Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-09
HOUSE ORDERS PROBE OF
SCHOOLB0OK QUESTION
Special Commission to Study IduCa-
ton System and Report tn
Next Session.
HART REPLIES TO sTEAHNEs
Challenges Accuracy Of Figures Given
by state Superintendent in His Re-
port to Scnatc-Willis Says Bad
Judgment Mas Used.

Tho House OF Delegates on Yesterday
unanimously passed Il joint resolution
offered by Delegate liudgins, OF Neck
icnburE County. providing for the APP
pointrncnt OF a commission thoroughly
to investigate the public school system
of Virginia and pay particular attcn-
ton TO an Investigation Of the recent
textbook adoption, which has been in
the lim"light for several weeks owing
to tho fact that the State Board of
Education has been unable to make I,
unanimous report TO the Senate, as
asked for in resolution No. 10 of that
body.
That serious doubts exist as 10 the
various changes made in the Textbooks
adoption, and that matters are rather
muddlcd i'll tho state Board of Educa-
t'on, was referred TO by Delegate
Willis. Of Roanoke. who read in sub
sanitation "a reply by Superintendent
Harris Hart, OF tho Roanoke schools,
to the report as offered by State Super
intcnhcnt Stcarucs to the Senate in
answer TO its resolution.
This commission. which viii invcsti-
gate the school system Of the state
and also the textbook phase OF the
question. Will consist of two Incmhcrs
OF the House and one member OF tn"
Senate. two division school snpcrin-
tcnhents, 10 he appointed By the Gov
crnor: the Superintendent OF Public
Instruction and the Attorney General.
BAD JUDGMENT U3ED
IN TEXTBOOK ADOPTION
In speaking Of the textbook adop-
ton, and stating hts belief that bad
judgment had been used by the text
hook commission. Floor Leader Willis
introduced the statement prepared by
Mr.. Hart. in which the Roanoke super
intcndcnt took sharp issue with the
State Superintendent with regard to Il
number Of facts and figures as pre-
scented in the report to the Senate.
Mr. Hart stated in tho outset that
he regretted 10 have TO take the mat
ter up again, but said that ne was not
willing to allow certain allegations
made by Mr.. Stcarncs 20 20 unchal-
lcnged, when the facts were otherwise
than those stated by the State Super
intcndent Mr.. Hart claims authorship
Of the figures presented in the las;
report TO the Senate, and which was
signed by himself, Colonel Ford and
DR.. Wilson.
lie filed the correspondence regard
ing the prices on textbooks as listed
III this report, to show that AL of the
figures which he Quotcd were correct,
and that those figures submitted by
Superintendent Stearnes were incor-
rect. SoiEc eight or ven text books
were taken up. and tn, exact figures
were quoted in the report Mr.. Hart
claimed that the figures as quoted by
Mr.. Stearncs are not borne out by the
minutes and proceedings OF the State
Board of Education when making the
textbook adoption.
HART SAYS LOWEST
BID WAS SIXTY CENTS
In answering the Johnson PROPOSE
ton, as regards the Johnson History,
Mr.. Hart claims that the lowest offer
ever made by the Johnson Company was
% cents. while in his repor, Mr.
Stearnes stated that the price Of the
book had been reduced to Al cents Mr.
Hart points out that the author of the
book made this offer on a plate" prop
osition, and that the Johnson Com
pany never made any sucn bid.
Mr.. Hart says that the saving OF
$4,000 claimed by the minority. had the
Johnson proposition been accepted, must
have been estimated on competitive
asis according 10 the report Of the mi
nority; but he says as a matter Of fact
the Johnson offer on arIthmetics was
not the lowest bid mace on arithmetics
TO the State Board of Education at the
time Of the adoption. hence the minority
cannot make any such claim
The report closes with the following
paragraph:
When the State Superintendent read
his report TO the board on March | his
attention was called specifically to the
incorrectness of each Of his statements
OF alleged inaccuracy in our joint re-
port. The same documents were then
referred TO rs are herewith submitted
Notwithstanding this fact the supcrin-
tendent has transmitted for tho Official
record Of the Senate OF Virginia the re-
port containing these misstatemcnts of
fact as proved by the attached docu-
mcnts. Under all the circumstances
such a presentation is indcfcnsible and
certainly cannot be excused on the plea
that the superintendent was not prop-
erly advised.
Other features OF this report arc
subject TO serious question. but time
will not permit the criticism they de-
serve"
The commission. which Is TO he an