Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-30
PRESSING BILL IN LEGISLATURE
TO ABOLISH COUNTY UNIFORM
ITY OF TEXT BOOKS.
ATTEMPT 70 PUT ONE =, ,r.. u.
OVER ON SCHOOL PATRONS
Not Thoroughly Understood by leg
isIators-Pitt Crowd of Road Reac.
tionaries May Find Boomerang in
Action Seeking Revenge.

| Des Moines. March 30.-A measure
booked for consideration in the senate
today is the Evans bill to abolish
county adoption and uniformity OF
school books.
The bill came out of the commit
| tee without recommendation and went
on the senate calendar. 1t is thought
| it will be reached today.
1t has been little discussed among
the legislators and school people, while
school patrons OF the state seem to
have heard nothing about it. Its title
| is: TO regulate the adoption, sale and
distribution of school text books and
| repeating all acts or parts of acts in
conflict
The body OF the measure discloses
its fatal effect on the county uniform
ity and county adoption system.
Under the provisions of the bill the
uniformity of school books in sixty
counties would be destroyed In the
last week or SO three or four addi-
tioual counties have gone 10 that basis
by vote. Under the Evans bill at the
end of the present contractual period
the county plan would be abrogated.
In its place the Evans bill estab-
fishes the independence OF each Of the
school districts, giving thC directors %
each the power 10 select school books
tn- the district.
The bill requires book publishers 10
file with the state superintendent their
maximum prices IS charged anywhere
in the United States and they are re-
guired TO sell book in Iowa at no
higher figure, and at such lower fig
ures as may be fixed in other states
for the identical books.
Opponents Of the Evans bill insist
that its effect will be not only to de-
stroy county uniformity, but 20
make it possible for the biggest book
company 10 monopolize the school
book industry of the state. while at
the same time they think il will en-
courage a combination Of companies TO
fix a price higher than would be fixed
under competition. And they add that
the sixty counties which have adopted
county uniformity have accurately in
dictated the public sentiment in regard
to the use of the same books in all the
districts of given county so that
when families move from one to an
other they do not have to buy new
books for their children.
Boomerang For Pitt Crowd.
Thirty-five members of the Pitt road
faction in the Iowa house were 50
anxious yesterday afternoon to wallop
any measure which had the names of
Representatives ElWood and Mackie
attached to it that they very possibly
threw away the last chance they have
during the session Of passing an anti
road bond measure.
The Elwood- Mackie bill to prohibit
the issuing Of road bonds under any
circumstances, but legalizing the issue
Of bridge bonds upon vote of the peo-
pie was defeated by the house 81 to As.
This bill would have prevented the
present practice by county supervisors
Of Issuing bonds for road and bridge
construction work to take up warrants
already issued to pay for work done.
It permitted the voting Of bridge
bonds by vote of the people, the coun-
try and city districts to vote separate
ly upon the proposal.
Defeat of the bill leaves the situation
exactly as It is now. 1t would be i'm
possible to repeal the section of the
code under which all bridge and road
bonds now out in the state have been
issued, without enacting something
similar to the ElwoOd- Mackie bill.
A motion to reconsider will prob
ably be filed today by Pitt leaders who
are beginning to realize that they
made a blunder.
It is doubtful, however, whether Il
will be possible even should the bill
be reconsidered to do anything during
the remaining days of the session. The
house and senate are not in agreement
upon this question, and are not likely
| to get together.