Dedication of the Kansas City Branch of the Pacific Press Publishing Association
By C. H. JONES
THE dedicatory exercises of the Kansas City Branch of the Pacific Press Publishing Association were held in the Seventh-day Adventist church, and at the branch office, 1224 Euclid Ave., Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 9, 1912.
The office was thrown open for inspection and the reception of visitors, from 3 to 7 P. M. Invitations had been sent out to leading brethren in the Central and Northern Union Conferences (the territory in which this branch operates), also to near-by churches, and there was an unbroken line coming and going all the afternoon. Two or three hundred must have visited the office.
The dedicatory services proper were held in the Seventh-day Adventist church, just two blocks from the office. Brother S. N. Curtiss, the manager, acted as chairman, and in his opening remarks called attention to the difficulties encountered in establishing this branch nineteen years ago, and the wonderful changes that had taken place since that time. Brother Curtiss was the one whom the board had selected to find a location for this branch, and to act as its first manager.
Following his remarks, the writer gave a brief history of the Pacific Press from its incorporation in 1875 down to the present time. It was shown that from a very small beginning the office has grown to be one of the largest and most complete printing and publishing houses west of Chicago. The volume of business has been constantly increasing, until last year it amounted to nearly half a million dollars.
Three branches are now operated by this association, one at Kansas City, Mo., one at Portland, Oregon, and one at Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and at each one of these places we own our office building and warehouse, thus giving stability to the work as well as being much more convenient and satisfactory.
PACIFIC PRESS BRANCH OFFICE
Elder E. E. Farnsworth, president of the North Missouri Conference, gave a very stirring and impressive address on the importance of the publishing work and our relation to it.
Following this Brother C. G. Bellah, union missionary agent for the Central Union Conference, told of the progress of the work in that union, giving a comparative statement of sales.
Brother F. E. Painter, union missionary agent of the Northern Union Conference, spoke of the progress of the work in that union, and showed that during the first eight months of this year the sales amounted to over $8,000 more than the sales for the entire year of 1911. This is certainly a very encouraging report.
Brother James Cochran spoke of the sales of the Kansas City Branch, cost of the new building, etc., giving the following statistics:—
Sales of the Branch Since Established
1893 to 1903
$450,000.00
1903 to 1912
710,193.41
Total
$1,160,193.41
The new building is of brick, thirty-five feet wide and seventy feet long, one story, with a good basement. It is light and airy, and a credit to the denomination.
Elder W. A. Hennig offered the dedicatory prayer, setting apart this building to the purpose for which it is intended.
After the close of the meeting, the office was again opened, and a large number availed themselves of the privilege of inspecting the new building. We kept open house until nearly 11 P. M.
This new building marks another step in the development of our rapidly growing work, and we feel profoundly grateful for the hearty cooperation of our people, which has made it possible to take this advance step.
