Report of the Publishing Department
By N. Z. Town
The Ministry of the Press
The story of the advent movement is largely a story of the preparation and circulation of literature wherever the message has been proclaimed. The leaders in this movement have recognized in the ministry of the press not merely an auxiliary to which they could look to supplement their gospel labors, but an evangelizing agency in itself, which often could penetrate farther and deliver a more effective message than they could do in person. After the disappointment in 1844, when the Sabbath truth first came to the Adventists, they at once began to print and publish it, the first treatise on the Sabbath appearing in February, 1845. In November, 1848, Elder James White received the following testimony:— “I have a message for you. You must begin to print a little paper and send it out to the people. Let it be small at first; but as the people read, they will send you means with which to print, and it will be a success from the first. From this small beginning it was shown to me to be like streams of light that went clear round the world.”—“The Great Second Advent Movement,” page 274. At that time, although there were less than one hundred Adventist Sabbath-keepers, all of whom were practically penniless, their faith in the message was strong, and with the assurance that the publishing work would be a success from the first, they soon launched the little paper, a four-page sheet, five inches by seven. From that small beginning, the publishing work has grown and spread until the rays of light that began to shine back there in 1849 are now penetrating even to the darkest portions of the earth. The place that the printing-press has occupied in this movement is indicated by the following statement from Elder O. A. Olsen:— “So far as I know, our literature has pioneered the way into every country where the third angel’s message has gone.” Since the last General Conference each succeeding year has been the best in this department. Especially in the mission fields, encouraging progress has been made. In 1909 we were issuing literature in sixty-five languages. In 1912 this number had grown to seventy-one. In 1909, of the 1,660 colporteurs engaged in the circulation of our literature, 752, or 45%, were outside of the United States. At the close of 1912, out of a total of 2,194, there were 1,243, or 56%, in fields abroad. The total value of literature circulated in this period was $6,425,000, a gain of $2,716,000 over the previous quadrennial period. 1912 was our banner year, the total value of sales reaching $1,836,500. This is an increase in four years of $434,000, an amount greater than the total sales of the denomination in 1902. As this is the jubilee year of the General Conference organization, it may be of interest to take a brief glance at the progress that the publishing work has made during these fifty years. The figures we give represent the sales, first, during the eighteen years from 1845, when the publishing work began, to 1863 when the General Conference was organized, and then for each decade since that time. The figures are as follows:— 1845–1862 ............ $13,500
1863–1872 ............ 56,000
1873–1882 ............ 278,000
1883–1892 ............ 3,350,000
1893–1902 ............ 2,950,000
Total gain for 58 years .. $6,647,500
1903–12 ............... 12,035,500
Grand Total ........... $18,683,000 From these figures we are able to make the following interesting comparisons:— 1. The Last Decade. The value of literature circulated during this decade is,—
a. Nearly double that of the previous fifty-eight years.
b. About four times greater than during the decade known as the “good old times,” from 1883 to 1892.
c. One hundred ninety-six times greater than during the first decade after the organization of the General Conference. 2. The Last Four Years. The amount of literature circulated during the last four years is,—
a. Nearly equal to that circulated during the previous fifty-eight years.
b. More than one third of the total for the sixty-eight years since our work began. While giving a report of the progress of the publishing work in 1874, Elder S. N. Haskell said:— “To obtain a correct view of the remarkable progress of this work, we only need to go back twenty-five years, when the whole edition of our works printed in two weeks was carried to the post-office in a carpet-bag; whereas, now in one week seven cart-loads of reading-matter, allowing thirty bushels to the cart-load, are sent from the office of publication to the different parts of the world. Do you ask for evidence of prosperity? Here it is.” At the present time our publishing house managers are obliged to use a phraseology different from that used by Elder Haskell. Instead of reporting bushels and cart-loads, they tell of tons and car-loads. Some time ago the manager of one of our branch houses wrote as follows:— “Recently we made inquiry of the railroad company as to their car-load rate on books. Finally, with no little amusement, we were told that there was no such rate, and that they never heard of books being shipped in car-load lots. However, the matter was taken up with the State railway commissioner, who granted a car-load rate, and last week we received a car-load shipment. This car contained 80 cases, weighing nearly 13 tons, and yet it lacked 4,380 books of filling our orders. So far as we have been able to ascertain, this is the first car-load of books ever shipped into this State.” This branch house sent the home office at one time a $20,000 check in payment for books. Since the last General Conference, one of our publishing houses has shipped from its factory over 1,400 tons of literature. Another reports a shipment of over 6 tons in one day. This splendid progress has not been confined to North America. The sales of the Australian house during 1912 amounted to $112,000, a gain over 1909 of $37,000. The sales from Hamburg, Germany, during 1912 were $261,000, an increase in four years of $96,000. The British Publishing House has circulated over $413,000 worth of literature during the four years. In 1909 the South American Union Conference sold $4,850 worth of literature. During the next three years their total sales amounted to more than $80,000. Magazines and Periodicals
