The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-29
STATE 10 RD HAS
STILL AyOTHEa REPORT
Two Members OF Majority Have Re-
ply 20 Minority report Recently
Submit:cd.
rs NO -cxTRA TAX ON PEOPLE
Members Declare that New Adoption
Really Means Sa'tng OF Fifty
Thousand Dollars During Period.
Again Explain Position.

an extra LAX on tue peopIe VI WI
ginia. and reiterating that efficiency
end economy demanded the action
taken By them, Colonel Henry c. Ford
and Harris Hart, members of the state
Board OF Education, have drafted a
reply to the report recently submit
ted to the State Senate by the MIN
GRITTY members OF the board, ana tne
paper will probably be sent to the
Senate this afternoon.
Four members of the board voted
for the change Of textbooks. they pc
ing. besides Colonel Ford and Mr..
Hart, DR.. j. s. Wilson and Frank L.
West. At the meeting of the board
held Yesterday afternoon In Governor
Stuart's office, there was lehgth!
discussion as to whether or not an
other report should be forthcoming
from the board with reference TO the
textbook question. Acknowledgement
Pollard asserted that In his opinion
no further action should be taken by
the board. Mr.. West, who voted with
the ma iority, seemed to be of the same
impression. DR.. Wilson Is Ill and was
unable to be present at this meeting,
but II Is understood that he is in favor
OF submitting the third report
Colonel Ford and Mr. Hart declared
that IL was their belief that they
should go fully into the details OF
their action. and that they are IN
possession of some information that
should be unfolded to the Senate. The
report had already been drawn up
before the meeting, and 1t will proc.
ably 20 to the Senate after another
meeting OF the board, which Is to be
held this afternoon at 4 o'clock in the
Governors office.
II is set forth in this report that
the action OF the majority will save
the school patrons not less than S5V,-
600 for the period OF this adoption as
compared with the previous adoption.
It is also claimed the new books
adopted are rar superior TO the old
ones.
The report follows:
Statement In Detail In Answer to
Minority Report.
To the Senate OF Virginia:
In response to Senate resolution NO.
10, the state Board OF Education sub
rnitted February Ia report on GER
tain textbook changes. Your honor
able body was requested to receive
an additional report in answer to any
further statements on this subject
which might be filed. The minority OF
the State board, composed OF the Gov
ernor, the Attorney-General and sup
erintendent OF Public Instruction. has
submitted a report. Public interest,"
and proper regard Tor the majority
OF the State board demand that GER
tain features OF this report be answer
ed.
The report OF the minority Of the
S-afa Board OF Education states that
the attitude OF the minority was one
of distinct opposition to changes IN
texts, except for considerations of Eff
nctency and economy Every mem
Der OF the majority of the board con
siders this "A fair statement OF mis- own
attitude. But the general impression
made by the statement is that the
minority studiously opposed changes
We SUBMIT that the record VIII MOI
iustify this !mpress.oT. At the very
outset of the adoption, IN April. 1914.
n recommendation came from one OF
the minority to adopt Howelfs primer
in place OF Playmates then on the
itst In view OF the fact that We were
then attempting to adopt one primer
for Statewide use this recommendation
would have caused radical change
This proposal was voted down In COM
,r ittee. On the same day the Webster
Cooley English books were urged for
adoption by one OF the minority. THESE
were entirety new texts fnr- Alrglnla-
and their adoption would have meant
n Wholesale change. The minority
members voted in committee against
this change and adopted for Statewide
use one of the English series already
on the list.
At the same meeting OF the board
one of the minority proposed the
adoption OF Chambers Our Republic
20 supplant Lees History, wide
spread though most deslranle
change. The minority report shows
that its signers also Joined the ma
iortty members in the change OF the
text on Virginia History
As TO the Plate Plan.
From time to time various sugges-
fions and recommendations were made
Inv one of the minority for the rental
~ hook plates Since no publisher
nth substantial holdings on the form
or list offered to rent plates, the adop"
ton OF the plate plan would have
raused n change of books in practical
" every subject to which 1t was ap-
f'lied. A positive Recommendation
was made and voted for by two OF the
minority to adopt Firmans two-oooK
course in English. This was an entire
IL new series for Virginia, and OF the
opposite type from the English books
formerly used The majority opposed
this change, and. as stated ABOVE
adopted one OF the series already In
use.
The Arithmetics urged by the
minority and published by the John-
son Company were new two-oook
course. This company had two series
OF Arithmetics on the former list. but
the texts urged before the committee
on mathematics, and on which saw
ing was estimated by the publishers,
we've empha'icallv new two-book
course. In voting for these texts the
m.no.ity would have caused a change
as complete as was effected.
The minority report clearly indicates
that the Spoilers advanced by them
were new books, so new that in May.
1915, one OF the two books had not
even gone to press. This adoption
would have caused Statewide
change.
Johnson's Fifth Reader.
The Fifth Reader urged by the
minority under the Johnson offer was
a revised book, the use of which
would have meant a change Southern
literary Readings, new book, was
adopted with the hearty support OF
al least two OF the minority.
The changes mentioned above.
recommended by one or more OF the
minority, represent approximately 40
ner cent of the value of the entire ele-
,oentary basal list We assert. then,
that the minority were no more studi-
Gus to avoid changes than were the
majority members.