J. O. Corliss: It is to be greatly regretted that our people should attempt to take what has been termed a "short cut." One brother said that he knew of a case where a brother had sent $500 direct to a mission field, instead of through regular channels. Not only was that money lost sight of in the local conference, but they had no knowledge of it in any of our offices. Such a course is injustice to our foreign fields, because when money is thus sent to the foreign fields, and there is no record of it in the local, union, or General Conferences, that field receives $500, or whatever the amount may be, in addition to the appropriation made by the General Conference.
A. J. Breed: I am in sympathy with the move of sending the money through the regular channels, but there is a little circumstance connected with our work in the Northwest that I would like to relate. Missionaries sometimes write home, and state certain needs, and say that they would like to have some of our brethren go to work and raise a little fund to supply them. I have in mind Brother J. C. Rogers in Africa, who wrote home, and stated that if the brethren felt free, he would like to have some money to supply some windows which were very much needed. The money was raised, and went through the regular channels, and it has never reached him. Another case has arisen where money raised for a certain mission field is held in the hands of the treasurer for fear that it will not reach its destination. That is what we have to meet in the field. If this matter can be straightened out, we would like to have it done.
J. V. Willson (South Africa): I would like to say the appropriation for the windows came through in the regular way, and I myself forwarded it to Brother Rogers from South Africa.
W. A. Spicer: This is just what I expected to hear from South Africa, and, brethren, again and again, as complaints have been made, we have traced them up, and found the money went through. A mistake in bookkeeping may now and then easily occur in handling a half-million dollars a year; but I have never yet gone after a sum but that I would find it somewhere moving on to the field. Now, it takes a little time for money to get through the State treasury and union treasury to the general treasury. As secretary of the Mission Board, I am anxious to have that money go on, and not get stuck anywhere; but for my part, I do not want to do without any of these sub-treasuries. These sub-treasuries make possible a steady volume of funds flowing toward the field. But if every individual undertook to supply a want as he saw it, it would be just like trying to provision an army out in the field by allowing every family at home to send whatever they thought best. It would bring disaster. Our funds are handled by men who are willing to give their lives to render true account for that which they do. I believe our brethren in the fields and in the conferences know that every dollar they give for missions will be handled by men conscientiously. I do not know of anything that frightens me more than to hear people talk about money being interrupted from flowing into the mission fields. Our many workers out in the field must have their money regularly.
Their very lives depend upon it. We could do nothing without a regular system and a regular channel by which the money is to keep going on in a steady flow.
J. N. Anderson (China): Speaking as a representative from the other end—the mission field—and from my own personal experience, I would say that these regular channels constitute the shortest and the safest course to reach those fields. I would like to say, further, that while some of these special calls may be all right, I think that in some cases they might well wait, even if it does take a little longer time to get the funds through the regular channels. In our field, at least, all the work that needs financing is properly attended to by the workers in the field; and if any worker is in special stress, he can always find relief by appealing to the mission management. He does not need to appeal directly to his friends in the home land, as a rule. So I think that the best and safest and shortest way of carrying on work in foreign fields, is to send all remittances through these regular channels. I might say, further, some things about dealing with special interests in foreign fields; but we may have something further on this point later, when there will be opportunity to say more.
J. W. Westphal (South America): As a representative of a mission field, I should not want to be dependent upon these irregular and spasmodic gifts that come direct. I feel that I want to be able to depend upon something that is regular and steady, because without this we can not resist in the mission field.
D. C. Babcock (West Africa): I have not had very much to say in this Conference, but I am much interested in this question before us now. Quite often we receive letters from America, mentioning certain sums of money that have been raised for the work in our field, and invariably I have directed that those individuals forward that money to the Mission Board; and I have never had any reason to believe but that those funds found their proper place. There have been only one or two instances where small amounts have failed to reach us, and I have no doubt but that these will come in due time.