Our missionary magazines and periodicals are very important factors in our colporteur work. They make up about one third of the total value of literature circulated by our publishing houses. This part of the work is being signally blessed. The two papers published in England had an average monthly circulation during 1912 of over 150,000 copies. “Herold der Wahrheit,” a semimonthly, published in Hamburg, takes the lead among our missionary papers. Its total circulation for the year 1912 was 2,280,000 copies, nearly as many as the total number of all the ten-cent magazines circulated in the United States combined. Its average circulation each issue was over 62,000. In 1911 an advance step was taken in the organization of the magazine work in the United States, combining this work with the book work under the same leaders. This plan has proved successful in Europe since the beginning of their colporteur work, and it is now working well in this country where it has been adopted. In 1912 the magazine sales in North America increased from 1,400,000, in 1909, to 2,300,000. In India three new magazines have recently been started in as many native languages, and their circulation has increased from 3,000 to 20,000 a month. The Chinese paper has grown until it has a circulation of over 60,000 monthly.11 The most inspiring experiences in this department since the last Conference have been in connection with the organization and development of the colporteur work in the mission fields, with experienced leaders in charge. The following is a list of the fields that have been partially manned with leaders in this time:— Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Cuba
India
Japan
Korea
Mexico
Panama
Peru
Philippine Islands
Porto Rico
Spain
South Africa The enthusiastic discussion and passing of the following recommendation at the last General Conference, has formed the basis for the activity and inspiration in this forward move to the mission fields:— “We recommend that we move forward with all possible haste in the work that has been begun of selecting and training general agents and field missionary agents, and of placing them where they are most needed, until all the great fields of the world are manned for the circulation of our literature.” Since 1909 this call in behalf of the regions beyond has been repeated many times to the union and local conferences in the home land by the secretaries of the department. The ready responses have brought cheer to your secretaries, but more especially to the fields where the men have gone. Before the close of 1909, ten experienced young men had responded to the call and had turned their faces to the mission fields. Eight more followed in 1910, and seven each year during 1911 and 1912. Among those sent out who are doing successful work either as managers of mission printing plants or as pioneers and leaders in the field, might be mentioned: W. E. Perrin, C. E. Weaks, Milton Mattison, and Peter Rick and their wives, in India; Charles Lake and his wife, in Japan; H. A. Oberg and Frank Mills, in Korea; G. H. Clark, in Africa; Max Trummer, G. D. Lorenz and his wife, R. B. Stauffer and his wife, William Kirstein and his wife, Otto Schulz, and Henry Tonjes, in South America; John L. Brown and his wife, in old Spain; Floyd Ashbaugh, in the Philippine Islands; J. A. P. Green and W. P. Martin, in Mexico; H. A. Robinson, W. H. Spicer, and the two Shidler brothers, in Cuba. From the following words of cheer received from some of these workers, we get a glimpse of the joy they are experiencing in service in the mission fields. Here is a word from Brother Mattison, of India:— “I cannot express to you how I enjoy the work here. India is my home and my heart is in the work for these people. The work here certainly has attractions which the work in the home land has not. I enjoyed my work at home, but here I enjoy it much more.” After telling of how one of the colporteurs in Spain was unable to deliver his books on account of opposition, and of how he was escorted out of the town in a cart by the police authorities, Brother John L. Brown writes:— “However, in spite of these things, the boys are of good courage. They want to press on till the end. Notwithstanding the difficulties, we see that God is for us, and that no man can stop the good work. While Satan is at work in one part of the country, we attack his forces in another part.” Brother Trummer, in Argentina, says:— “I am so encouraged over our success from the very beginning that I feel like praising the Lord out loud. I believe there is a bright future before the book work here in Argentina and in other South American countries.” The following expression of cheer from Turkey shows that the progress of this work is not dependent upon favorable circumstances. Brother Voigt writes:— “1912 was the most successful year that we have ever had in our canvassing work. It was also the most difficult year that our canvassers have had. Wars and revolutions, epidemics, famines, earthquakes, and difficulties in communication do not serve to make canvassing an easy work. It took all the faith and courage of our canvassers to continue their work. They sold 27,350 piasters’ worth of books and tracts, about 2,000 more than in 1911. On an average each canvasser sold every hour 3½ piasters’ worth. This is much better than in 1911, when each canvasser sold 2 piasters’ worth an hour. Since 1909 our canvassers have sold in the Levant 70,835 piasters’ worth of our books and tracts. Praise the Lord for this, and never cease to pray for our canvassing brethren and sisters.” Brother C. E. Weaks, of India, writes:— “We have much to encourage us in this field. Two years ago the combined circulation of our English and vernacular journals was about 3,000. Prospects are that the combined circulation by this fall will be upward of 20,000. We are glad for what the Lord has done for us, and we want to push on and accomplish far more in the future than we have in the past. Where there is such a mixture of languages, religions, castes, etc., the problems confronting us in organizing this work are tremendous, but the Lord is back of this work and success is assured.” At the time of our last General Conference, Spanish was a new language in our colporteur work. The success of our colporteurs in Spanish-speaking fields since that time has been, in many instances, phenomenal. During