The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-11
DOWN TO WORK
Text Book Commission Elects
ThOroman Secretary.
Will Condemn Site for Plant
Text Work Assigned.

uscriptS from nonresident authors on
the new agricultural text book to be
| used in the Kansas school rooms be-
ginning with the 1915 school term. In
| this action to confine competition for
this new text to Kansas writer's, the
commission expects to secure manu-
| scripts from Kansas authorities on
Kansas soil, climate, conditions and
agricultural industry. 1t is expected
that this series of books will be writ
| ten at the agricultural college and ed
tied by President Waters.
Many of the details for the new
work of publishing school text books
| at the state printing plant were de-
veloped at today's meeting and the
| commission will at once look for the
| best manuscripts to be secured for the
new texts to be adopted in the Kansas
| schools in 1915. In addition to their
plans for the purchase of new copy
| rights, the commission ordered the
| condemnation of two lots on Jackson
street adjoining the state printing
| plant for the building of an addition
/ to the present plant, and elected SUI
perintendent A. NJ. Thoroman of Cot
| tonwood Falls as secretary to the COM
| mission.
Thoroman Wins Secretaryship.
The election of Superintendent
Thoroman was made late last night
| from a field of ten active candidates
| for the new $1,000 a year Job Prof.
active school work in this state, is
graduate of the State Normal and of
K. U. and has taught in Chicago Uni
versity. He was endorsed by many of
the most widely known educators in
| the state. Not until the close of the
present school year, will Prof. Thoro-
| man devote his entire time to his new
work. However, his work at secretary
! begins at once and he was today in
conference with the members of the
| commission. Until the close of the
! Chase county schools, Prof Thoroman
will draw pay from the state for only
such times as he devotes to his duties.
| After the close of the present school
term, the new secretary will devote
his entire attention to the work and
year.
State Printer W. c. Austin was elect
ed president of the commission. Fol-
lowing his election, the members of
the new board instructed the president
to Immediately begin condemnation
proceedings for the subsequent pur-
chase by the state of two lots on Jack
son street, south of the present state
printing plant. On this land 50X150
foot addition to the present plant will
be erected to facilitate the printing of
the school textbooks by the state. This
addition will be three stories above
basement. Not only will the two lots
south of the present plant be utilized
for an addition, but the commission
plans a further addition on the Fl
foot plot on the lots west of the plant
which the state now owns.
Work on the addition to the print
ing plant will be started as soon as the
land is condemned and the new equip
ment will be installed as soon as the
building is completed. This addition
will increase the floor space of the
plant from $4,000 to $4,000 square
feet and about $4,000 will be spent
for the new addition and extra equip
ment.
Commission VIII Be Busy.
While the addition to the state
printing plant is being built, the text
book commission will be kept busy.
Manuscripts for new textbooks to be
used in the public schools in 1915 will
be carefully studied and copyrights
purchased.
On the shoulders of President Henry
J. Waters of the State Agricultural
college will fall the task of selecting
the new agricultural textbooks. In a
discussion of these plans with mem
bers of the commission today, Presi-
dent Waters asserted that he expected
to personally edit the new book and
the commission believes that with the |
care and ability that will thus be given
the book, that the state will be able |
to secure one of the best texts and |
highest authorities on agriculture in |
use in any state of the Union.
Four classics in literature for use |
in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth |
grades of the public schools of the state |
will also be adopted by the commission. |
The task of selecting and editing these
classics was assigned to G. A. Cain, !
recently appointed as a member of |
the commission by Governor Hodges.
These classics in literature will be
adopted by the commission to take the
place of the supplemental books used |
in Kansas school rooms before the re-
cent decision of the state supreme
court declaring the practice in viola
ton of the state law.
A delegation from the Topeka city
schools conferred with the commission
today regarding the re-esta blishment
of the supplemental books and urged
that the commission approve their use.
Attorney General Dawson, however,
did not believe that the legal authority
of the commission was at all clear in
the matter of approving any supple
mental books and the commission did
not recommend or approve their use.
The new classics will be ready for use
beginning with the 1915 school term.
Superintendent Thoroman, the new
secretary to the commission, was in
structed to investigate and secure
manuscripts for a primer and Kansas
history. The books cover the new
texts to be adopted in Kansas schools
two years hence. All of them will be
published at the state printing plant
under the provisions of the new school
text book law. AS soon as other con-
tracts for other books expire, new
will be selected and copy
rights purchased by the commission.
All the high school and some of the
common school books contracts expire
next year.
The commission adjourned at noon
today. They have been in session since
Thursday afternoon. Another meeting
will be held in about ten days.
DEATHS AMI FUNERALS.