Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-09

Superintendent Il. =. BoWden, Of
Blakely. the well known educator, has
announced himself a candidate for
State School Commissioner, to sue
coed the present commissioner, NJ. L.
Britain
Professor Bowden will have but one
big and insistent plank in his plat
form-State school books, written by
Georgians printed by the State. to
be furnished the children at cost.
The professor proposes TO GO
straight 10 the people with this Issue,
and says he will stump Georgia from
one end to the other-and they do
say he is some stump speaker, more
over.
This issue OF State school books
printed by the State was quite a
lively topic in the Legislature at It's
summer session, and It seems that the
matter is to be fought to a finish be-
tween this time and the primaries
next fall.
In his official platform, Professor
Bowden says Georgia was the mrs.
State in the Union to establish
State University. A Georgia institu-
ton was the frst in the world to
confer upon woman college de-
gree Then why should not Georgia
be a friend TO her educational serV-
ants and create market for heI
school book writer's by publishing and
adopting school books written by
Georgians?
The patronage and law Of the
State should be Jealous Of any com
petition that would discount in the
least the ability of her educators.
Instead OF importing school books
Georgia educators should be encour-
aged by the patronage Of her own in
stitutions to export them.
The next Legislature should pass
a law abrogating all school book con-
tracts where Georgia authors were
not given a preference, and establish
protected opportunity for her own
educational servants.
No doubt Professor Bowden will
be able to stir UP considerable inter
est through this platform, even II he
does not get elected thereon.
And, anyway, next year bids fair
TO be lively one in politics, and
one can not predict nowadays what
may happen.
The disposition OF the Western and
Atlantic Railroad is sure to be one
of the very llveliest topics of discus
sion for the next few months. not only
among statesmen, real and near, but
among business men and taxpayers
generally.
There is a very great and emphatic
diversity OF opinion throughout
Georgia with respect TO the state
road. Some think 1t should be re-
leased upon the most advantageous
terms possible; others that II should
be sold outright, and still others that
II should be extended to the Atlantic
Ocean. and possibly operated by the
State itself
There is no dispute that the road is
the States biggest and most available
asset. In the matter OF disposing of
II for a new term OF years. therefore,
there Is bound to arise sharp differ
ences Of opinion, and a solution Will
not be found without difficulty.
one of the great dangers in the
way of a businesslite disposition of
the road, perhaps, win be the politics
that inevitably viii get into the nego-
tiations. There viii be subtle jockey
ing for position, to begin whit al
ready has begun-and there will be
strenuous striving eventually to make
capital of the thing before II is an
ished.
In the past. two schools of political
thought in Georgia have squabbled
over the Western and Atlantic road
interminably-and under the cover
that row still is very much alive!
Any person who doubts that state
ment is not keeping up with things in
Georgia-thats all!
At this very minute one assortment
of partisans is wondering and plan
ming as to how 1t can get the other
assortment 'in the hole" on the State
road disposition!
II the people will keep up with
what is going on, they need not be