Autumn Council of the General Conference Committee
By W. A. Spicer
THE regular autumn council of the General Conference Committee was called in the offices of the General Conference, Takoma Park, D. C., October 25. The following members were present:— I. H. Evans, W. T. Knox, O. A. Olsen, R. A. Underwood, E. E. Andross, G. B. Thompson, E. R. Palmer, O. Montgomery, B. G. Wilkinson, Chas. Thompson, C. H. Jones, M. N. Campbell, W. W. Prescott, R. D. Quinn, S. E. Wight, F. Griggs, A. J. Haysmer, N. Z. Town, G. F. Watson, Dr. H. W. Miller, M. E. Kern, J. L. Shaw, L. H. Christian, C. W. Flaiz, H. S. Shaw, Mrs. L. F. Plummer, W. C. White, Dr. W. A. Ruble, C. S. Longacre, W. A. Spicer. I. H. Evans, vice president of the General Conference, called the meeting to order. He referred to the absence of the president, Elder A. G. Daniells, in Australia. On account of the interruption of sailing arrangements in the Far East, one of the proposed institutes that Elder Daniells was to attend, that in Shanghai, China, had been postponed. According to the latest information, Elder Daniells was planning to sail early in November from western Australia, to attend the biennial meeting in India. Elder L. R. Conradi, president of the European Division, had expected to be present at this autumn council, but was held in Europe by the pressure of the unusual situation there. Elder A. J. Haysmer, of the West Indian Union, was present as the one member from outside the North American Division. Auditors and Publishing House Managers
Taking advantage of the time of the autumn council, the union conference auditors had been called in convention, in order to join in planning for perfecting the accounting and reporting systems of the denomination. Publishing house managers had also gathered, representing houses in this country. These brethren, together with departmental secretaries, were invited to meet with the committee in council. The following were present:— H. G. Childs, H. H. Hall, W. H. Williams, S. N. Curtiss, W. L. Burgan, H. H. Cobban, C. L. Benson, W. E. Howell, F. W. Paap, M. MacGuire, L. W. Graham, E. L. Richmond, J. W. Mace, F. M. Wilcox, Claude Conard, W. H. Edwards, A. N. Anderson, J. J. Ireland, G. G. Roth, T. D. Gibson, A. H. Brigham, S. J. Lashier, I. A. Ford, C. L. Kilgore, Miss E. Graham, W. J. Hoffman, R. T. Dowsett, C. E. Smith, W. A. Harvey, G. H. Curtis, C. B. Stevenson, L. A. Hansen, T. E. Bowen, C. C. Lewis, W. W. Eastman, R. L. Pierce, C. Sorenson, S. Mortenson, V. O. Cole, S. E. McNeill, F. C. Gilbert. It was agreed that the program of the council, which meets in connection with the North American Division Council, should be as follows:— General Conference Committee sessions, 9 A. M. to 12; Division Conference Committee sessions, 2:30 to 5:30 P. M. Evenings for committee work or for sessions, as may be needed. The treasurer of the General Conference, Elder W. T. Knox, presented the financial report of the General Conference for the year 1913. Here we can only give the totals shown by the report, as follows:— Income for 1913, $586,977.11. Expenses for 1913, $550,375.90. Income over expenses, $36,601.21. The treasurer also presented a partial report for 1914, showing the operating account of the General Conference for the current year, up to October 18. The totals are as follows:— Income to date, $281,613.25. Expenses to date, $347,178.59. Expenses in excess of revenue, $65,565.34. Cash on hand available for operating, $92,750.48. The treasurer presented a report of the operation of the sustentation fund for the nine months of 1914, as follows:— Receipts for nine months, $56,368. Disbursements, $57,662. Excess of disbursements, $1,294. The council took up the consideration of the mission field calls and the General Conference appropriations for 1915. The treasurer stated that the mission fields had made their calls for next year on a very conservative basis. At the outbreak of the war in Europe it was recognized that emergencies might readily arise in many of the fields, and that very considerable help might have to be rendered to the European Division Conference in caring for its mission fields in Africa and Asia, as well as in giving aid in the various countries directly involved in the conflict. Owing to these considerations, the calls from all our mission fields were based practically on the work as it stands, without providing for launching new enterprises. Our brethren in the mission fields have most loyally cooperated in this year of stress, and though all of them might well have urged provision for enlargements, the effort has been to hold back until times are a little more settled. The following figures show the basis of the calls:— Appropriations for 1914, $491,923. The calls for 1915, $502,756. This shows that the total increase of calls was but about $10,000. The council, according to its custom, went into the estimates field by field. Various items were cut from some of the calls, while in other cases, items were added. Because of the new missionaries sent out since the fields made up their budgets, the sum total, when worked out, will doubtless be found somewhat increased over the $502,756. The specific field appropriations cannot be made up until the council closes and new work is figured in. Possibly a few notes on the study of the appropriations will be of interest to the reader in illustrating the manner in which these matters are dealt with in council:— Asiatic Division: $3,000 cut out from the estimate, the same being asked for purchase of land and erection of headquarters for the Central China Mission in Hankow, the Chicago of China. In harmony with the plan not to authorize building operations this year, the field was asked to postpone this enterprise. It was possible to reduce the estimate also by the expense of a furlough for Elder R. F. Cottrell and wife, whose furlough time was due next year, but who have, on account of the pressure this year, volunteered to remain for another year and a half before taking their needed change from tropical China. It was also found possible to advise a very slight reduction in the Malaysia Mission appropriation.11 Hawaiian Mission: The calls were reduced by asking the Hawaiian Mission to postpone for a time the plan for a much-needed alteration in the Hawaiian Mission building, to provide more room for the work. A thousand dollars was saved on this item by the postponement. Cuban Mission: The estimate of the Cuban Mission was increased by the addition of the salary of Elder H. C. Goodrich, who has been transferred to that field from Panama. Haiti: The budget for Haiti was increased by an appropriation to cover the salary of Brother E. A. Curdy, who has been added to the field in order to assist Elder A. F. Prieger, and to allow Brother and Sister Prieger to take a much-needed furlough, both being serious sufferers with the malaria. India Union Mission: Calls for new missions were deferred, but new workers having entered the field during the last year and other recruits being already on the journey, the committee voted an increase for the India Union Mission over last year's call. South Africa: $2,528 was added to the South African estimate, to provide for enlargements that could not be deferred. This means, however, cutting out a supplementary call from Northwest Rhodesia for the opening of a new mission field called Lusahas. In sending in the call for funds for projecting this new station beyond the Zambezi, the South African Committee recognized the fact that it might not be possible for the Mission Board to grant it this year. Elder W. H. Anderson, superintendent of the field in which the mission was to be located, wrote that there was an urgent call to push into a new region, but that he realized that in this year of special stress the General Conference might have to defer response. South America: By the elimination of some items, the South American Union Conference call was cut from $26,292 to an even $25,000. Thus the council gave study to the calls from the mission fields, these named being but a portion of the whole. The calls showed that in every mission there are open doors of opportunity waiting for workers to enter and reap the harvest of souls. We must send this first report to press while the council is just beginning its work.