Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-28
BOOK LIST ADOPTED
FOR STATE SCHOOLS
State Board of Education Com
p!etes Work in Lengthy
Secret Session.
AWARDS TO MANY PUBLISHERS
Book Agent Berry Faints When
List Is Made Public-Arith-
rnctic Held Up.

With every member present. except
Governor Henry c. Stuart, the state
Board of Education yesterday after
noon adopted practically the entire list
OF textbooks tina, viii be used in the
public schools OF the state for four
years, commencing with tomorrow.
March !. Superintendent x. G. Sternas
presided AT what was probably one Of
the most animated and memorable
meetings Of It's kind ever held In the
Commonwealth of Virginia
The new list shows comparatively
few changes from the "preferrcd list
tentatively agreed upon by the board
las, spring.
While the deadlock on the proposal
of the Is. T.. Johnson Publishing Com
pany to concedc "a reduction of 10 per
cent on itg offer OF last spring pro-
vidcd the entire johnson list should be
adopted, which new proposition would
mean sacrifice of $4,000 i'm profits.
was never broken. many of the John
son books were given place in the ac-
ccrtcd list. including the basal readers.
ARITHMETIC, SPELLER AND ONE
READER HELD IN ABEYANCE
The adoption OF "a NTH reader was
arithmetics and spoilers The adoption
OF history OF Virginia WAS also
passed by for future action. in which
one or more Of the members Of the
present board may take no part for the
term OF Dr. J. L. Jarmen, of Farmville.
expires to-day. and In the coming
spring the terms Of Harris Hart. super
intendent OF schools. Roanoke. and
Frank r. West. superintendent OF
schools. Louisa County, will expire
br. Jarnen Will bc succeeded by j. D.
EgSl"stOn president OF the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute at Blacksburg
who was elected last year by the Cen
cral Assembly.
The list of maps and charts was
adopted. Action on DIR. J. a. c. Chand-
l"r's history Of the United states Our
Republic was deferred. but II is prob
able that the board VIII later accent
this history. arranging with DIR. Chand-
Ter for the use o! plates from which
the book Will be- printed by the Depart
mcnt OF Education ~
DEEP SECRECY As TO WHAT
WENT on IN MEETING
The proceedings being behind closed
doors. the story OF this Interesting
conclaN" Of the minds directing the
educational affairs OF the State will
never be told in circumstantial detail
Eui outward signs of the inward grace
that moved tho meeting made IL mani
fest 10 the most casual observer tha,
the word Interesting" serves but as
lame. feeble, haltinE and beggarly de-
scriptivc adjective.
Well. you may say that the closing
session was vcritablc love feast
Secretary Evan X. Chcstcrman vouch-
safcd at tho finish OF what had hap
ipened. The secretary strokcd his
smooth shaven. classically- chin
with his ;apcrinE white fingers. gaz,d
pensively out into the vast cinpyrcan
OF space, and. smiling bcatincaIly, he
pursued:
Yes really love feast. The utmost
harmony prevailed. No. they didn't
agree on the Il. r. Johnson proposal
but four OF the Johnson readers were
accepted. as you may note from the list
and the best OF good humor prevailed
Each side coaxcd ana jollied the other
IN the pleasantest way Imaginable. each
showing spiri; OF compromise. and
everything went nicely"
HOOK AGENT I.AINTs
WHEN LIST Is ANNOUNCED
How about the swarm Of agents of
publishers cavortinS about the corridor
ana "nterooms; the rip-roaring excite
incnt among them when they learned
what books had been adopted and
what about Il. j.. Berry. agent, who
swooned or tainted or threw n fit while
the cxuberancc was at it's hcight?'' he
was asked.
The secretary acknowledged that
there was some quite natural excite
nent among the agents representing
the many manufacturers of the mental
ammunition with which the young idea
is to do It's shooting in Virginia in the
next four years But he was very in
sistent upon the point that the wind -up
of the executive session was nothin<
short Of a metaphorical love feast, He
explained the collapse of Mr.. Berry.
who had been looking after the in
terests OF his firm with almost sublime
diligence. punctuality and precision
saying that IT was quite true. Mr.
BerrY had suffered fainting spell.
But 1t was nothing. simply nothing
NOT NECESSARY TO CALI
ON GOVERNOR TO VOTE
Secretary Chesterman did all the
talking to the newspaper reporters for
the board members. BY way of illus
tratinG the gratifying harmony of the
board at the final session to determine
the award OF book contracts, amount
ing to many hundreds of thousands of
dollars-Just how many hundred thous-
ands of dollars, Mr.. Chesterman could
not say off-hand there being quite Il
number Of changes in the textbooks
the secretary said that Il had not been
necessary to call upon the Governor
TO vote on a single matter of business.
This meant that no question had been
contested by two members of the board.
and hat the selection OF books was I'm
every Instance where an addition was
made to the list during the day prac-
tically unanimous.
GOVERNOR Is STILL.
CONFINED TO MANSION