Tabular exhibit of certain features of State text-book laws and views of State superintendents.

This determines in general the extent to which uniformity is carried. In many States cities are exempt from the requirements of the general law. It should be borne in mind that "districts" are often (as in Michigan, Iowa, etc.) coincident with townships and sometimes embrace a still larger extent of territory.

South Dakota................
Nebraska.c

State board

County superintendents with con-
currence of county commissioners.
State board.

State board, by majority vote of
county superintendents..

County superintendents and
commissioners authorized
to contract.
State board....

.....do .................

Books compiled under direction of Printed by State printer.......

State board.

ALABAMA.

Alabama has no law upon the subject of text-books, no statutory provision by which uniformity may be enforced and secured. "The result is," says Superintendent Palmer. "that every teacher is left free to select his own text-books, and where teachers change localities as often as they do in this State, the consequence is a continual change of text-books, to the annoyance and unnecessary expense of patrons. So frequent have been the demands for a change of text-books in many counties that the teachers and school officers have voluntarily adopted a series of text-books, agreeing to use them exclusively for a definite period, but for the want of some authority in the law to enforce such agreements, it amounts to very little advantage. The mere fact, however, that such efforts have been voluntarily made shows that there is just cause of complaint. The further fact also, that in all the cities and separate school districts where the local boards of education can control this subject, they have found it desirable to have a uniformity of books, which they enforce by regulations applying to the schools under their control, is persuasive that some such authority should be given to the school authorities of the counties. I have heard general complaint upon this subject by parents throughout the State, and I am convinced that some authority of law should be given whereby uniformity of text-books may be secured in counties, if not for the entire State.

"I believe that by judicious legislation upon this subject, hundreds of thousands of dollars now spent on account of the constant change of text-books, might be saved to parents each year. Not only does this frequent change of text-books entail needless and irritating expense upon the patrons, but results in filling the schools with all kinds and editions of text-books, so that proper classification is impossible. Such legislation would enable the school officers to keep out of the public schools such text-books as are not in accord with our institutions, or are not calculated to inculcate the true theory of government and of the civil war. Without some authority of law this can not legally be done.

"I would suggest that the most feasible plan for securing this desirable object [county uniformity] would be a bill constituting county com.nissioners or boards of revenue a commission to adopt a series of school books for use in our public schools. I say county commissioners or boards of revenue, because they are already officers of the State, chosen by the people because of their fidelity and fitness for the important duties already intrusted to them. The county superintendent of education should be a member of this text-book commission."

ARKANSAS.

Duty of the State superintendent.-The State superintendent "shall prepare, for the benefit of the common schools of the State, a list of text-books on orthography, reading in English, mental and written arithmetic, penmanship, English grammar, modern geography and history of the United States, as are best adapted to the wants of the learner, and as have been prepared with reference to the most philosophical methods of teaching those branches, and shall recommend the said text-books to teachers and to directors throughout the State."2

District uniformity. "The directors of each school district in this State shall adopt and cause to be used in the public schools, in their respective districts, one series of text-books in each branch or science taught in the public schools of their respective districts, and no change in these books shall be made for a period of three years, unless it be by a petition of a majority of the voters of the district desiring the change." "Any person whose duty it is to execute this section, and who fails to do so, becomes liable to a fine of from ten to fifty dollars."

Objections to the law. -State Superintendent W. E. Thompson states that "in this State we have district adoption. The adoption must be made by the board of directors in each district from the list of books recommended by the State superintendent. This law, in my opinion, fails in every particular. It can not give even county uniformity. Another objection is, the board is composed of ignorant men in many instances, who are easily influenced by book agents to make changes. I favor county adoption from a list of books recommended by a State board or State superintendent. I have given this question much study, and my opinion is that county adoption and free books is the only solution of all the evils."5

1 Ala. Sch. Rep., 1889-90, pp. 17-19.
Ark. Sch. Law, 1889, sec. 6167.

$7th Bi. Tex. Sch. Rep., p. XXVII.

Ibid., sec. 6216, 4 Ibid., sec. 6240,

CALIFORNIA.

Constitutional provision.-An amendment to the State constitution, adopted November 4, 1884, made it the duty of the State board of education to compile or cause to be compiled a uniform series of text-books, to be used in all the schools of the State; and authorized the board to have them printed by the State printer and sold to pupils at cost, the books to continue in use not less than four years.

Legislation. The acts of February 26, 1885, and March 15, 1887, provided for the compilation of thirteen text-books, by "well qualified persons, " under the direction of the State board and the printing of them by the State printer. The board was directed to copyright them. When any book of the State series was compiled and adopted an order was to be issued requiring its use in all the schools, such order not to take effect until the expiration of one year from time of completion of the electrotype plates.

According to the amendment of 1887, books may be ordered from the State superintendent by county superintendents, clerks of district school boards, and principals of State normal schools, all orders being accompanied with cash for the cost price at Sacramento and expense of transportation. Retail dealers are also permitted to order books upon making an affidavit not to sell them at a price exceeding that fixed by the State board, etc.

County school boards were directed to provide a revolving fund. Appropriations from the State treasury were made for compiling the books, for the purchase of machinery and other material needed in their manufacture, and for paying the wages of compositors, binders, etc.2

Results.-State Superintendent Ira G. Hoitt, gives the following account of the results of the operation of the law up to July, 1890.3

State text-books.

It is now six years since our constitution was amended, making it the duty of the State board of education to compile a series of text-books for use in the schools of the State.

The experiment was unique, and has been attempted by no other State. The books were to continue in use not less than four years. This time will shortly have expired as regards the readers, which were ready for distribution in December, 1886, and the continuance of the scheme will be determined by the future actions of the legislature and of the various county boards in reference to a change.

If school officers and the legislature shall decide to discontinue the use of the State books the experiment will have proved a costly one.

The members of the State board of education, who have had in charge the compilation of this series, have done their very best, under the provisions of the law, to make successful books.

It is not to be denied that, in our isolation from the great literary and trade centers, this has sometimes been a task shadowed with many obstacles.

The changes in the board that have occurred from time to time, the widely scattered residences, and the heavy duties already devolved upon each member of the board and upon those employed to compile the books, have all been obstacles in the way of a speedier completion of the work.

As was to be expected, the opposition from various sources has been strong and unceasing. But whether the system is continued or changed it does not alter the fact that the people should be protected in some legislative way from the extortion of book rings. In just what form this protection can best be given is difficult to determine. To my mind the free text-book sytem offers a full solution of the problem. *

**

California has appropriated $315,000 for the manufacturing plant and for the first 50,000 copies of each book, and also $35,000 for purposes of compilation.

Since 1885, $255,054.42 have been expended for labor alone, and $25,644.20 for purposes of compilation, and $234,886.48 have been received from sales for the same length of time, ending June 30, 1890.

A certain proportion of the receipts is expected to pay for the plant in twelve years, but the total receipts form a revolving fund used by the State printer for manufacture of all editions after the first fifty thousand.

The advantages of State publication are that it has relieved county boards of education from the solicitation of book agents; that it has reduced the prices of the books from former rates, and that the money spent therefor has been retained in our own State.

'Cal. Sch. Law, 1888, p. 98.

Ibid., pp. 55-61.

Cal. Sch. Rep., 1890, pp. 87-42.