G. F. Haffner: The question I raised has not been answered yet. I will re-state it here: Our German brethren believe in this general principle of sending means through the regular channels, and they are sending in their regular funds through the regular channels,—that is, the mission funds. But the question I raised is concerning little funds that we are raising in behalf of the German work.
The Chairman: I should think that such details as this could be fixed up later.
I. H. Evans: I would like to say just a word, Mr. Chairman, in regard to the regular channels. Now it would be out of the question for us to think that in the handling and transmission of several hundred thousand dollars in a year, from a postage-stamp up to a large donation, that sometime, somewhere, an offering would not be passed on as promptly to a field as the donor could well wish. We would have to grant that, to start with; and I do not suppose there is a conference here, or a union conference, and I am sure not the General Conference, that would wish to argue that every item that has ever entered its treasury, was17passed out of that treasury for the specific purpose for which it was contributed, properly labeled, within a month.
But now, I think, instead of looking at the matter from that standpoint, we ought to take a broader view of the situation, and determine whether the channels that we are operating through, are as good as the ones that are being suggested, or whether they are not.
Now I remember a case of a very severe criticism that came to my notice a little over a year ago. The president of one of our conferences, which had been contributing very liberally, wrote me a letter, and said that he had a letter from a mission field where they were supporting a worker, that the money had not been transmitted. I was greatly surprised, but glad to look it up, and I found that the man who had written the letter to the president of this conference, had not carefully investigated the matter. He had written from memory, and instead of the money not having been sent, it had been invariably sent; and I found seven letters where the office of the foreign field has acknowledged the receipt of the money sent on at different times.
Now sometimes we make careless statements, and those statements convey wrong impressions, and people jump at conclusions.
The finance committee has to-day placed before this audience a budget. It aggregates $200,000, and, as I have said before, you would have to add $150,000 to this, to have the total expense of our general work for this coming year. How is that large appropriation to be met? If every man in the denomination chooses to send his money direct, how is the distribution to be equalized, and each field receive the amount it ought to have, without either a surplus or a deficit? For instance, you say you prefer to send your money direct to China, rather than through the regular channels. To whom are you going to send it? To Brother Anderson? or Dr. Miller? or Brother Westrup? or Brother Allum? or Dr. Selmon? "Why," you would say, "I will send it to those whom I know the best." Very well; supposing we all do that. Now there are men in China whom we have never met, and with whose names we may not be familiar; and some of these have a very small constituency of friends in this country. Who are likely to remit to them? And what would be the consequence? Those poor men, faithful though they may be, would starve for want of means to provide necessary food; while those men who have many friends and sympathizers in the home land, would have a surplus. On the one hand, you would create suffering, poverty, deprivation, and even starvation; on the other hand, you would create waste, extravagance, and independence. I know of individuals who have taken it upon themselves to send money direct to mission fields, and those men who received these funds have become insubordinate to the Mission Board. They declared their independence of the Board, and would not have anything to do with it so far as receiving suggestions; but they demanded their salary right along, to the last dollar, in addition to the money they received through private sources. Now do you think that is the way to finance our work?
The Mission Board wishes to anticipate and to meet every need in the whole world-wide work, for which we are responsible. Every year the committees in our mission fields are instructed, that, before asking for appropriations, they shall carefully calculate all probable expenditures, and try to anticipate their needs for the year to come. Our men stationed in various localities send in a budget to their superintendent, who passes the summary of the needs of his field to the home board. Then the Mission Board meets and makes an appropriation to cover the needs.
Now if an individual, after having had his needs covered by this appropriation from the Board, receives a remittance for some specific purpose, and we have already met it, is it not right for the Mission Board to use that money in reimbursing the treasury, instead of passing the amount on a second time to the one who has already received sufficient money for the work that he is contemplating doing?
So, my friends, about ninety per cent of the criticisms that have been reported to us, when sifted, are found to have no foundation in fact. But that is not saying that sometimes we do not miss the mark.
