The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-12
SCHOOL BOOK DELAY
EMBARRASSES STATE
ders to Supply the Childrcns'
Demand.
BOOK PEOPLE WORK HARD
Superintendent Stearnes Says 1t Is
Nobody's Fault But Due to Radical
Change in System.

A lamentable state of affairs regard
ing the delay in delivering the text
| books provided by the school boards
Of the various cities and counties Of
| Virginia was laid before the State
! Board of Education at a special
meeting held yesterday in the Cham
Der of Commerce Building. The
| board met at IL O'Clock yesterday
morning and was in session. with two
intervals for lunch and supper until
! O'Clock. Those present were Gov
ernor Stuart, Attorney General Pol
lard, Superintendent Stearnes. Profess
sor j. NJ. Page, of the University Of
Virginia; Professor Henry c. Ford. OF
the Virginia Military Institute. j. L.
Jarman, OF the Farmville Normal:
Superintendent Harris Hart Superin-
tendent Frank T. West, and Secretary
Evan r. Chesterman.
Superintendent Stearnss laid before
the board a series OF recommendations
regarding the failure on the part of
the Virginia Book Company. which
is the State depository, to deliver the
textbooks wanted by the schools ac-
cording to contract. and on motion OF
the Governor the recommendations
were adopted an ordered spread upon
the minutes. In the recommendations
Mr. Stearnes In frank to admit that
the depository has had force OF men
and women working night and day 10
fulfill its obligations, but by reason
of the fact that there are so many
new books this year and a radical
change in the contract system It has
NOT been able to keep pace with the
demand.
Mr.. Stcarnes' Recommendations.
These are superintendent Stearnes
recomme ndations:
Information received from all quar-
ters Of the State convinces me:
First That there has been great
delay In furnishing books and that this
delay has occurred in practically all
OF the divisions.
Second That the local dealers In
large majority of the cases are In
duced to handle books by local APP
peais. usually the appeal OF the d.
vision superintendent. and conse-
auently they do not take the interest
an the work as they would do II they
did not feel that they were handling
books at loss.
Third. That no State repositories can
give us the service the people demand
and are entitled to have.The officers OF
the Virginia Book Company have
done and are doing all they can do
under the circumstances.
Fourth. That tho number Of local
agencies is entirely too limited and
that II la not practicable TO provide
a sufficient number under our present
plan
Fifth. That the Department OF
Public Instruction can see that pro-
vision is made for a satisfactory dis.
,ribufion of books after this year. II
given a free hand In the matter.
The board elected a district super
tnteudent for the district composed OF
rharle. City, James City and New
Kent Counties In the person OF Alvin
C. Cooper a native Of Loudoun Coun-
". who has been. teaching at New
SONS. southampton County he -
William and Mary College. aud VIII as
sumo his duties October Is.
Price Discrimination
In the matter Of price discrtmina-
ton on school books, the board hearo
Or, ] A. G.. Chandler. superintendent
as the Richmond city schools; r N.
Howe. representative OF the n r.
Johnson Publishing Company, and tne
secretary read a letter from 0inn q
Co. OF Boston. who had no repre-,
sentative present II had been charged
that Richmond city was paying more
for certain textbooks than the State OF
Minnesota. but, as has been stated IN
The yirginian heretofore, IT was
shown that the price OF the books
were based on certain discounts.
DR.. Chandler denied emphaucaliy
that Richmond was paying more Tor
public school books than Minnesota
cities and explained why The system
is somewhat complicated. the super.n-
tendent pointing out that the price
was on an entirely different basis from
ybose cola In Minnesota
The entire matter was referred TO
tho Superintendent of Public 1nstruc-
ton with a request that he make a
report at the next meeting
No date was set for this.
The following Richmond people
baye engaged boxes for the week in
the rrandsterd at the State Fair: