Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-26
sCHOOLBOOK ADOPTION
LOOMS UP As BIC ISSUE
Of Public Instruction Issue
Statements.
sTEARNEs DEPENDS HIS VOTE
Hart Charges Opponent With VaciI-
lating Course, Without Definite
Policy and Absent From Many
Meetings.

statements IN regard to the school
book controversy were issued last night
from both the headquarters Of r. c.
Stearnes and Harris Hart, rival candi-
dates for the office of State Superin-
tendent Of Public instruction. MIR.
Stearnes defends his vote with the mi
nority, While Mr.. Hart charges that
Mr.. Stearnes had no definite policy.
vacillated from one side to the other
and was frequently absent from i'm
portant committee meetings.
Mr.. S~tearnes said last night in ref
erence to his charge that the recent
book adoption had cost the people
of the State 35Oo.O00.00 {. you were
correct in your report Of my speech
at Houston. when you quoted me as
saying that the state Board OF Educa-
ton had changed about 65 per cent
Of the elementary books n that
thereby the people had been burdened
with an unnecessary expense, APP
proximating a half million dollars.
In this connection / wish to make his
point very clear: 1t was the action
Of the majority of the state Board
that caused the expense in question.
The minority of the Board. of which
l was a member. protested against the
numerous changes made and the large
expense incurred. This fact is set
out very plainly in a report made to
the Senate in 1916 in response to a
resolution of that body requesting the
reasons of the State Board Of Edu-
cation for the numerous changes Of
textbooks made by Its members.
The minority members consisted
Of Governor stuart. Attorney-General
Pollard. and myself.
THE changes which we voted for
in the interest OF economy and those
~ III a
OF date. making new texts imperative,
are included, among others. in the an
swer of the majority. and the reasons
Tor such changes are manifest. 1t
might be we'll to add. however. that
such changes involved approximate
ly 70 per cent of the total changes
Thus It will be seen that Of the 65
per cent Of changes made. the ma
jority Of the Board were responsible
for 40 per cent. and the minority for
only 25 per cent"
AVS STEARNES VOTED FOR
MORE CHANGES THAN ANY
The following reply to Mr.. Stearnes's
speech at Houston was issued last night
by X. II. Willis. manager Of the cam
paign for Mr.. Hart:
according to the newspape ac-
counts. Mr.. Stcarnes. in his speech at
~ lie IeNt-
book situation and stand from under
as to any part OF the system that
seems unpopular. though he claims
credit for everything of merit that was
one by the board or his predecessor
for the past twelve years. He starts
~ saying that against his protest a
new list was adopted. The fact are
that in the various committees Mr..
Stearnes voted for as many Of more
changes than any other member Of
the board. 1t is true that he voted
against nearly every book that was
adopted. but IL is equally true that he
voted for nearly every one OF the same
books at different times. AS far as
could be learned from his votes in the
committees he at one time or an
other favored nearly every book Of
fered TO the state Board Of Education.
mfr. Stearnes. who should have been
the leader of the board. had no definite
policy to offer whatever. and as a
matter of fact was absent from many
of the most important committee
meetings. II this v%ncillating course
could be called a policy. then we will
say that Mr.. Stoarnes's policy would
have led to the adoption of a large
and expensive conglomeration OF books.
HART OPPOSES FURTHER
CHANGES IN LIST
This weak record was in marked
contrast with the clcan-cut record Of
his opponent. Mr.. Hart. who through
out the entire matter followed a dehn-
ite policy. viz: tho adoption. so far as
possible from the books already In
use. of a single uniform list for the
entire State. SO that the same books
would be used in every city and coun-
~. Such a list was finally adopted,
Mr.. Stearnes says. over his protest.
These books are of such a character
that they SHOULD not be changed for
many years to como. Mr.. Hart saws
that he considers the long. veSed
school-book question thus settled and
is not in favor of changes.
He claims credit for accomplish
ment during the years from 1905 to
1912. but fails by some oversight to
mention the fact that during those
years j. D. Eggleston was Superin-
tendent of Public instruction and that
Harris Hart was n prominent member
of the board of examiners. while Mr..
Stearnes was only secretary to tho
board. with power to record Its acts.
The last session Of the General AS.
sembly authorized a commission on
economy and efficiency to investigate
the acts of the various State depart
49, nt HlnA.