Now is it absolutely necessary that the Sabbath-school Department should be connected with the general office of the General Conference Committee? We have been thinking of advising the distributing of responsibilities, and creating centers in different parts of the field. Is it not possible that the Sabbath-school work could make one such center? But, in any event, I do believe that if you expect success in this line of work, those bearing the responsibility must be located where they can counsel together frequently.
S. M. Butler: It does not appear to me that it is necessary for the headquarters of the Sabbath-school Department to be in New York City. There are two reasons which appear to me to be against this. In the first place, we have been endeavoring to distribute these centers of influence. Why could we not let the General Conference headquarters go East, as is proposed, and then move the headquarters of the Sabbath-school Department to some place in the middle West, where it could be more closely in communication with all the schools of the country?
If it goes to New York City, undoubtedly those connected with the General Conference offices will be put in charge of the work. Now, everybody knows that the great missionary problems that we have on hand, which actuated us in moving the headquarters to New York City, will absorb their attention and their energies, and the consequence will be that they will not be able to give the attention, and enter into the sympathy with the Sabbath-school work that they would otherwise. Hence it would not be looked after as well as it would be to have some different arrangement.
M. C. Wilcox: I move that the seventh recommendation be referred to the incoming General Conference Committee.
Upon second, the motion was put and carried. The report as a whole was then adopted, and the meeting adjourned.