The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-21


the findings of the State boards com
mittee of several months ago. and that
the report will be made az this ses-
sion of the General Assembly within
the next three weeks.
The State Board OF Education viii
not take any action, il is underst God
that will appear autagonistic to the
Leg islature.
Among the matters to he taken up
today will be the making of appro-
priations for various schools. the plan
ming of summer schools, examinations
and other similar important~ routine
business. During the second days
session, tomorrow, II is possible that
the board will reach the work of
eiecting division superintendents of
schools TO fill vacancies now existing.
Among these are the vacancies at
Newport News, for which there al O
several candidates. In Henry County.
where there are six CO ndldates. and in
Petersburg. where r. NJ. Martin,
acting supervisor of city schools. has
no opposition.
The Newport News case was given
a lengthy hearing at meeting of
tine board several months ago. The
candidates are; Hugh S, Bird, d. A.
Dutrow. Henry Il. Louthan. Ashby
Candidates for the place in Henry
County are: /, d, Drewry. John w.
Carter. Jr, Fletcher G. Booker,
Thomas d Self Theodore Morris and
r. w. Fisher.
Statement of Book Agents.
representatives. OF publishing
houses, who have been appearing be-
fore the board in the textbooks mat
j ter are disappointed at tne possible
delay. In a statement issued last
night, some OF the bookmen say:
THE laws Of Virginia fully protect
the citizens against amy seas dis
elimination in prices of school books.
Every publisher furnishing State
adopted school books Is required to
give a bond for faithful fulfllment OF
contract.
Every contract requires the pub
Usher to furnish books as cheaply as
in any other State where like con-
ditions prevail
If any publisher violates his con-
tract and overcharges the pupils in
Virginia "a law requires the State
Board of Education to annui his con-
tract.
"Out of nearly $50 titIes of text
books. maps. etc, for which the State
Board Of Education contracts, only
{ a
covered on which there are apparent
discrepancies and the publishers OF
those titles have been called upon TO
| explain 1hose apparent discrepancies.
If the laws governing the sale OF
textbooks were the same in all States.
there would never be any apparent
discrepancies In prices; but the laws
in the various States vary greatly.
Under these circumstances, uniform
retail prices are impossible. for IN
several States the retail price is fixed
by the State. and not by the pub
Usher. To Illustrate the State or
Ohio requires a rs per cent discount
from the catalogue price, as the
Wholesale price (. o. b. New York or
Chicago and allows the local dealer
10 per cent for freight and expense
of handling Missouri has practical
~ the same law, except that the local
dealer is allowed to add 10 per cent
for handling. Here Is a concrete ex-
ample:
"A book published at the list price
of 60 cents is sold in virginia at
AZ cents. out of which the publisher
must pay freight to destination and
the Virginia Dealers profit for hand
ling. In Ohio the publisher would
receive for the same book 40 cents I.
o b. New York or Chicago, the Ohio
dealer would add l0per cent 70 cents !.
so that the Ohio pupil would pay 30
cents. In Missouri dealer would
add Is per cent to the As cents % 90
cents). requiring the Missouri pupil
10 nav 81 cents for the book Wellch
costs the Ohio child SO cents and the
Virginia pupil 4S cents. The pub
Usher surely would prefer to sell MS
books in Ohio or Missouri, where ne
has no expense for freight and no
responsibility for distribution Nlr-
GINA clearly has the. best OF IT..
"The Virginia State Board OF Edu-
cation presumably pas all OF these
facts. because theyf postponed the
adoption one year in order to invesu-
gate prices.
..It does look to the casual OBJ
server as If; -.
"The comparing of Virginia retail
prices with Ohio wholesale prices In
the specific examples OF discrim,na-
ton was intended to befog the issue.
THE further investigation OF prices
was merely a pretext for postponing
the adoption another year. vi
1.-THE real reason for postponement
la In order that certain publishing
house may continue IN use certain OF
rs books which the SJafe BoArd OF
EducAtion, composed cS sozns Of the