The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-04-17
THE SELECTION
Of SCHOOL BOOKS
THOMAS BILL cuRBs POWER OF
THE TEXT BOOK TRUST.
CREATES BOARD OF SELECTION
House Concurs in Senate Amendment
to Cole Bill and 1t Has Gone to
Governor-Senate Votes Down
Panama Exposition Bill.


|
Des Moines, La, April 15.--No bill
that has passed in either branch of
the Legislature during the present ses-
sion is of more Importance to the
people generally than the Thomas bill
which passed the Senate, relating to
the selection of text books for coun-
TRY schools.
This bill while leaving the manage
ment of rural schools in the hands of
the people of the different counties,
curbs the power of the book trust and
insnres to the people the best books
at. competitive prices. This is ac-
complished by taking the selection of
text books out of the hands of the
Board OF Supervisors, and placing
the selection of the school text books
in the hands of the county superin.
Itendent, and board consisting of the
Icounty superintendent, who shall act
as chairman, and four other persons,
Jas follows:
Two teachers from the public
schools of the county, one of whom
shall be teacher in the rural schools,
and one shall be a superintendent or
principal of a city or town school;
two members of school boards in. the
Icounty, one of whom shall be a mem.
Der of rural school board, and one
la member of city or town school
board, and no two members of such
committee shall be from the same
civil township"
The contract for books in counties,
II the bill passes the house, will be
let by board consisting of the coun-
ty uperintendent, county auditor, and
the beard of supervisors, but the Sc
lection of the text books will be in
the hands of what is known as the
County Board of Education, consisting
of educators as above mentioned.
This is exactly in line with the rec
Concentrations of the Iowa State
Teachers Association, and the iowa
School improvement Commission.
The bill further makes it misde-
meanor for school book companies
through their agents to indulge in
secret wire-pulling to get tn econ,
tract 1t Is expected that the book
companies generally will bitterly OPP
pose this bill in the house, though
some of them<will doubtless not show
their hands publicly.
=. =. =.
The house has concurred in the
Senate amendments to the Cole bill
providing a reorganization of the state
board of health and the bill has gone
to the governor Tor his signature
- - -
The Senate adopted a committee re-
port indefinitely pOstponing the Nil.
Ter house bill designed to hit trusts
by granting immunity from prosecu-
ton to witnesses giving testimony
against trusts that would incriminae
themselves,
The Senate voted down the bill
granting an appropriation of $4,000
for building at the Panama EXPOSE
ton in California. Senator DeWolf
o. is preparing resolution asking the
Legislature to authorize the city OF
Waterloo to accept the invitation
of the Panama Exposition company
to erect an Iowa building. 1t is said
Waterloo boosters are willing to put
Iup an Iowa Waterloo building.
The Senate passed the House bill by
LOunsberry providing, that a paroled
Iprisoner or trusty who leaves the
IprisOn or breaks his parole shall be
guilty of breaking away from prison.
- - -
The House defeated the Brockway
drug bill which would have prohibited
Ianyone selling medicines containing
numerous poisons without they were
registered pharmacists, ad also pro-
vlding a license OF 1925 for every 9TH
er person than a druggist selling pro-
Iprietary medicines.
- - -
The iKngland joint resolution pro-
posing to amend the constitution to
provide an income tax was defeated
by the Senate This measure pro-
posed TO amend the constitution to
permit the legislature to provide a
graduated system of taxes on personal
and corporation incomes.
- - -
The Senate passed the house bill
by GrOut requiring city clerks to re-
Iport their finances to the state NUM-
cipal accounting department under
IpeHdity. Inc state department mas
had difficulty gathering statistics be-
cause some cities refused to make re-
ports.
- - =.
The Senate passed the Kimball bill
which gives to hotel keepers a lien on
baggage for the account of the owner.
- - -
To expedite business the House has
limited debate to five minutes, but
they refused to consider the resolu-
ton pending to adjourn Thursday OF
this week. ..T. '-r go