Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 March 1889 — SCHOOL-BOOK TRUST BILL [ARTICLE]

SCHOOL-BOOK TRUST BILL

As the bill stands— so it will go into the volume of legislative acts—it provides that the State Board of Education shall constitute a Board of Commissioners for selecting or procuring the compilation of text-books, none of which shalljcontain auything of a partisan or sectarian character, and all of them |shail be at least equal in size and quality as to matter, material, style of binding and mechanical execution to the books now in general nse. The CVmmissioners shall advertise for sealed trom publishers of text-books to furnish them for a term of five years, stating specifically the price at whieh ea h book will be furnished. Proposals shall also b<s received from anthers who have manuscripts of books and from persons who are willing to undertake the siompilatien of books. All bids b publishers must be accompanied by a bond for $50,000, acceptable to the Governor, and it provides that no bid shall be considered unless accompanied by an affidavit that the bidder isfin nowise, directly or indirectly, connected with any other bidding firm, and that he is not a party to any compact, syndicate or scheme whereby the benefits of competition are denied! to the people of the State. If any competent author offers to give the State the use of his books, the commissioners are required to accept it. The Board shall not contract for books which will cost school patrons more than the following prices: Spelling book, 10 cents; first reader, 10; second reader, 15 ; third reader, 25 ; fourth reader, 30; fifth reader, 40; intermediate arithmetic, 35; complete arithmetis, 45; elementary geography, 30; complete geography, 75; elementary English grammar, complete English grammar, 40; physiology, 35; history of the United States, 50, and eopv books, 5. ‘ It is required that it sha} 1 ba made part of the terms and conditions of every contract that the

State shall not be liable to any contractor for any sum, but the contractors shall receive their pay solely and exclusively from the sale of the books. After the oontracts have been made the Governor si all issue a proclamation announcing the fact to the people, and within thirty days after its publicati >n the trustees of every school corporation iu the State shall certify to the superintendent of their respective counties the number of text-books that will be required in their schools. The County Superintendent shall forthwith transmit the requisitions to the State Superintendent, who in turn will make a requisition upon the contractor for the books, which must be shipped directly to the County Superintendents. The bcoks tan be sold for cash only, and the trustees are held ]iable on their official bonds for the money. The Trustees shall make settlements every three month*. Special bo:.ds for carrying out the provisions of the act are required from County Superintendents.— The only appropriation provided for in the act is SI,OOO, to be used in paying the advertising expenses. It is estimated that the cost of new books complete for the whole state, under the fixed scale of pr.e. s, will not °xceed $300,000, but if ntw books are uot adopted it will be proportionately less.