The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-04

| conducted partially by the superintendent
| of education and partially by the commits
| sion, disclosed a widespread opposition
! to sweeping changes of books now in
| Use in the state. AS consequence, at its
first regular meeting, May 20, the COM
nlissioners unanimously decided (the two
absent members having previously agreed
to this decision), to retain certain books
| now in use, amounting to Approximately
| 81 per cent o. the total and announce
ment of that decision was made at once
AS a matter of fact, the books retained
We're those which had given most gen
| eral action, or those for which no
substitutes were offered tnat were suf-
ficiently improved to justify a change.
Further Investigations have resulted in
the retention of still more of the old
books, enough to run the total to 72h
per cent. No changes have been made
except where, in the opinion of the COM
mission, decided improvement has been
| secured.
| Where old books have been re-
adopted, arrangements have been made
| for their revision and Improvement
and where changes have seemed advis-
able, most favorable exchange rates
have been secured To be more speci-
| fic, a period of 10 months, instead of
IL as heretofore, has been agreed upon
as the time limit for the right of ex-
| changing old books for new ones. Be-
| sides this extension of time, promo
tional exchange has been arranged. By
that is meant the exchange of books
of lower class for the same kind of
books of a higher class, the exchange
| price of the lower book being credited
on the price of the higher For Illus
| tratfon, an old second reader, whether
| re- adopted or not, can be exchanged at
| half its original cost in payment for a
new second reader, or a new third read
er, etc. This principal applies to all
| books adopted The plan now in use
of exchanging old books for new ones
of the same grade, of course, will be
continued.
From the subjoined list it will be
noted that no adoptions have been made
| on certain subjects. This is due to the
| fact that the sales of publications on
| these subjects have not been sufficient
| to justify the publishers in offering ma
| terial reductions in prices, and the COM
mission feels that the introduction ol
| these sub jects into the schools might be
more easily secured by permitting free
competition among the publishers. In
this class are music, maps, globes,
charts, etc, none of which Is included
in the list prescribed by law.
! "The adopted list contains a rather
generous amount of Supplementary,
reading, a fact accounted for by TIL,
differing conditions among our schools
The same selections would not suit al
schools equally we'll. No school is re-
quired to use everything in this list
but many schools may welcome the ser
| vice of the commission in suggestins
a we'll distributed and graded cours,
profitable if they could use 1t withou
detriment to other important subjects
A large list is given in the hope tina
all classes of schools may find some
thing suited to their special needs. TIL,
commission wishes to call particular at
tention to the value of the suggeste,
J historical readings as a preparation fo
the Textbook on history adopted fo
, use in the higher grades.
II while very little except the merit,
| of the books submitted entered into tn,
decision of the commission, it is a sig
niiicant fact that no company has re
ceived an undue proportion of th
! states business. Naturally some sub
D jects require a much larger investmen
) of capital than others, and since it /
? sometimes inrpracticable to split Sc
\ ries an adoption on these subject
inevitably carries with it good per
5 centage of the entire business. Thi
3 cannot, he avoided
In submitting the result of its la
bors the commission assures the peo
pie that it's sole desire has been to serv
' their welfare 1t has, therefore, wei
coined suggestions 1t recognizes it
/ own shortcomings and prays for char
table consideration of its conclusions
1t will welcome further criticisms o
: suggestions intended for the improve
ment of the cause, remembering tina
it has the right. at any time during 1t
: | five years of tenure, to make change
when necessary. To this end, it |
hoped that the press and the people will
report promptly and unreservedly t
the superintendent of education an,
violations of the textbook laws or an
suggestions that may be deemed advis
abe for the Improvement of the service
"1n conclusion the commission desire
to express it's appreciation of the per
feet observance by the book represen
tatives of the rules of this body pend
ing the adoption. The commission ha
been absolutely untrammeled in its la
bors and assumes responsibility for 1t
acts, confident that an intelligent publi'
will realize both the delicacy and th'
difficulty of the duty which 1t has per