Mexico Missouri message., 1917-06-07
Commission Selects
New Text Books

After several weeks of careful in
spection of books and two days of
thoughtful deliberation, the Audrain
County Text Book Commission un-
animously adopted the following list
of books for use in Audrain County
| for the next five years at its meet
| ing Wednesday.
Before giving the list, just a word
of explanation: The law requires
| that books be adopted every five years
and that the adopted books be used.
1t is just little bit like this: Sup
pose there were commission to
adopt the machinery that the farmer
must use for the next five years. OF
| course, they would adopt what they
considered the best on the market at
the time. Five years pass. Now,
they must either readopt the same
machine or one with the latest i'm
provements. Then we should either
have to continue to use the old three
horse plow, the six-foot cut binder
and the horse and buggy; or some
must throw away these before they
are worn out to make way for the
gang plow, the eight-foot binder and
the automobile.
And so it is with books as with
implements. School books are the
tools for acquiring an education. And
If the children are to get the b est
results they must have the best tools
Books. 1t is understood that they
must throw away practically new
books to do this, but even this is far
better than to go on compelling the
children year after year to pay the
same price for an old-fashioned carry
all that his city cousin is paying for
an automobile.
But there is an excellent solution
for this matter. Vote free text books.
Adopt and buy your books for five
years. If properly handled they will
last five years. The county foreign
insurance tax will pay for them. They
will not cost the district a penny,
get the best tools-books-on the
market for class use and put the old
ones in the library for reference
work, which every school needs a
great deal of. You can call special
meeting yet for the purpose of voting
free text books. 1t is the proper solu-
ton of the textbook question.
And now for the list of books as
adopted. But first, the speller, geog-
adopted two years ago. These must
be used three more years.
Frye's Home Geography was re-
adopted. 1t is published by CHM G.
Company.
Two sets of readers were adopted
because the board realized the need
of reading more books. The Riverside
Readers, Houghton Miffin & Co., were
adopted for the first six grades. with
Grammar Books Three and Four of
the ElsOn Readers Scott Foresman
& Co., for the 7th and Sth grades.
The Merrill Readers, Chas. f. Mer-
rill & Co., for the first four grades;
Easy Road to Reading, Book Four,
Lyons & Carnahan, for the 5th and
9Th, and Flanagan Classics for the
7th and Sth.
The Aldine Speller, Newsom & Co..
and the American Book Co.'S. Num-
Der Primer were put in the first and
second grades. Health and cleanli-
ness, Masmillan Co., will supplement
the 5th and 9Th grade book in physi-
ology. Carpenters Around the World
With the children will supplement
the Home Geography. Thomas Rural
Arithmetic, American Book Co., will
supplement the work in Arithmetic
and Agriculture. The Ransomerian
System of Rapid Business Writing, c.
w. Ransom, supplements the Berry
System. Lapp's, The Elements OF
Civics, Bobbs Merrill Co., was adopted
to teach citizenship and Missouri his
tory. Guhin's Drill Chart, Studeba-
ker's Practice Tests and the Economy
Arithmetic Drill Material were adopt
ed to secure better results in Arith-
metic Live Language Lessons, Uni
versity Publishing Co., was adopted
for 3rd and 4th grade work. Final
action has not yet been taken on the
other Language and Grammar Books.
Emerson and Bender, Macmillan and
Co., are now being used.
Feeling that great good will re-
suit to the Children of Audrain Coun-
ty as a result of this work OF your
commission, and praying that time
may prove the wisdom of our select
ions, we beg to remain your humble
servants.
Ed c. Offutt, Secretary
w. Clyde Johnson, Chairman,
Miles c. Thomas, Member.