Why are not all funds transmitted promptly?—I will tell you: If we had all the money needed for these mission fields, these funds would all be sent on, every month. But with an empty treasury, with three hundred men and their families whose living is dependent on our meeting their needs regularly, we have made a rule in our office that we will send, above all things else, enough money to every field in this world, to give our workers a living. When we have done that, then just as soon as we can get together enough cash to cover the amount of these specific donations that have come in, for such things as have not been covered by the appropriations, we forward them on at once.
Brethren, if we do not support our ever-widening mission work through our God-given organization, which has provided for regularly appointed channels through which means shall come in and be passed on to the laborers in the field, what will our poor men do in these foreign lands, where they are not surrounded by friends, and where, if they do not receive their remittances promptly, they face hunger and disease and death? They can not fall back upon their credit, as can many who live in the home land. If you fail of keeping open these divinely appointed agencies for supplying these men with the funds necessary, you will simply drive the missionaries into the grave; you will ruin their health and cause them to lose their lives. Our duty is to stand by these self-sacrificing workers, and send to every man his money every month in the year, if it is possible to get the means. And the Mission Board has been so intent on that thing, that it has borrowed as high as $40,000 in order to have our missionaries receive their monthly installments, and not suffer lack.
By this statement, you will know what I mean when I say that the Mission Board does not always have funds so that it can invariably take these special donations and pass them on to the field within the month; but it seems to me, brethren, that it is the imperative duty of every man in this denomination either to give money, so that these appropriations can be met, or else to tolerate the unfortunate condition that we are sometimes18compelled to place ourselves in, namely, to take a fund that is labeled specifically, and use it temporarily for the support and maintenance of the workers in the field, until such time as we can catch up, and get sufficient funds into the treasury so as to be able to send money on without depriving the workers of the necessaries of life.
A. J. Breed: I just wanted to say that I think if the question I raised brought out this explanation, I am glad I raised it. I think this matter ought to go into the REVIEW, and be read by all our people. I am glad that the situation has been so fully explained by Brother Evans.
Question was called on the substitute for Resolution 43, and the motion carried.
Question was next called on the report. That also carried.
A further report of the committee on plans and finance was read, as follows:—
Further Partial Report of the Committee on Plans and Finance
61. We recommend, That all State conferences and mission fields give thorough attention to the organizing and carrying on of the home tract and missionary work in churches, companies, and by isolated members, and that the home work, thus organized, be made the basis both organically and educationally for the upbuilding of all lines of the publishing work.
62. We recommend, That in the varied lines of our home missionary and publishing work, we recognize a progressive system of education and practical training; beginning with mailing papers, loaning tracts and books, and selling periodicals and forty-per-cent books in the vicinity of the church, and advancing, step by step, to the systematic sale of periodicals in the great cities, and to the sale of regular subscription books; and that all these have as their object the training of workers for all departments of Christian service in the world-wide field.
63. We recommend, That a field missionary secretary be appointed in each local conference to take general supervision of the home tract and missionary and periodical work; that he be assisted energetically by every officer and employee of the conference; and that he devote his entire time to this work where consistent.
64. We recommend, That each conference take full charge of the work of canvassers for periodicals in their respective territories by,—
(a) The selection and training of workers for periodicals.
(b) The assigning of territory.
(c) The adoption of a general reporting system.
Meeting adjourned.
Thirty-Eighth Meeting
June 4, 6 A. M.
L. R. Conradi occupied the chair. Prayer by Elder J. C. Raft, of the Scandinavian Union. W. T. Bartlett was chosen secretary pro tem.
Resolution 45, authorizing the application of five per cent of general funds to General Conference Association and General Conference Corporation indebtedness, was read.
This resolution was carried.
Resolutions 46 and 47 (on Sabbath-school offerings) were read, and carried without discussion.
On motion of H. W. Cottrell, it was voted to defer action on Resolution 48 (paper for the blind) until such time as Brother Miller, editor of The Christian Record, could be present.
