Notes of Progress by E. R. Palmer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Sep 7, 1905

Notes of Progress

By E. R. Palmer

FROM the conservative East, the Atlantic Union Conference, comes the most cheering report of book sales our eyes have chanced to rest upon this week in scanning the State and union conference papers. The Atlantic Union Gleaner reports as follows:— “The value of orders and helps reported this week is $1,176.42. This is the largest weekly report that the Gleaner has ever printed, and it represents thousands of sermons on present truth that will soon be in the homes of the people, and will bear fruit for the coming harvest.”

We greatly rejoice that the work is thus rising in the East; and as step by step our publishing work regains its old-time success, God would be glorified if the East, where the truth began, should lead the way.

The work is also rising on the far Western coast. There is not a large number of workers in California; therefore the book sales may not be so great as they have been at various times in the past, but the agents were never averaging better than now.

The following items, taken from their reports, will be of interest, and will indicate to our readers that books can be sold as successfully as ever:— In three weeks six agents, working 554 hours, took 420 orders, valued at $1,194.90. The next report is for one week,—8 canvassers, 277 hours, 221 orders, value $509.30.

One agent is selling “Heralds of the Morning” in the Napa Valley, the territory lying about the St. Helena church and sanitarium, where some have thought the ground was “burned over” and unworkable. Notice what a splendid all-round report this is: 40 hours, 57 orders, value $90.45. This was the agent’s best week. His record for seven weeks is, 243 hours, 235 orders, value $432.35.

Old agents will recognize these reports as quite equal to the reports during the best days of our canvassing work; and if these old agents who have turned aside to other employment will come back to the field, and bring with them a fine army of recruits possessing an intelligent, unconquerable spirit, we will place our best days before us instead of behind us.

An item from the Workers’ Record informs us that plans are being made for a bookmen’s convention in Kansas City during the month of January. Renewed interest in the book work on the Pacific Coast had its origin primarily in the bookmen’s convention held in Mountain View last winter. Therefore we look forward with hopeful anticipations to the results of such a convention in Kansas City, located in the center of a vast rich territory.

When the leading workers in any one community begin thus far in advance to plan deliberately and intelligently for its book work, success is sure to follow. In fact, we have never been disappointed in the results of earnest effort. No work in the message yields more certain results, or returns more directly in proportion to the effort, than the publishing work.

E. R. Palmer, Secretary Publishing Department.