these four years the Pacific Press printed 108,000 Spanish books, 92,000 of which were shipped to the fields. From 1909 to 1910 their Spanish business increased from $11,000 to $58,000. Some of the largest reports of orders taken that have ever come to the department office have been received from Spanish-speaking countries. One young man in Uruguay, South America, took $322 worth of orders in one week. Another in Cuba took $311 worth. Others in Mexico have done nearly as well. Recently a man in New Mexico took $415 worth of orders in one week among the Mexicans, and $900 worth in three weeks. Three young men in Cuba each have taken over $90 worth in one day. The workers in these fields have also been able to make very successful deliveries. Best of all, many souls are being brought to the truth among the Spanish-speaking people as a result of the work of the colporteurs. During the past few months Elder G. W. Caviness has baptized eighty persons in Mexico, all of whom accepted the truth principally through the reading-matter supplied to them by the colporteurs. Two companies are also keeping the Sabbath in Cuba as a result of the colporteur work during the past year. Encouraging progress has been made in the translation and preparation of books in the Spanish language. “Home and Health” was completed in 1909, and has already had a sale of over 36,000 copies. “Daniel and the Revelation,” by L. R. Conradi, has been translated and published in Barcelona, Spain, and is being successfully sold. The type is now being set for “Practical Guide,” in Spanish, in Barcelona. The Pacific Press has just finished setting the type for Spanish “Great Controversy.” We feel very grateful for the signal blessing of God that has attended the work among the Spanish-speaking people. During the last four years the Hamburg House has issued one hundred twenty-eight new publications in seventeen languages. Among these was the Gospel of Matthew in the Chasu language, the first portion of the Bible to be published in that language. The missionary printing plant in Constantinople, Turkey, also added four new languages during the year. At the bookmen’s convention held in Mountain View, Cal., in January of this year, the following recommendation was passed:— “We recommend, That steps be taken at once to publish ‘Patriarchs and Prophets’ in Portuguese, Italian, and Polish, and ‘Great Controversy’ in Finnish and Russian, and that as soon as possible subscription books be published in the other predominant foreign languages in the United States and Canada.” Already the Pacific Press is planning with the Brazilian mission field to publish “Patriarchs and Prophets” in Portuguese, and steps are being taken to secure a translation of “Great Controversy” into Russian and of “Coming King” into Italian. Investigation is also being made in regard to the needs of, and the possibilities of book sales among, the Bohemians and Finns in North America. While we feel grateful for what the Lord has enabled us to accomplish, we desire to see even greater things done during the four years upon which we are now entering. In order that this may be done, we would recommend:— 1. Leaders for Needy Fields. That the same policy which has been followed in furnishing leaders for needy fields be continued. It seems impossible for such great fields as China and India to conduct their literature work in an aggressive manner with only the one or two experienced leaders for whom they have modestly been asking. We believe the work in these fields should be strengthened with several strong, experienced men. In Spain, Brother John L. Brown, with only native help, is making an12effort to build up the work. Now that they have published two large subscription books in that field, we believe it would be wise if one or two experienced men, perhaps from Germany or England, could be sent to Spain during the present year to help establish the work in that field. Then there are many fields where there is as yet no representative of this cause. In Latin America, from Mexico to Peru there is not a single colporteur engaged in circulating literature among the Spanish-speaking people. 2. Development of Leaders. In order that men be developed for leaders in the mission fields, we believe that the good work which has been begun in giving instruction to colporteurs in our schools during the year should be strengthened, and that special attention should be given by conference officials to the selecting and training of young men for this branch of the work. 3. Plan of Support for Disabled Colporteurs. Urgent requests have come to the secretary of the department that some plan be devised whereby colporteurs who have given long years of service to this branch of the work may receive financial help when they are disabled. As the present Sustentation Fund does not include colporteurs, we believe that some action should be taken at this Conference to provide such a fund for this class of workers. 4. Cheap Literature for Free Distribution. From time to time our publishing houses have been urged to prepare for free distribution a series of small tracts and leaflets on the cardinal points of our message. We hope that definite steps may be taken at this Conference to print such a series of leaflets. 5. Circulation of Literature by Lay Members. A good beginning has been made in some conferences in enlisting lay members in our churches to circulate our smaller books and periodicals. We sincerely hope that definite plans may be laid for developing and strengthening this branch of the work during the present session of this Conference. 6. Home Missionary Department. That an active campaign in missionary endeavor with our literature may be inaugurated and continued in all our churches, we recommend the organization of a home missionary department, with a live secretary in charge. As we look out upon the fields and see the loyal company of leaders in charge of this branch of the work in the home land; the earnest, enthusiastic band of generals who are organizing and developing the work in other countries; the magazine work being well organized; and above all the spirit of devotion and consecration of the two thousand loyal men and women who are carrying the printed page from door to door throughout the world, we thank God and take courage for the future.