Resolutions 49 and 50 (on Missionary Volunteer Department) were read, and carried by vote.
Resolutions 51 and 52 were read and adopted.
The secretary read Resolution 53 (on a series of doctrinal lessons for the youth), and it was adopted.
Resolutions 54 and 55 were read and adopted without discussion.
Resolution 56 (on junior work) was adopted.
A. G. Daniells: I would like to make one word of explanation. Some may not see any reason for having these details regarding the young people's work brought in here. I would call attention to this fact, that as each department has been organized, we have, to a greater or less extent, gone over the ground of the basis of its operation, and taken action upon it in detail. I think you will remember that when the Medical Department was launched four years ago, there was presented a list of recommendations, and we studied the details of the plan of operation. We went into the matter thoroughly, to get before us, and before the whole denomination, the basis of operation. I presume that is why this has been brought before us. The same was done with the publishing work six years ago. This lays the foundation for the general plan of operation, and then as we get experience in our work from year to year, we can adjust this.
Recommendation 57 (on camp-meeting work for youth) was carried.
Resolution 58 (on Foreign Seminary scholarship fund) was read.
A. G. Daniells: I would like to say just a word with reference to this fund and what it means. When the decision was made to change the college into what it is now, we began to put forth efforts to get into this school the persons it was created to help. There are young people all about who volunteer to go to foreign fields. Their hearts turn in that direction. Some of them have not had great educational advantages. Others have finished their work in our academies and colleges. They do not expect to go to school any more.19
Some of these the Mission Board accepts, and advises to come here. They are often without funds. They have strained every point for three or four years, perhaps, to get through the school they have been attending. They are now ready to go abroad, with the exception of a brief specific preparation. Now what shall we do when a candidate has not the money to get the needed preparation? With the tremendous demands from China, Japan, India, and Africa for young people who have accustomed themselves to labor, who have disciplined minds, who give promise of ability to grasp the languages and perfect themselves in their work,—with these demands upon us, I have felt for two years tremendous pressure over this thing, and have urged that something be done to give possible candidates some advantage here in the school to get through quickly, and so pass on to the fields beyond.
I am personally responsible for this scholarship fund, if any blame is to be put on anybody, and I have heard some criticism of it. While I was studying and trying to consider every kind of proposition, the thought came to me: Now these volunteers for missions are young people from schools, principally, and they are going out as young people. Why not get the Missionary Volunteer societies to work for scholarships, or shares in scholarships, to provide a fund to help these young men and young women to get out into the fields?
Some have thought we were raising money to deposit with the Seminary, that they might have a big fund here to help them out. But this fund does not touch the Seminary. We can fill this Seminary full and running over without doing that thing at all. In fact, the Seminary makes a discount for the person having a scholarship. It is no advantage to the Seminary in a financial way, as such, except in this: If the Seminary does just what it is designed to do, gets the persons that the mission field should have, and who are prepared to take this course, it enables us to fill up quickly, and so operate to better advantage; but I want to tell our friends who have schools in other parts of the country, and emphasize it, that this fund is not for the Seminary. Scholarships are assigned by the Missionary Volunteer Society and the General Conference Committee in counsel with the president of the Seminary. This fund is not for the individual who receives it, either. It is for the millions of people in the mission fields calling for young men and young women.
H. M. Hiatt (Kansas): I can answer for our conference, that at first we were asked to raise two scholarships. Later, as a strong conference, we were asked to do more than that. Our conference raised two, and sent in three hundred dollars. Later we agreed to raise another scholarship.
By vote of the Conference, Resolution 58, as amended, was adopted.
Resolution 59, by vote, was adopted.
Resolution 60, by vote, was adopted.
Conference adjourned.
Thirty-Ninth Meeting
June 4, 9:15 A. M.
