BOOK SALES IN AUSTRALASIA.
By E. R. Palmer
This statistical table, and the items following, pertain to the canvassing work in Australasia during the six years ending Dec. 31, 1900:— |
Value of health books sold. |
Value of religious books. |
Total value of books sold. |
|---|
| 1895 |
$18,327.75 |
$25,041.00 |
$43,368.75 |
| 1896 |
17,717.75 |
23,415.00 |
41,132.75 |
| 1897 |
26,100.50 |
11,576.25 |
37,676.75 |
| 1898 |
27,091.00 |
21,505.75 |
48,596.75 |
| 1899 |
44,975.50 |
20,380.25 |
65,355.75 |
| 1900 |
53,885.75 |
27,950.00 |
81,835.75 |
| Total |
$188,098.25 |
$129,868.25 |
$317,966.50 |
1. The population of Australasia is about 4,500,000. 2. The number of Seventh-day Adventists is about 2,000. 3. The number of canvassing agents has varied from 20 to 70. 4. The sale of large subscription books has amounted to a little over ninety per cent of all the books sold. 5. The number of religious books sold has more than equaled the number of health books; but the high prices of the health books has made their value greater than the value of the religious books. This fact applies particularly to the last three years in the above table when Home Hand-Book has been selling so freely. 6. The health and religious books have been pushed by the tract societies with equal energy and with gratifying results. If one large religious book follows another quickly in the same territory, the first is likely to injure the sale of the second. We have12found it advantageous to follow a religious book with a health book, thus lessening that difficulty. We see many advantages in running both lines together under one management. 7. The highest record made in this country during the past six years was by a lady canvassing for “Ladies’ Guide.” Her sales for one month amounted to $1,120. The highest record for one week was made by a brother canvassing for “Home Hand-Book.” His sales amounted to $345. 8. For over fifteen years these large subscription books have been pushed in Australasia, and the last year was the best thus far. The times are hard, the droughts are severe, and the population is widely scattered, and yet the work goes on. As long as the agents can keep the droughts and hard times out of their own hearts, they get on very well. 9. A good harvest is sure to follow such seed-sowing. In one of our colonies during the past year fully twenty good souls have decided to obey the truth as a direct result of work by our agents and their books. E. R. PALMER,
General Agent.