The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-09-11
COMPANIES NOT
KEEPING CONTRACT
When They Secured Con
tract With State 1t Was
With Provision That an
Agency Should Be Estab-
lished in Every County,
But None Exists in Es-
Gambia.

The public schools Of Escambia
county are TO open for the session
Of 19I4-15 two weeks from Monday.
but as yet no books can be purchased
by the pupils and consequently no
preparations can be made Tor the fast
approaching term. The book com
panies, some fifteen or twenty In num-
ber have failed to i've up TO their
contract with the state by establish
ing an agency in Pensacola to supply
the new books. and the county school
authorities after many communica-
tions with the Atlanta headquarters Of
these companies, have appealed to tho
state authorities with whom the con-
tract was entered
There is a complete change In the
books to be used this year and IL is
estimated this will mean an expendi-
ture of $4,000 or $4,000 for books
alone. This change Vgas not made by
the county school authorities. but By
the state text book commission, which
adopted the new books and ordered
them placed in use in every county in
the state. At the same time the gov
ernor and commission entered into a.
contract with the publishing houses.
some fifteen or twenty in number. 20 (
establish agencies in every county In
the state 80 that the new books could
be purchased The Atlanta d1sufbut-
ing office of these companies has failed
to designate any Of the Pensacola book
gtores as this distributing agent and
as a result no books can be purchased
1t is understood, however. THAI sgen-
cies have been established at MuscO-
gee, Walnut Hill. Century and Molino,
so the children attending the country
schools can secure their books.
The publishing houses have estab-
Ished at Atlanta what is known as the
Southern School Book Depository
which, it IS understood, received 10
per cent OF the total for handling the
books for Florida and for establishing
and maintaining these agencies, while
the agents in the various counties re-
ceiVe only 10 per cent. It is under
stood local book stores have requested
that they be designated as agents, but
thus far the Atlanta concern has de-
clined 10 act.
UP TO THE STATE.
1t is clearly up to the state author
tiles 10 compel the contracting firms
to live up to the contract, as the Ils-
Gambia officials are pOwerless The
contract was entered into with the
state officials and is clearly being vio-
lated, as shown by the following cX-
tract from the contract:
That the party securing the con-
tract for and in consideration Of the
adoption of certain Of its publications
at the prices named, for period Of
five years, agrees:
I. To establish and maintain dur
ing the contlnuances Of the contract
in each county Of the state, when de-
manded, not less than one, and az
many more local agencies as shall
be ordered, for the distribution OF
books and publications embraced in
this contract. and that the said party
Of the second part agrees that IT will
keep on hand at the said
agency or agencies a sufficient num-
Der Of books and publications TO sup
ply the demand"
It now seems that the old books
will have to be used when the schools
open on Monday, the 2sth.