ART. 77] TEXT-BOOKS. 507

if

city and of the several counties in the State, as such new text-
books are required, and when so procured, the necessary text-
books shall be furnished free of cost for use in the public schools
of the State, subject to the order of said boards, on or after the
first day of August-, 1896; but said boards shall have the right
at any time to change any series of text-books already in use or
hereafter adopted; provided, that text-books shall be furnished
under the provisions of this article to the several grades in the '
public schools, successively, beginning with the first grade; and
provided, that said boards shall not be required to expend during
any school year for said text books, more than the several
amounts of money received by said boards, respectively, under
the provisions of this article; and provided, that indigent pupils
of all grades shall receive text-books free of cost, as provided
under the provisions of existing laws; and provided, the said
respective boards shall adopt such means for the purchase of text-
books by competitive bidding, as far as is practicable, and at the
lowest possible price. And provided, that parents or pupils may
purchase their own text-books when they may think proper; and
provided further, that the several hoards of school commissioners
shall furnish annually to the State board of education the title,
the name of the publisher, and the net price paid for each text-
book so purchased; which information shall be set forth in full
in the annual report made by the State board of education.

1896, ch. 135.

60. The said several boards shall authorize the delivery of
text-books to the various public schools under their supervision,
respectively. And shall provide for the issuing, safe keeping,
care and return of the same, under such rules and regulations as
they may severally adopt.

Ibid.

61. The said several boards shall keep an account of all
moneys expended under the provisions of this article, and report
the same in the annual financial accounts as required by law, and
no money so received by them shall ever be used for any other
purpose than for the purchase of school books, as provided by
the two preceding sections.