p. 29 | Notes of Progress

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 17, 1908

Notes of Progress

ELDER O. E. DAVIS, of British Guiana, speaks encouragingly of the book work in his field as follows: “Our canvassing work thus far has surpassed my most sanguine expectations. We have nearly reached in six months the entire sum of books sold for the whole year of 1907, and we have thus far had the rainy end of the season.”

From Kansas comes the good report that they expect to have fifty agents in the field this fall and winter, and before the close of the year it is believed every home in Kansas will have had an opportunity to hear the glad news of the soon-coming Saviour. While this large force in one State is exceptional, it is typical of the awakening of all our workers to the fact that the fall and winter months offer exceptional opportunities for the circulation of our subscription books.

The Review and Herald reports shipments of books from its main office for the month of August averaging almost a ton a day. This is in addition to the fifty thousand periodicals sent out weekly from this office. The bindery now has orders for eighty thousand books of all kinds in hand, and the employees are working until nine o’clock, four nights in the week to keep up with the demand.

Reports from many fields show that our workers, who have been laboring this summer taking orders for future delivery, are now having most excellent success in their deliveries. In fact, deliveries of one hundred per cent in many cases are the rule. Others are delivering quite a few more books than they took orders for. The same One who aids in sowing the seed has also a care for the harvest.

Reports from the North Pacific Union Conference indicate that the brethren there are planning to press the sale of our books more vigorously than ever before this fall and winter. Arrangements have been made for three institutes to be held at central places, where prospective workers can gain the training necessary for success, and the prospects are reported as good for a large attendance at these canvassers’ schools.

The sales for the month of July, 1907, in the Atlantic Union Conference, showed a total of $5,353.56. For the same territory (omitting Ohio, as that conference was a part of the Lake Union Conference in 1907), the July summary, 1908, shows a total of $16,122.95—a gain of $10,769.39, or a little over two hundred per cent. This is one of the most remarkable instances we have had this year of the tremendous advance made in the sale of our subscription books.

Notwithstanding the droughts, the terrible storms, such as cyclones and tornadoes; notwithstanding the industrial and financial depression which still exists almost everywhere, our workers never had such success in taking orders and delivering to customers. Persons who, at the time our canvassers visit them, decide they do not care to order a copy of the work exhibited, change their minds before the time of delivery. Reports from those of our workers who are delivering, indicate that many deliveries are running above the one-hundred-per-cent mark, while almost without exception the returns are highly gratifying. For instance, the report from a small Eastern conference shows orders taken in a limited time to have been $984.50; while the deliveries of these orders brought in $973.50 in cash. Thus almost ninety-nine per cent of the orders taken were delivered, and this, too, in a conference which some would not call good territory. This is another demonstration of the fact that with the Lord on our side, success is bound to attend our efforts.