L. R. Conradi called the meeting to order, but at once requested H. W. Cottrell to take the chair. Prayer was offered by S. N. Haskell.
H. W. Cottrell: I now call attention to Resolution 48, upon which action was deferred until a later meeting, when Brother Miller, editor of the Christian Record, should be present. He is now present.
It was moved to take up the consideration of the resolution, which was read, as follows:—
PAPER FOR THE BLIND
Whereas, There are about 80,000 blind persons in the United States and Canada; and,—
Whereas, There is being published by our people a paper for the blind, known as the Christian Record, at College View, Neb., containing the message of present truth; therefore,—
48. We recommend, That our union and local conferences endeavor in their respective territories to place the Christian Record in the hands of such blind persons as understand the systems used in its publication.
C. N. Miller: We are publishing nearly 2,000 copies of our paper monthly, sending them to the readers of the two systems, American Braille and New York Point, throughout the United States and Canada, and to Great Britain. The magazine comprehends the truth in all its phases.
The present truth must go to the hundreds of these people who are sitting not only in physical darkness, but in spiritual darkness as well. Our magazine is to search out these people. The time is coming when we shall print not only in the American Braille and New York Point, which are used in this country and the Dominion of Canada, but we have received one order from the British Isles for 150 copies in the English Braille.
We are endeavoring to take up also the printing of books, pamphlets, and tracts on present truth. We have a free-circulating library, loaning these books, magazines, and tracts, to blind people in all the world, and having them returned, so that we may loan them to others. The economy of presenting the truth to these people in this manner is at once seen.
The price of this magazine is two dollars a year. The management intends that this magazine shall be definitely devoted to present truth. Each issue of the magazine contains about the same amount of matter as is contained in the new Gospel Sentinel, or eight pages.
I trust this measure will pass with a hearty majority, that these people may become so instructed in different branches of present truth that they can become colaborers with us, and take their places in the great cause of the third angel's message.
Question called, and the resolution was adopted.
H. W. Cottrell: The next in order will be the report of the Young People's Missionary Volunteer Department, by Prof. M. E. Kern, the secretary. [This report was read, but is too long to appear in this issue of the REVIEW.]
At the conclusion of this report, L. R. Conradi, who had resumed the chair, suggested that the Conference take a fifteen-minute recess, before the regular hour for meeting.
The recess was taken.
The Conference gathered at 10:30 A. M., for the resumption of business.
L. R. Conradi: Our first item of business is the report of the committee on distribution of labor.
On motion to adopt, the report was considered item by item, and passed [as printed in the REVIEW last week].
RESOLUTIONS 61 TO 64
The chair called attention to the further partial report of the committee on plans.
On motion, the report was adopted, by voting upon each resolution separately.
Report of Committee on Credentials and Licenses
On call for further reports, J. N. Anderson, secretary, presented the report of the committee on credentials and licenses, which was adopted as follows:—
Your committee on credentials and licenses recommend,—
1. That the granting of credentials and licenses for the Levant field and the East African missions be referred to the quorum of the General Conference Ex-20ecutive Committee in Europe, having supervision of the work in these fields.
2. That we authorize the advisory committee of other General Conference mission fields, where such committees are appointed, to grant annually ministerial licenses and missionary licenses to such locally appointed and native workers as, in the judgment of the advisory committee, should receive licenses.
3. That the following-named persons receive ministerial credentials from the General Conference:—
GENERAL
G. I. Butler, G. M. Brown, W. A. Colcord, L. R. Conradi, A. G. Daniells, I. H. Evans, F. Griggs, S. N. Haskell, G. A. Irwin, M. E. Kern, D. H. Kress, J. N. Loughborough, E. R. Palmer, W. W. Prescott, K. C. Russell, H. R. Salisbury, W. A. Spicer, G. B. Thompson, Mrs. E. G. White, W. C. White, F. M. Wilcox, O. A. Olsen, W. T. Knox.
