Annual Meeting of the Review and Herald Publishing Association
The third annual meeting of the Review and Herald Publishing Association of Washington, D. C., was held, according to notice duly given, at Berrien Springs, Mich., on Wednesday, May 16. W. W. Prescott was elected chairman and D. W. Reavis secretary of the meeting. On inquiry it was found that a legal quorum of the members of the corporation was present for the transaction of business. The chairman, as president of the board of trustees of the association, then made a statement covering in a general way the experience of the association since the last annual meeting. The following is a brief outline of his report:— One year ago the property at Battle Creek had been transferred by the receiver of the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association to the trustees of this association, but no part of it had been removed to Washington; the plans for a new building at Takoma Park had been approved, but nothing had been done toward its erection, and as a consequence the business at Washington and the business at Battle Creek had been conducted largely independent of each other, and separate financial reports would be made of these two businesses. One of the matters unsettled at the annual meeting one year ago was the Guerrier case. The suit brought against the receiver had been decided in favor of the plaintiff, and the settlement had been effected in harmony with the decree of the court by the payment of $5,624.84. Another item was the fee of the attorney, Judge Jesse Arthur. The court awarded him $7,500 for his services as attorney to the receiver. In part payment of this amount, notes given to this association by the Sanitas Nut Food Company, aggregating over $6,000 and bearing interest at five per cent, were turned over to Judge Arthur, on which he demanded a discount of ten per cent as the condition upon which he would accept them. In this way the assets of the association were actually reduced more than $8,000 in the settlement with the attorney. In view of the fact that Judge Arthur had been regularly employed for some years as attorney to look after denominational interests, at a fixed salary, the trustees of this association felt that he took advantage of the opportunity to secure a large sum of money for himself by a method which was legally honest, but which they did not regard as justifiable. In marked contrast with his course was that of the receiver, I. H. Evans, to whom the court awarded $3,000 for his services, but who had donated the full amount to this association, accepting only his usual wages as audited by the General Conference. The differences between the receiver of the old association and Brother F. E. Belden, relating to the publishing of “Christ in Song” and other books, have been amicably adjusted, and arrangements made by which this association is to continue the publication of these books under practically the same agreement as formerly made with the old association. The new building at Takoma Park has been completed, and will be occupied at once. The office at 222 North Capitol Street will be closed before the end of the present month. Thus the counsel which was given almost exactly three years ago to remove the publishing work from Battle Creek, Mich., to some suitable location in the East, has been carried out, and the work has been fully established in its new location. In the absence of the manager, S. N. Curtiss, who was detained in Washington, his report was read by D. W. Reavis. Another year has rolled around, and we are pleased to present this the third annual report of the Review and Herald Publishing Association of Washington, D. C. The hand of our God has been over us for good, and again we are able to report that no serious accident has befallen any of our work or workers, and death has not entered our office family. For this we render grateful thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father. At the time of our last annual meeting we presented suggestive plans for our new building at Takoma Park, but after counsel with others, and after securing estimates of the cost of such a building, it was thought best to materially reduce its size. Plans for a building sixty by ninety feet, with three stories and basement, were finally approved, and Brother W. E. Whalin, of California, was secured to superintend its construction, and he entered upon his work in June. Delay18in securing material, and important contracts in California, made it necessary for Brother Whalin to leave before the building was finished, and the work has gone forward more slowly since his departure. But the building is now ready for occupancy, and our machinery is nearly all in position, and will be in operation before the end of this month. The building has a nine-foot basement underneath the entire structure. In this are stored our printing paper, the coal for heating purposes, the two low-pressure steam boilers for heating the building, the hot-water boiler, and the motor for running the elevator. The elevator runs from the basement to the third floor. It is an Otis electric freight elevator with a capacity of thirty-five hundred pounds. On the first floor are the department of circulation, counting-room, manager’s office, book storeroom, and the pressroom. The entire second floor is occupied by the bindery. On the third floor are the editorial and proof rooms, the assembly hall, and the type room. A room is also provided for a foundry, but we have not yet installed an outfit. On every floor are toilet- and wash-rooms, and in every workroom there are large sinks with hot and cold water supply. So far we have found the building well adapted to our work, but sufficiently large for present needs only, and lacking in room for storage purposes. All the machinery is to be operated by electric motors, and the building will be lighted by electricity throughout. A brick power-house, thirty by thirty feet, has been erected in the rear of the main building, and in this has been installed a Fairbanks-Morse gas producer plant, with engine of 65 H. P. and a direct connected generator of 43 K. W. REMOVAL FROM BATTLE CREEK
