Question Corner

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 16, 1902

1. What real harm is there in an agent's carrying a side line of pencils, combs, looking-glasses, wall maps, and mottoes for helps?

Much harm is likely to result. Such light trifles which peddlers usually carry, lower the tone of an agent’s work. Think of a man, with his heart full of a great message for the people, going through a grand book like “Great Controversy” or “The Desire of Ages,” and then closing his effort for that family by trying to sell mottoes, a looking-glass, a comb, and a lead pencil! Such an anticlimax surely would not leave a powerful impression for good.

I know of a tract society that now has in stock five hundred fiddle strings. These were provided as helps! It is difficult to conceive how a child of God, who has consecrated his all to the blessed work of soul saving, can permit his conceptions to drop to such a level. In several conferences serious inroads have been made upon our canvassing work by the introduction of wall mottoes as helps. These are now being introduced in some places; and I want to make an appeal to all our agents to shun these side lines which entangle our work, and do much harm.

2. Should agents sell books which are being published for private gain, and are not sold through the regular channel?

Each agent must decide this question for himself. It is the opinion of the writer that agents who wish to build up the cause of God in the earth would do well to take a loyal position on this question, and work for those books which are approved by the denomination, and issued through the regular channel of our publishing houses and tract societies. I would not for one moment consider the flattering offers of any outside publishing house or private individual.

3. Is it a good plan to leave books on credit?

No, it is not. Many a good agent has wrecked his prospects by doing this. Please note the following suggestions:—

(a) *As a general rule the agent should keep his books in his possession until he has the pay for them. They are worth to him what they cost while he has them. If they are out on credit, he does not know what they are worth to him—probably very little.

(b) *The full price of the book should be collected on delivery when possible, but it is well to leave a book if enough can be collected to pay its cost; for if the remainder is not collected, the loss will not be greater than it would have been if the order had been lost, and although the agent has no profit, the family has the book.

(c) *In a special case when it seems clear that a book should be left on credit, the agent should provide for the payment of the book to his society, thus taking the risk of loss upon himself.

(d) *Tact, perseverance, and firm confidence in God will do much toward making our deliveries a success in every way.