The Summary by A. J. S. B.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 22, 1910

The Summary

By A. J. S. B.

QUESTION: Am I in any way responsible for the gain or loss in my conference?

OWING to the limited space set aside for all the General Conference departments, it has been decided to publish hereafter only the combined sales of each of our ten-cent magazines in the union and local conferences.

IT is encouraging to note that our magazine sales thus far during 1910 average 145,823 copies a month, as compared with 120,613 copies a month during 1909,—an average monthly gain of 25,210 copies during the past eleven months.

IN noting the comparative sales of each conference during this year and last, it should be remembered that last year the sales through subscriptions were credited to the various conferences in addition to the agents’ sales, whereas our present plan is to report only the agents’ sales by conferences.

FOLLOWING is a list of union conferences, showing gains: (1) Atlantic Union, 422; (2) Western Canadian, 164; (3) Columbia Union, 118. The following union conferences show losses: (4) Lake Union, 5,102; (5) Southeastern Union, 2,935; (6) Northern Union, 2,189; (7) Southwestern, 2,113; (8) Southern Union, 1,660; (9) Canadian Union, 799; (10) Central Union, 771; (11) North Pacific Union, 417; (12) Pacific Union, 352. We are glad to see the substantial improvement in the record of the Atlantic Union since last month; also that numbers two and three continue to appear among those showing gains.

IT is true the winter season affects the sales to some extent. On the other hand, let us remember that more magazines and books are read by the people in the winter than in the summer. The long winter evenings are here, and the crops are harvested. The cold weather brings with it an added desire for reading and mental improvement. This increased desire for reading-matter is an invitation to our magazine agents in the cities and in the country villages, to supply the public with the best of Christian literature. Getting about in cities and villages is but little harder in winter than in summer; and in factory districts the magazine work can be carried on just as successfully one time as another.

THERE have been sold thus far during the year 1,604,057 copies of the ten-cent magazines, as follows: Signs Monthly, 318,500 copies; Watchman, 241,942; Life and Health, 514,735; Liberty, 128,329; Protestant, 55,902; Temperance Instructor, 210,930; Christian Education, 28,641; Lys over Landet, 26,884; Tidens Tecken, 33,626; Zeichen der Zeit, 24,569.

By a little patient effort and wise planning, many of our people can earn good salaries all winter, through the sale of our magazines. The profits are more than generous, and the returns are quick and sure and plentiful, provided one is willing to work a reasonable number of hours each day, as in any other vocation. For sample copies of any of these magazines, write your conference tract society secretary, who will be glad to furnish you with a printed canvass and other information which will help you to get a start in this pleasant and profitable work. Write to-day!

A. J. S. B.