OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Eonor8bl.e Ian Ahup, Exeoutlve Secretary
State Comettrsicm for the Blind
Imad Offioe Bulldiag
Auatln, Taxae
Dear Sir:
rubJeoth8s been reoelved 4
rFOi6 JOUS l&ter, date
1lnC 18 the
Maahiaas which
this area. We
Imoe loanad these maOhine8
to blind rm
September. 1943, I warn
iiitr Anita Blair mid
ot keeplqg raiti with her
8 rith the COm#irrSlon for
e proper uat 0r tht Talk-
I hid her that under the clruum-
e compelled to tak up the rahine.
t rht uaa .?icG goal& to let WJ
under eny olroumatanaea uu? that
get a lav~er 80 as to prohibit the
Atate Conrml.eslon for the Bltnd from taking the me-
ohinu from !aer. I tried to 1?eeaon ulth her, but to
no avail. 3x0 also aduired me that If it nau neo-
weary, she would take the uetter up vlth her Gag-
rt6taan in Wa8Ur@on.
“After the conversation with Liar Blair, I aon-
tected Hr. Guinn, vho Is county ettorney of Xl !“a#~
Bonor~bla Lon Alwp, m&a 2
Golmby. I rbored him the oontraot sad gave him
-she #aeon that it naa tuoaraary for the depert-
mant to plok up the Tallc~ Book Uaohlnt. Mr.
Quinn called Alar Blair over the telephaaa and ad-
riwd her to let me pSuk up tbe mahlne, but mhe
reru443d aad said that 8he uav going to get a lawyer
to realat her In the matter.
‘The aounty attorney agreed to handle the oaae
ror the Stats Comlrtlon for the BUnA. He advised
me, horever, that it would be neaeraary ior the
4&0&tjrt0 t64ke 4 bCUAd tV%Ot tht 008t Or th0 YObine.
I left the ozigl~l oontraot vCth the couatp at-
torney with the understandirrg that he uould pre-
pare the neae8rary ~peru and have our re eueata-
tlve, Miaa Zheo Nitoball, properly slgin a p”
1 legal
sw=* lI do aot balleve that it is neossa~y tot.
the department to rake a bond in Thor Game.
”. . . .
“In order that you may have aocurate umrma-
tion aa to hou ue lend thera maohines to bU.nd per-
acam or tbls rtate, we lr8 hereto lttaahlng a copy
or our agraemmt rlth tba Library of Coweae,
lfaahl.mgton, D. C., au uell aa oop’~ or the eontraot
or agreement mhiuh this department bar vlth borrmt-
ers of tlwae m4ehinea.
‘Slnct itis evident that IrIiau Blair does not
Lotend to give up or return the ma~hinet~ the State
co6~6i6~mn r08 the BlindODhec ownlnlriative er
at the requwt of the deplCtment, we meet reqwct-
rully rqmt you to rdvtee us ~a to the praper po-
cedure thZe depsrtmenr, muet follow In OFdeWte gb
poa8ssrlon of Telklng Book Hechine Bbdel 10, SerJnl
#o. 3721, fr you dosirs furthor infomeion rrm
thla 6epaFtmat Ln regardnto thle emttor, we ~111
be happy to furaleh eeme.
Weh a ve
enmlned
the r o r omflgreemnt betveen The
Library of Cong;rsss an& St8te Commiuslon for the Blind and tim
Aweement oovarrag the loen of a T8lklng Bsak Raahiae to Anlta
Blair, vhioh were attaohed to yoitr t&tter.
Honorable Lotl Aleup, page 3
Seatlow 2, 3 and 4 or Artlole J207a of Veraon’s
Civil Statutes, provide as follovrt
“sec. 2. The State CtmnIaaI~~for the Blind
ohall meinteln a Duresu of Information, tbx object
of vhlah shell bs to old the blind whose trainfag
ia not othemI*e poolded r0F, in rindbig amp10 -
aunt, IA developing hoas Induatrlea uong the b Tlnd,
urd LA mrketlng tbelr producta. The Comlealo~
ahall IA it8 diaeretIoA rurAlah mt4Fl418, toola
und books for the use as a ADAM IA rehabilltAtirrg
such p%raoar, AA~ It IWIJeatabllab vorkahopa end
aAleerooAe, end ah11 heve authority to we AA~ re-
otlpta oc ea r nla g u that loarue fia the operation
OS iadustria1 aohoola, ulearoaa or vorkahopa as
prwlded in this Chapter, but detelled rtatement
or reeelpts 08 earaIng8 aad axpendlturea ehell be
mado monthly to the Auditor Of the State. Thc~ugh
the eqployoent of teaohera the Comlarion aaj gIre
lnatmetlon to adult blind perroar ln the3.r haeat
provided thee fLt shell not undertake the pmnaeat
support or meinteaaaoe of any blind psraon. The
Colalaalon cay elao register oa8ea OS peraoaa vhoae
eye-aIg2lt is aerloualy defeotlve or who are likely
to beooAe viauelly henblaepped or bllAd, end take
auoh twaawea, in eooperatloA with other authorl-
tiea, as It nay deem advlaeble for the preventloA
or blinWvaa or, cokaaarvatlon or e~ealght, and IA
8pproprIate caaea, for the eduaatioa of children
and for the -oeetlonel guidance oi’ adults having
aeriowly defeotloe right. The Conmlaalon MJ re-
oelve gme, bepu##ta, or devlaea from inblviduela,
aaaociatIona or corporations, and auy expend them
in aacordence vith the provisions of this Act.
“see. 3. The Stete Cowtlualo~ fctr the Blind
wy appol.zat and rix the oompenaation of aa executive
secretory and such other verkdra ae nmybe ntceaaary
to make ametivcf the purpoaes 0r this Aot within
khe approprlatlone provided.
“sec. 4. The CowtlaaIon shall aeke a detailed
report to the Leglelature by Senuary 1st of eaoh
biennium in vhlch It convenes, shoving all approprl.e-
tiontt received and hou the aamt have boen expsaded,
XonoreUe Lan Ahup, p8ge 4
end ooverlng its 8otlvltlee and loooapllghmuntr end
making r6ccuma6ndetlons therein for the further im-
prr;zm$Bt of the oonditlaam of the blind In the
.
There $8 00 8tatute authorizing the State Comlselon
for the Blind to imlntaln a rult in the MW of the State of
Tex88 and there 18 nothing in tbo agreemant bvtveen Tha Library
of Congreea a0 the St8te Com13.88ion for the Blldl glviry or
conveyltq any aatarert in the Ulkiog book uohlne to the State
oi Tau8. The agreement le8ve8 the title urd aontrel of the
t8lkUg book machine in the Library of Cowers. The lw is
~011 rattled tb8t no one has ths right to flls l suit in the
MM of the State of Team wales8 tha St&t@ has an lntareet fn
th e lubjeot sued for 8nd it r0il0va t&t the state aould not bs
held liable for the oourt coat8 and aptmm of ru6h a 8uit.
%I therefore ruggest that TOU requert thv Library of
Crnkgre8e to edvim you in the matter rubnitted hervvlth.
Very truly yours