The Summary by A. J. S. B.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 22, 1910

The Summary

By A. J. S. B.

APPEARANCES are sometimes deceiving. While there is a heavy drop in this report, yet on the whole we find that this summer’s campaign, during May, June, July, and August, has resulted in the sale of 743,279 magazines, or 140,635 more than were sold during last summer’s campaign,—June, July, August, and September,—the total sales for these months being 502,644. Again, the sales for the last three months of this year’s campaign—June, July, and August—amounted to 568,393 copies, or only 34,251 less than the number sold during last year’s entire campaign of four months. All of which tends to show that our magazine agents are becoming more rapid and expert in their work as the months roll by. In other words, college scholarships are now being earned in a much shorter time than they were a year or two ago. In fact, it is quite common now for an energetic magazine agent to secure a year’s scholarship in from two to four weeks.

THROUGH an oversight on the part of the typesetters, the necessary corrections were not made in our July summary (Review of August 25, page 19), as requested by the manager of the Review and Herald periodical department. The correct figures, however, appear in the present summary. See Temperance Instructor column in months of March, April, May, June, and July. As requested before, please destroy all previous comparative summaries, using only the one accompanying this report.

THE after-vacation drop in magazine sales was not so heavy this year as last. For September, 1909, the sales were 72,103 less than the previous month. The August, 1910, sales are 69,626 less than last month, showing a drop of 2,477 less copies than at the corresponding period of last year.

THE student agents have evidently earned their scholarships in less time than last year; hence the heavy drop in magazine sales occurs one month sooner than last year. A break in the work of two of our best union conference missionary secretaries has also had its effect upon the sales.

DURING the past six months the entire edition of 210,000 copies of the Temperance number of the Youth’s Instructor has been sold. The publishers inform us that no orders for this magazine can be filled until the next new number appears. The next issue, we are sure, will eclipse all previous editions, excellent as they have been.

IN the present summary, we have reported, by conferences, only the sales made by our magazine agents. The mailing lists for all the States are condensed into one item at the close of the report. While this plan does not show the total number of copies of the magazines circulated in each conference through the mails, it does enable our conference leaders and magazine workers to ascertain exactly how many copies are being sold each month by the agents.

THE union conferences showing the largest number of magazines sold during the month of August are as follows: (1) Lake Union Conference, 23,399; (2) Atlantic Union Conference, 20,434; (3) Columbia Union Conference, 15,888; (4) Central Union Conference, 13,119; (5) Northern Union Conference, 10,150; (6) Pacific Union Conference, 8,176; (7) North Pacific Union Conference, 7,278; (8) Southeastern Union Conference, 5,473; (9) Southwestern Union Conference, 5,314; (10) Southern Union Conference, 5,301; (11) Western Canadian Union Conference, 3,669; (12) Canadian Union Conference, 1,221. A. J. S. B.