In December, 1905, the Board requested the manager to go to Battle Creek and stay at the factory until arrangements were made for the sale or removal of the printing outfit there. Negotiations for the sale of the plant were already in progress, and it was thought that the matter should be brought to some definite conclusion. After more than a month’s delay, and after a definite contract for sale had been signed, the sale negotiations were abruptly terminated, and arrangements were then entered upon for the closing of the factory, and the removal of the machinery and material to Washington. Considerable work was in hand, both for ourselves and for others, and although the plans for removal were definitely entered upon February 1, it was not until the first week in April that the machinery was actually stopped. So quickly was the packing and loading accomplished, however, that by April 16 the entire outfit, including the household goods of such employees as were to move to Washington, and aggregating nearly one hundred and ninety tons, was on the cars and en route. Between twenty and thirty of the old employees with their families have now moved to Takoma Park. All seem happy, contented, and loyal to the truth which has made necessary this change of location and the establishment of a new denominational headquarters. During the past year the circulation of our periodicals has shown encouraging growth. But we have been operating under very heavy expense, and when these expenses were apportioned to the various earning factors of our business, it necessitates our recording a loss on Life and Health and Instructor. Review, Worker, and Liberty show small gains. Liberty is the new quarterly which has just been started in answer to a most earnest call, and it has met with an enthusiastic and hearty reception. Forty thousand copies of the first number were printed, and of these the Religious Liberty Bureau used the first ten thousand. Our Book Department in Washington shows an encouraging gain for the year. It has been carried on nearly a mile away from our main office on North Capitol Street because there was not room for it in the same building. In December the new building at Takoma Park was sufficiently completed so that this department was moved in. It has carried on its work in the new place the past winter under many difficulties, there being no heat in the building except such as could be secured from gas stoves. The most satisfactory results could not be secured with this department so far removed from the main office, but before the end of this month we hope to remove our main office force to the new building, and then have our office family all together. We feel sure this will be helpful to all departments of our work, and trust it will enable us to serve the cause much more efficiently. The treasurer’s report shows that donations to the Building Fund have been received to the amount of $4,853.65. Of this, $3,000 came from the overflow of the One Hundred Thousand Dollar Fund, and the remainder from individual gifts. Our donation account has been swelled by a $4,000 gift from the General Conference. This represents their equity in the West Building at Battle Creek. In view of the large obligations which we had assumed on this property, and in view of a shrinkage in its market value, the General Conference released us from any obligation to pay this claim. Since the Lake Union Conference receives its supply of books from this association, we shall maintain a branch office in Battle Creek. Here will be carried a full stock of all our publications. This branch is in charge of Brother J. W. Mace, who has been connected with that office for a number of years. A portion of the building is rented to the City Bank for its West End Branch, but aside from what our wholesale and retail departments and the bank occupy, the building is vacant. We hope to be able to rent portions of it for office or factory purposes. We feel confident that every lover of the truth will rejoice to know that the final step in removing the printing-office from Battle Creek has been taken, and that we now have a well-equipped office at the headquarters of the nation, ready to devote its best energies to the publication of the truth for these times. We earnestly ask your prayers that the mistakes of the past may not be repeated, but that the work may be carried forward in harmony with the instruction the Lord has given.
S. N. CURTISS,
Manager. The report of the treasurer, S. N. Curtiss, was presented by the chairman. From this report it appeared that the business in Washington showed a net gain of $6,589.13, and that the business in Battle Creek showed a net gain of $4,207.93. These reports were fully explained, and opportunity was given for questions to be asked. The report of E. R. Brown, who audited the books at Washington, and the report of R. H. Cadwalader, who audited the books at Battle Creek, were read, and on motion the treasurer’s and auditors’ reports were adopted. On motion, the Chair was authorized to appoint a committee on nominations and a committee on recommendations. These committees were announced as follows: Nominations, H. H. Burkholder, G. W. Amadon, E. K. Slade, and C. McReynolds; Recommendations, G. B. Thompson, Wm. Covert, W. J. Stone, A. G. Haughey, and D. W. Reavis. The receiver of the old Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association then submitted a report for the information of the constituency of the new association, and the meeting adjourned until 2 P. M. At the second meeting the nominating committee recommended that, to fill the vacancies caused by the expiration of the term of office of four of the present trustees, the following persons be chosen to act as trustees for the two years next ensuing: W. W. Prescott, G. A. Irwin, S. N. Curtiss, and J. E. Froom. This recommendation was accepted, and the persons nominated were duly elected. The committee on recommendations submitted the following report:—
“Whereas, The General Conference while in session at Oakland, Cal., in 1903, recommended the removal of the Review and Herald publishing plant from Battle Creek, Mich., and,—
“Whereas, The board of trustees of that association did fully accept the counsel given, and have succeeded in removing the plant to Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C., therefore,—
“Resolved, That we express thankfulness to God for his guiding providence in the accomplishment of so great an undertaking.
“Resolved, That we approve of the general plan suggested by the board of trustees for arranging their work in such a way that their employees should devote a portion of their time to missionary work.
“Whereas, There has been a general demand for literature treating on the subject of religious liberty, and,—
“Whereas, The board of trustees have already published a new magazine known as Liberty, and,—
“Whereas, Forty thousand copies of the first number are already in circulation, therefore,—
“Resolved, That we heartily approve of the action of the board of trustees of this association in publishing this magazine.
“Resolved, That we advise the board of trustees of this association to sell the real estate that it now holds in the city of Battle Creek, Mich.” These recommendations were duly considered and unanimously adopted. There being no other business presented, the association adjourned sine die.