WEST AFRICA
D. C. Babcock.
CHINA
J. N. Anderson, J. J. Westrup, A. C. Selmon, H. W. Miller, W. C. Hankins, R. F. Cottrell, B. L. Anderson, Nga Pit Keh, E. H. Wilbur, F. A. Allum.
HAWAII
C. D. M. Williams.
INDIA
J. L. Shaw, W. W. Miller, G. K. Owen, H. H. Votaw, G. F. Enoch, J. S. James, J. C. Little.
JAPAN
F. W. Field, T. H. Okahira, H. Kuniya, W. D. Burden.
KOREA
C. L. Butterfield, W. R. Smith.
MEXICO
G. W. Reaser, G. W. Caviness.
4. That the following-named persons receive ministerial license from the General Conference:—
GENERAL
T. E. Bowen, C. C. Crisler, Guy Dail, Mrs. H. H. Haskell, C. H. Hayton, W. A. Ruble, C. M. Snow, H. N. Sisco.
WEST AFRICA
T. M. French.
CHINA
J. P. Anderson, P. J. Laird.
INDIA
R. A. Beckner, L. J. Burgess, R. R. Cook, H. C. Menkel.
JAPAN
H. F. Benson, W. L. Foster, W. C. Dunscombe.
KOREA
Dr. R. Russell.
MEXICO
J. F. Blunt.
5. That the following-named persons receive missionary license from the General Conference:—
GENERAL
Matilda Erickson, Sara MacEnterfer, Mrs. L. F. Plummer, H. E. Rogers, Dr. Patience Sisco, Dr. Lauretta Kress.
WEST AFRICA
Mrs. Mina Babcock, Mrs. T. M. French.
HAWAII
Mrs. Lena E. Williams.
CHINA
Dr. Law Keem, Mrs. Edith M. Keem, Mrs. Bertha L. Selmon, Mrs. Susan H. Wilbur, Mrs. Emma T. Anderson, Ida E. Thompson, Amanda Vanscoy, Mrs. Huldah J. Westrup, Mrs. Bessie Hankins, Mrs. B. L. Anderson, Mrs. Eva Allum, Dr. Emma Perrine-Laird, Mrs. Myrtie B. Cottrell, Pauline Schilberg, Mrs. Marie E. Miller, Mrs. Bothilda Miller, B. A. Roberts, Mrs. Louise H. Roberts, H. H. Winslow, Mrs. Mary H. Winslow.
INDIA
Mrs. Bessie Shaw, Anna Orr, Mrs. J. C. Little, Mrs. Caroline Votaw, Della Burroway, Mrs. Georgia A. Burgess, Mrs. Lucy B. Cook, Mrs. Minnie James, Bertha J. King, Edythe Ayers, M. Belle Shryock, W. E. Perrin, R. H. Leach, Mrs. M. B. Leach, Bertha Kurtz, Mrs. M. M. Quantock, Mrs. H. C. Menkel, Dr. Ollie Oberholtzer, Dr. Ruth Miller, Mrs. Thekla Black-Mackey, D. Ella Smith, Mrs. Edith E. Bruce, Miss A. Boardman, Bertha Fuller, Louise Scholz, May Brunson.
JAPAN
Mrs. W. D. Burden, Mrs. Effie W. Field, John Herboltzheimer, Mrs. J. Herboltzheimer, Mrs. Helen Benson, Mrs. Walter Foster, Mrs. Hattie Duncombe.
KOREA
Mimi Scharffenberg, May Scott, Mrs. W. R. Smith, Mrs. C. L. Butterfield, Mrs. R. Russell.
MEXICO
Mrs. G. W. Caviness, Mrs. A. F. Burges, Dr. A. Allen John, Dr. J. W. Erkenbeck, Dr. Geo. R. G. Myers, Dr. W. S. Swayze, Dr. U. C. Fattebert, Mrs. Bertha E. Reaser, J. A. P. Green, Juan Robles, Dr. Alice M. Swayze.
