Annual Meeting of the Pacific Press Publishing Association
By H. G. CHILDS
The eighth annual meeting of the Pacific Press Publishing Association was held, according to appointment, at the office of the association, at Mountain View, Cal., Jan. 22, 1912. There was a good attendance of the constituency. After the usual preliminary exercises, the president presented his annual address, calling special attention to the marked care of our Heavenly Father over the institution and its employees, and setting forth the object of the association, and the God-given principles for which it stands. The treasurer's report showed that the volume of business for the year ending Dec. 31, 1911, amounted to nearly $400,000, and that the interest-bearing debt had been greatly reduced. At the present time the assets, including real estate, plant, equipment, and supplies at Mountain View, Cal.; Kansas City, Mo.; Portland, Oregon; and Calgary, Alberta, Canada, amount to $296,903.67; the liabilities to $155,426.40; leaving the present worth of the association on Jan. 1, 1912, $141,477.27. Reports show that since the reorganization of the association almost $16,000 has been raised, through appeals issued in the papers published by the association, as donations to mission fields. In addition to the above, $9,344.33 has been donated direct, or set aside by the association, for mission interests. The association has recently purchased a lot and erected an office and warehouse in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and has also purchased a lot in Kansas City, Mo., on which they have decided to erect a new office building. The general manager, C. H. Jones, gave a detailed report of the workings of the association for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 1911, from which we quote the following:— “My report could be summed up in the brief statement that the past year has been not only one of the most prosperous, but the most prosperous year in the history of the institution, as to both volume of business and financial gain. Therefore we have every reason to be devoutly grateful to our Heavenly Father for his prospering hand that has been with us, and we trust that this evidence of his love may lead us to renewed consecration to his service. “Not only has faithful work been done to increase the volume of business, but earnest and continued efforts have been put forth to economize and reduce the cost of production. The year 1910 was the banner year up to that date, the volume of business amounting to $388,000. But this year (1911) runs over $397,000, a gain in the volume of business of over $9,000, and all, too, on denominational work exclusively. Not one job of commercial printing has been taken into the office since the fire which destroyed our factory five years ago. “Over fifty car-loads of paper, binding material, etc., were used in the printing and manufacture of books, tracts, and periodicals last year, averaging more than one car-load a week, and costing $68,764. This exceeds the amount purchased during 1910 by nearly $13,000. “During the year all bills were paid promptly, thus strengthening our credit, and saving over $1,000 in cash discounts. “Ever since the fire in 1906, the book department has shown a steady gain in volume of business, and this year it amounts to $285,000, including the sales at our branch offices. “We attribute this steady gain to more thorough organization, a better corps of trained workers, and a higher standard of attainment. The canvassing work is no longer looked down upon and discredited, but has come to be considered one of the highest and most important callings a person can engage in. “During the year, 154 tons of bound books and tracts were shipped out to various parts of the field from our office here in Mountain View. “In harmony with the recommendation of the General Conference, we have now turned over all our retail business to the tract societies, and the Pacific Press acts simply as a wholesale house. In this we go so far as to credit the tract societies at the close of each month with all cash orders that may have been received by us from their respective territories. “Fifty numbers of the Signs of the Times weekly were printed during the year, with an average circulation (exclusive of the Harvest Ingathering number) of 21,414, or a total of 1,070,700. This shows an increase over 1910 of 184,825 copies. “Ingathering Missions ‘Signs’
“Five hundred fifty thousand copies of the Harvest Ingathering number of the Signs of the Times weekly were printed, and nearly all have been sent out on orders from the various conferences. These were printed for the General Conference at cost, and are not included in the figures above given concerning the regular weekly numbers. “In addition to the editing and printing of this Missions number, much of the promotion work was carried on by our periodical department, thus adding materially to the work in that department. “The average circulation of the Signs of the Times Monthly was 31,768 copies, or a total circulation for the twelve months of 381,216, a gain of 42,133 copies over 1910. “We are aware of the fact that all satisfactory growth, prosperity, and success center in spiritual things, and we are glad to be able to report that nearly all connected with the office are earnest, devoted Christians. During the week of prayer special services were held in the various departments, and it was a season of great spiritual revival, every person expressing himself as desiring to renew his consecration to God or to give his heart to him. “The office was closed one day during the Harvest Ingathering campaign, and nearly all the employees went out to solicit funds, and many reported rich experiences.” Resolutions were adopted with a view to enlarging and greatly extending the work during the coming year. The articles of incorporation and by-laws were amended to provide for a board of seven directors, with an additional advisory board of nine members, the personnel of which is as follows:— H. W. Cottrell; C. H. Jones; H. G. Childs; M. C. Wilcox; H. H. Hall; A. O. Tait; B. M. Shull; G. A. Irwin, president Pacific Union Conference; R. A. Underwood, president Northern Union Conference; E. T. Russell, president Central Union Conference; C. W. Flaiz, president North Pacific Union Conference; H. S. Shaw, president Canadian Union Conference; E. E. Andross, president Southern California Conference; E. W. Farnsworth, president California Conference; C. L. Taggart, president Northern California-Nevada Conference; J. H. Behrens, president Central California Conference. The following organization was effected at the first meeting of the newly elected board of directors: President, H. W. Cottrell; vice-president and general manager, C. H. Jones; secretary and treasurer, H. G. Childs; auditor, J. J. Ireland; manager book department, H. H. Hall; manager periodical department, G. C. Hoskin; manager Kansas City Branch, Jas. Cochran; manager Portland Branch, J. F. Beatty; manager Canadian Branch, W. V. Sample; editor Signs of the Times weekly, M. C. Wilcox; associate editors, A. O. Tait, L. A. Reed; editor Signs of the Times magazine, L. A. Reed; associate editors, M. C. Wilcox, A. O. Tait; editor Our Little Friend, Miss K. B. Wilcox; associate editor, Mrs. Vesta J. Farnsworth. Publishing committee: H. H. Hall, M. C. Wilcox, H. W. Cottrell, E. W. Farnsworth, A. O. Tait, L. A. Reed, C. H. Jones, J. O. Corliss, H. G. Childs, J. R. Ferren, F. H. Gage, G. C. Hoskin.