMMISSION
In Speech at Paris Robinson Says Act No. 4 Is 0b-
 jectionabIe.

to a vast assemblage of Democrats and number of Republicans upon tho issues before the public. In the course of his remarks he alluded to Act No. 4, creating a State Text Book Com mission, as follows:
 Uniform text books for the com mon schools of the State have formed the subject of much discussion dur ing recent years. Much can be said in favor of the general proposition. The principal argument Is that 1t will lessen the expense of text books to the patrons of our schools. Some claim that 1t will result in raising the standard of instruction.
 Experience In other States, for in- stance Oklahoma, has disclosed prac- tices of frauds and corruption in the adoption of text books that are shock ing and disgusting Aside from the merits of the general proposition, pro- posed Act No. 4, to be voted On in September, Is objectionable. The pro- visions of this bill are peculiar and complicated. A popular educational committee consisting of all teachers in the State holding first grade cer- tificates and having three years ex- perience in teaching, is created and empowered to prepare an official list of such teachers having a first grade cetificate and tnre years consecutive experience. This list so compiled shall constitute the official education al committee, from whom shall be se- iected text pook commission of six members in the following very singu- lar manner: Within ten days after the official roster has been completed the chairman and the secretary of the popular educational committee shall mail to every member of the con- mittee a call for nominations of com mitteemen to be eleceed members of the Text Book Commission. Every member of the committee may nomi- nate as many candidates as there are commissioners to be chosen. These nominations are to be made on blanks filed with the secretary within 15 @ days after the call.
 When any member of the com mittee shall have received ten or more nominations, the secretary of the com mittee shall notify him, and he can either decline or agree to serve. If he agrees to serve, his name appears on the official ballot, which is prepared as soon as the nominations are closed Lists are printed and mailed to each member of the committee; an official ballot Is prepared and mailed to ev- cry member of the committee, who returns his ballot in an envelope to the secretary. Thereafter, the envel- opes are deposited in a ballot box, opened, canvassed, and the results de- clared by the State Board of Election Commissioners. The proposed act probably contemplated that the six candidates receiving the highest num- Der of votes shall be declared elected, but that Is an implication, and the act does not express how an election is to be determined
 This Text Book Commission, com posed of six members of the popular educational committee, and chosen by ballot through the mails, is au- thorized to adopt a uniform system of text books for the common schools of the State
 IL 1lxJ in any one of three ways. First by contract with publishers. Second they may be printed by the State from manuscripts prepared by mem bers of the commission. Third, from manuscripts or copyrights purchased by the commission and printed by the State The manuscripts or copyrights may be procured and royalties paid the authors. Contracts for text books are to be limited to six years, and the right to publish substitutes is re served.
 "Whate7 may be the precedent for this remarkable bill, there can be no necessity for such complexity ir the selection of Text Book Commis sion. The details of the bill are SC complicated that more than one read ing Is required to comprehend them
 Why should the right to vote he limited to teachers, and that too, ol particular class? The opportunities for fraud and manipulation are as unlimited as the means of detection are restricted. The bill carries al