6. That all further issue of papers to persons connected with the General Conference be referred to the General Conference Committee.
Report From Committee on Plans and Finance
G. Dail presented the following further partial report from the committee on plans and finance:—
REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRANCE TO MEDICAL MISSIONARY CLASSES
65. We recommend, The adoption of the following requirements for entrance to medical missionary classes:—
(1) An earnest Christian character and a fixed purpose to devote the life to gospel medical missionary and evangelistic work.
(2) Sound health and physical development.
(3) Common school education, i. e., arithmetic, geography, grammar, reading, writing, elementary physics, elementary physiology, and Bible.
(4) Applicants should not be under twenty or over thirty years of age.
(5) The application should be accompanied by written recommendation of a Seventh-day Adventist school or of a union or State conference committee, also medical certificate as to condition of health.
(6) No one is to be received into the school whose purpose is to obtain a merely professional training.
SPECIAL COURSE FOR MISSIONARIES
66. We recommend, The following special course for missionaries:—
HOURS
Physiology ... 36
General nursing ... 36
Hydrotherapy (practical) ... 24
Bible ... 36
History of missions ... 18
History of the advent movement ... 18
Physical culture ... 36
Cooking ... 24
Surgical nursing ... 12
Hydrotherapy (theoretical) ... 24
General diseases ... 36
Nursing (practical) ... 18
Hygiene ... 36
Tropical diseases ... 12
Accidents and emergencies ... 18
Bandaging ... 12
Children's diseases ... 12
SANITARIUM FINANCE
Whereas, We recognize that our sanitariums are institutions for educating missionaries; and,—
Whereas, These institutions are greatly hampered in their work by debt; therefore,—
67. Resolved, That we make, during the coming quadrennium, a special effort to free these institutions from debt,—
(1) By their respective boards, faculties, and workers diminishing the indebtedness of the institutions,—
(a) Through the earnings of the institutions.
(b) By reducing the running expenses.
(c) By the sale of Ministry of Healing.
(d) By securing donations.
(e) By conferences owning institutions appropriating annually for such purpose an amount equal to the sum so secured by the sanitariums to the amount of $2,500 yearly.
68. We recommend, That a fund be raised by encouraging our people to pay regularly a certain percentage of their income for this purpose.
TRAINING OF SANITARIUM WORKERS
Whereas, There is great need of well-qualified workers in all our institutions; therefore,—
69. Resolved, That we encourage our sanitariums to give attention to educating business managers, matrons, cooks, and other responsible workers.
The chairman next called upon Elder C. D. M. Williams, of Honolulu, who presented a report of the work in the Hawaiian Islands. [This report must be omitted from this issue for lack of space.]
The Chairman: A legal meeting has been appointed for this time, so a motion to take a recess is in order.
Upon motion of H. R. Salisbury, duly seconded, the Conference voted to take a recess, during which time the Washington (D. C.) Sanitarium Association had its legal meeting.
After the legal meeting, Conference resumed.
L. R. Conradi: We will again take up regular business and call for the report of Brother Santee, president of the Southwestern Union Conference. Elder Santee presented the same. [Like other reports, this must be printed later.]
Meeting adjourned.
Fortieth Meeting
June 4, 3 P. M.
L. R. Conradi in the chair.
Elder W. B. White led in prayer, and was called by L. R. Conradi to the chair. Interesting reports of the work in the West Indies were given by the delegates from that field.
Partial Report of the Committee on Plans and Finance
G. Dail, secretary, presented the following further partial report from the committee on plans and finance:—
OUR CHURCH HYMN-BOOK
Whereas, Our standard book, "Hymns and Tunes," is rapidly going out of use among our people, so that there is danger of its being wholly discarded; and,—
Whereas, The disuse of the old advent hymns contained therein is a distinct loss in our worship, and to the advent message; therefore,—
70. We recommend, That the General Conference Committee appoint a competent revision committee, whose duty it shall be to thoroughly revise the book, "Hymns and Tunes," by discarding those portions of it which experience has shown to be least meritorious, and by inserting other choice hymns and tunes, that the book may continue to contribute its share in deepening the spiritual experiences of our people.
