The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-01
OPEN BALLOT IN
SELECTING TEXT
BOOKS PROVIDED
New Appropriation Bill Car
ries With it Provision Doing
Away With Secrecy.

Provision for the open ballot in
adoption Of school books Is made In
the state appropriation bill. The sec
ton Of the bill dealing with the mat
tsr provides that all sessions of the
board Of education, called to vote on
the choice of school books shall be
open. and that the records Of the
meetings shall be open to the public
at any time. No selection of books
shall be made in the year 1919 until
after the first day of June, the bill pro-
vides. The conditions are to be effec-
tive Immediately upon passage Of the
act.
Members of the Richmond school
board recently expressed themselves
as very strongly in favor of the open
ballot in the selection of school books,
and Charles o. Williams, county
school superintendent, who is also a
member of the state board OF educa-
ton, announced that he would be
guided by the governors wishes for
the use Of an open ballot. Governor
Goodrich has been active for some
secret selection OF school books for
the state.
Text Of Provision.
The section covering the subject
follows:
"All appropriations made to the
state board of education, whether
regular. specific or statutory. are
made on the following conditions, to-
wit: That when the state board of
education becomes under the law and
Is constituted under the law a board
OF commissioners for the purpose of
making selection or procuring the
compilation for use in the common
schools OF the state of Indiana Of
series OF textbooks, and when the
state board Of education becomes I'M
der the law and is constituted under
the law a board of commissioners for
the purpose of making a selection or
procuring the compilation for use in
the high schools of the state Of Indi-
ana OF textbooks, all as now provided
by law. said board Of commissioners
shall keep record Of all its proceed
fngs, which shall at all times be open
to any and all persons who may de-
sire to see and inspect said record,
and every vote taken on any question
relative to the selection OF textbooks
shall be upon roll call and the vote of
each member shall be separately re-
corded and shall be and become a
part of the record Of proceedings now
required to be open to inspection. In
making the selection or procuring the
compilation for use In the common
schools of the state Of Indiana of
series Of textbooks and In making the
selection or procuring the compilation
for use In the high schools of the
state of Indiana of textbooks. all as
now provided by law, no charge shall
be made in any textbook and no Sc
lection or compilation Of any text
books for use in the common schools
OF the state of Indiana or for use In
the high schools Of the state of Indi-
ana shall be made in the year 1919 I'M
til after the first day Of June, 1919.
And II these conditions are In any
way or manner disregarded, ignored or
violated, directly or Indirectly, then
this appropriation shall be null and
void and no part of said sum herein
appropriated on the above conditions
shall be paid directly or indirectly.
The conditions herein effective shall
be effective upon the passage Of this
act