Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-08-23

Some facts Concerning the School
Book Adoption.
Through the columns Of your pa
per l wish TO say few things to
| the school patrons concerning the
recent scnool book adoption.
| In the tirst place / am assuming
! that all are familiar with the law
of the state of New Mexico con-
corning a took adoption; that the
state board OF education is vested
with full power to adopt a system
of school books for the use of the
elementary public schools of the
state for a period of years not to
exceed six. In 1915 books had
been adopted under contracts ex-
piring June IS, 1921, During the
school year of 1920 considerable
complaint had come to the state
board of education from different
school communities that much de-
lay and inconvenience had been
caused from the meager supply of
school books available from certain
publishers. The matter was taken
up with the school book companies
and it, was found that these book
concerns had set up as an excuse
that on account of the scarcity of
paper and of unsettled labor con-
ditions, strikes and congested
freight yards they mad been I'M
able to meet the demand for text
bookc but had been doing the best
they could under the circumstances
At a meeting of the state board OF
education held in Santa Fe in Aug
ust, $50, representatives of sever
al book publishing concerns were
present along with representa-
tive of the New Mexico school book
depository and the prospects for
the coming school year were dis
cussed as to the available supply
of text books, and upon the advice
of these parties and in concur
renee with the best judgment of
administration school officials of
the state it was decided by the state
board Of education to consider an
early adoption of text books to be
advisaLle to the END that there
might not be any delay in supply
ing the books to the schools of New
Mexico for the year beginning Sep
tember 1921. The matter was re-
ferred to the attorney general, who
gave it as his opinion that the state
board would not only be acting
with due discretion, but wholly
within the scope of its authority If
the Gdoption were made before the
first of January, 1921.
A further consideration made 1t
desirable that some action be taken
with reference to an early Adoption.
Contracts on three text books had
already expired in August, 1920.
and when the proposition was made
to the companies publishing these
books that they continue to supply
the schools of the state of New
Mexico for at least year at the old
refused to do so, saying that the
price of paper, labor, freight, t.,
had so increased that it was out of
reason to expect them to continue
to supply text books at prices
fixed six years ago. The state SUI
perintendent of public instruction
was directed to write to state board
of education in other states to as
certain If similar conditions pre-
vailed there and from every state
in the union came the reply that |
they were not expecting books TO
be supplied under new contracts at
the price they obtained six years |
ago. Other states at that time had |
made their calls for bids and were
proceeding to adopt early. Texas
adopted a week or two before the |
adoption in New Mexico; Indiana |
had planned to make her adoption
a week or two later and Arizona !
had issued her call for bids for an |
adoption to be completed very early
in 1921. 1t would appear therefore
that the action of the state board !
of education in adopting books in
December, 1920, was not prema-
ture, but was consistent with
action taken in other states for the
supply of text books for the school |
year 1922. Subsequent expert
ence of certain companies awarded
contracts in New Mexico would APP
pear to confirm the action of the
state board as none too early. A
letter on file with me bearing date
of July 80, 1921, from one of the
publishers of an adopted text says:
Il am now on my way east to see
the book through it's final stages
the type has been moved to Rich
mond, Va, to get 1t out of the New
England printers strike zone. Had
to ship two hundred fifty pages of
type besides other things" An
other letter from the publisher on
August 10, says: II am camping
in the plant steadily until the book
is printed. I have had distress
ing time with it, We shipped one
thousand seven hundred ninety-five
G,795) pounds of tyne from Bos-
ton down here by express. Then
every page had to be gone over for
errors due to handling and ship
ping" 1t would appear from this
that some of the
text books are not yet off of the
press and will have to be shipped |