ACQUIRING THE FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Whereas, The Bible teaches, and missionary experience everywhere demonstrates, that the gospel most quickly and effectively reaches the various nationalities of earth if carried to them in their own tongues; therefore,—
71. Resolved, That we encourage our workers to make every possible effort to acquire the language of the people among whom they are called to labor.
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS FOR MISSIONARY CANDIDATES
Owing to the heavy transportation expenses incurred in forwarding missionaries to distant foreign fields, and because of the hardship incident to mission work,—
72. Resolved, That we instruct the Mission Board to require a certificate of health, signed by a competent physician, from each person who is accepted for appointment to a foreign field.
FOREIGN PEOPLES IN AMERICA
Whereas, There are in North America people of many foreign nationalities who speak the language of their native land, and for whom little or no special effort has been put forth by our workers; therefore,—
73. We recommend, That an earnest effort be made by our local and union conferences to evangelize our foreign population, by training and encouraging laborers speaking these languages to labor among their own people, and by the preparation and circulation of suitable literature on present truth among these peoples.
FOREIGN SEMINARY MANAGEMENT
Whereas, By vote of its constituency, in a meeting held June 3, 1909, the Washington Training College invited the General Conference to take title to its property, known as the Foreign Mission Seminary, and to assume the management of said institution; therefore,—
74. Resolved, (a) That the General Conference does not deem it advisable to take title to denominational institutions in our regularly organized territory; and,—
(b) That we advise the Executive Committee of the General Conference to have an equal fostering care over all denominational institutions controlled by our organized bodies, and that it do not assume the financial responsibility or the local management of the same.21
SELF-SUPPORTING SCHOOLS IN THE SOUTH
Whereas, The Southland of the United States and the mission fields offer many opportunities for self-supporting school work; and,—
Whereas, Not a few of our people are planning to undertake this line of work; and,—
Whereas, A close, friendly relationship should exist between the organized work of the denomination and these self-supporting schools; therefore,—
75. We recommend,—
(a) That the educational departments of our organized work, where these schools are located, provide for their representation in the conference educational departments.
(b) That the educational departments assist in the selection of those who shall be encouraged to enter this line of work.
(c) That indorsement be given to those selected, who need financial assistance, that those from whom funds are solicited may know whom to assist.
(d) That the organized work assist in locating said schools, and advise in the expenditure of funds secured by donations from our people.
(e) That the closest bonds of sympathy and co-operation be maintained between these self-supporting schools and our organized work.
(f) That the educational departments be encouraged to so co-operate with these self-supporting schools that the utmost possible help may be rendered, and the best results accomplished.
76. We further recommend, That our stronger conferences search out and encourage suitable persons to undertake this self-supporting work, and that the workers thus selected be encouraged to pursue a course of instruction at the Nashville Normal and Agricultural Institute.
SCHOOLS FOR CHILDREN OF MISSIONARIES
Whereas, The children of our foreign missionaries, in many fields, do not have the advantages of an education, unless they are returned to their home lands, or placed in schools not of our faith; and,—
Whereas, This situation demands the sympathy and active co-operation of all believers in the home lands; therefore,—
77. Resolved, That in heathen mission fields, where the number of foreign workers makes it necessary, Christian boarding-schools, providing the first twelve grades of work, be established by the General Conference; that such schools be conducted in harmony with the educational policy of the denomination; and that suitable charges be made to all students.
GERMAN SCHOOLS IN AMERICA
Realizing the great importance of educating our youth, and seeing the absence of system and co-operation among our denominational schools in which German is taught, and recognizing the urgent need that the General Conference lay plans for the betterment of this condition,—