Colporteur Work in Honan, China
By O. J. Gibson
THIS morning [February 8] while settling accounts with one of our colporteurs, I was impressed with the struggle which some of these men have to make ends meet. This man is a faithful believer, and is endeavoring to live up to the terms of his agreement,—that of paying fifty per cent of all sales and subscriptions to the mission, and settling accounts monthly. Perhaps a few words by way of review will help us to understand the situation. When we came here two years ago, colporteurs were being paid a wage of three or four dollars monthly, with papers and books given them. For ten months of 1914, $475.43 was paid to colporteurs as wages, or an average of $47.54 a month. Literature receipts reported by evangelists for the same period amounted to $30.08. Hence the net expense to the mission on literature, above first cost, was $445.35. At the fall meeting that year it was agreed that the wage to colporteurs be discontinued; that they pay twenty per cent of sales and subscriptions; that evangelists pay fifty per cent. Working on this program from Nov. 1, 1914, to Oct. 31, 1915, no wages were paid, and receipts on literature for those twelve months were $236.16, or an average of nearly $20 a month. I think that during that time our workers suffered no special hardships as a result of the plan, although some of them were very much inconvenienced when it came time to settle accounts in full at our general meeting last October. We had previously made a ruling that a license would be granted to no one who had not settled his account. Some had no idea how their accounts stood, and were about undone to learn that they owed so much; but we insisted on full settlement or no license. All but one of our workers made good, and are continuing with us on the new schedule, which is another great advance step, bringing our colporteur work up to the fifty-per-cent basis. For the months of November and December, 1915, and January, 1916, receipts on subscriptions and literature sales were $146.59, an average per month of $48.86. For the sake of comparison, we will call it $50 a month against $20 a month for last year. Whether this will hold good for the twelve months I cannot say, but it is a good start. The last of December the colporteur referred to had come in and paid $6 on his account, which, including tithe, left him still owing about two dollars. This morning he paid his tithe in full and seventy-five cents on account. When I asked him if this was all he could pay, he said it was, and then, with tears in his eyes and a broken voice, he told me how it was. He said that to pay his account in full at general meeting time had taken every cent he had, that he and his wife returned from the meeting to an empty house, so that he had to sell some papers before they could buy food. But he promised, if possible, to pay in full next time. It is his purpose to live up to his agreement with the mission, and he will do it, with the help of God. The work here is still in its infancy. We expect great things from this department in the future. Much of God's Spirit is needed to enable us all to work for his glory and the advancement of his cause. O. J. GIBSON.