FINANCES by S. N. Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 13, 1879

FINANCES

By S. N. Haskell

Below we give the amount due the Review Office one year ago from the various tract societies, compared with their present indebtedness, also the amount of business done and money paid by the various societies during the year, and their present standing as near as we can determine.

Conferences	Indebtedness, 1878	Publications purchased	Cash paid	Present indebtedness	Books on hand, unpaid pledges, &c.
Iowa	$555.40	$2,208.26	$2,249.06	$2,925.50	$868.45
Indiana	186.28	730.55	729.18	245.10	1,488.61
Illinois	750.82	203.56	672.29	567.72	…
Michigan	84.71	4,417.28	4,451.62	756.67	…
Maine	…	385.98	218.86	296.53	…
Vermont	…	84.99	35.99	480.99	…
Virginia	…	89.70	85.65	43.61	…
Pennsylvania	…	699.70	663.81	26.11	…
New Jersey	…	436.92	468.50	30.10	…
Ohio	…	177.71	117.71	48.61	…
Kentucky and Tennessee	…	177.71	117.71	224.81	…
Alabama	…	29.10	29.10	30.10	…
Texas	…	93.10	93.10	98.84	…
Arkansas	…	…	…	992.56	2,330.06
Georgia	…	1,877.92	875.27	41.82	511.86
Quebec	…	583.03	170.25	318.09	…
Wyoming	…	…	…	704.90	…
Mississippi	…	3,060.04	2,836.70	110.08	…
Missouri	…	1,281.15	1,?	228.29	2,021.63
Minnesota	…	267.21	625.76	…	…
Nebraska	…	3,068.15	4,884.07	…	…
New England	…	…	…	…	…
New York	…	…	…	…	…
Total	$9,189.82	$24,276.12	$26,?37	$8,551.49	$7,223.05

Not having received a statement from the Signs Office, the above only relates to the Review Office. New England, New York, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Texas, and Kansas, have a fund of one thousand dollars or more capital, in books or good pledges, as a reserve fund, to pay for a depository of publications. Other Conferences have made a beginning. All tract societies should have a reserve tract fund which should not be credited to any district by entitling them to draw publications from the same. The reserve fund is a State fund, which will enable the societies to pay cash for their depositories of publications. As the districts draw publications from the depository, the State secretary charges them for the same as though there was no reserve fund. This will give the State societies a capital to work on, so they will not become embarrassed.

Every tract society will accomplish twice the amount of missionary labor with this fund that they could without it, besides greatly relieving the Publishing Association. When such a fund is established, the various societies can at once engage in enterprises for the advancement of the work without embarrassment to themselves or to the Publishing Association.

At the Iowa camp-meeting it was voted to raise a two thousand dollar fund. Five immediately pledged one hundred dollars each for this purpose. A portion of the pledges there made are paid. Now look at the result. Their indebtedness to the REVIEW Office at that time was $1,626. Since then they have ordered publications to the amount of $678, making a total of $2,304; yet their present indebtedness is but $326. They have also cancelled their debt at the Signs Office.

There should be as many one hundred dollar men in nearly every Conference in the country as here. Maine and Vermont, two of the poorest conferences, have started out with fifty dollar pledges. We wait to see which of these States will raise five hundred dollars first to pay toward the two thousand dollars’ worth of publications to be kept on hand in South Lancaster, Mass. Already the New England Conference has nine hundred dollars invested. This depository supplies these States with everything furnished at the Office at Office prices, furnishes a book room, and pays the secretary. All it asks in return is that these States will invest five hundred dollars each in the depository and pay their indebtedness at the close of each quarter.

May God bless these efforts until the tract societies can place the Signs of the Times, or any other pioneer paper that may be published, in hundreds of thousands of families yearly. This should be done by remailing them, and corresponding with individuals who become interested. Such a move is preparing the way for the earth to be lightened with the glory of the third angel. Could we realize what is just before us, and the importance of the work which can be accomplished by us, there is not a tract society in the country that would not raise a fund of from three to five thousand dollars before 1879 closes. We thank God that such a good commencement has been made. S. N. Haskell.