p. 18 | Notes of Progress by E. R. Palmer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Apr 19, 1906

Notes of Progress

By E. R. Palmer

The excellent sale of “Heralds of the Morning” in the California-Nevada Conference is a source of great encouragement to the workers. Our readers have doubtless observed from time to time some excellent reports from agents working for this book. The best record, we believe, made thus far was for the week ending March 30, by Brother Clyde Raaths in the city of Bakersfield. He worked forty hours, and took eighty-two orders, mostly among the business men. On his best day he worked eight hours among the business men, and took thirty orders. The splendid success of nearly every agent who has worked during the past year for this book has proved quite an encouragement to students in our schools, who are volunteering for service more readily than in the past.

Recently Brother W. H. Covell has held a canvassers’ convention in our school at Fernando, southern California, where he had a large class in training to sell “Great Controversy,” and another class for “Heralds of the Morning.” At the present time Brother Covell is holding an institute at Healdsburg, where he reports a good class of twenty. When our young people volunteer like this for the canvassing work, it makes us feel more and more that God will yet set his hand to the revival of our subscription book business in the United States; in fact, we have many encouraging evidences that this is so.

In all the territory of the Pacific Press special efforts are being put forth for the sale of “Great Controversy” and “Heralds of the Morning” only. There are several points of advantage in this arrangement: (1) Agents work more enthusiastically if they are all laboring in unison upon one line; (2) State agents can study their work more thoroughly and train agents better if they are giving their whole time to one or two books; (3) territory is worked more thoroughly, and the book is given a better sale, by this direct rotating method; (4) it is quite an advantage to publishers and tract societies to handle fewer kinds of books at a time; for they can do a large business with a smaller investment tied up in stock, and the books can be printed at less expense in large editions.

We are confidently expecting a strong advance in our tract and missionary work during the present season in the Northern Union Conference. The Lord has greatly blessed the brethren in their efforts there of late to secure strong State agents for each conference and mission field. Brother J. S. James, the union conference agent, reports that they now have a good, active man in each section of the field, and he feels that the outlook is very encouraging. Elder Underwood, also, writes that at the recent session of the Northern Union Conference arrangements were made for the publication of a wide-awake union conference paper. We trust that from the beginning this will be a means for placing our tract and missionary work and other conference interests very clearly before our brethren and sisters in that territory. May the Lord greatly bless and give abundant results as a reward for this advance step in the Northern Union.

Another bookmen’s convention will

soon be held at Berrien Springs, Mich. Only a few weeks ago a most enthusiastic convention of this kind was held in Kansas City, Mo., and the universal report from the convention has been that it was a great success, and that it has given a new and better setting to our book work in that prosperous field; and now we are glad to know that the Lake Union, comprising a large group of prosperous States, and having the largest constituency of any union conference in the world, is to enjoy the advantages to be gathered from a convention like this.

Our summary for the month of February shows that several union conferences are keeping up a good record during the winter months. No stronger evidence than this could be furnished to show that the field work is being carefully organized, and that the agents are being well instructed and held well in hand. When all the agents drop out at Christmas time, and the recruiting and instructing have to be done all over again in the spring, much is lost; for it requires the full time and strength of the leaders to gain during the year what was lost at the close of the preceding season. This constancy which is shown by the reports is a good indication. In our work for God we should have no long vacations. It is a steady work month after month and year after year which makes efficient workers for God in this department.

A Cordial Invitation

This is a good time of year for our people, brethren and sisters, everywhere to think seriously whether they will not take up the sale of our books, and thus throw themselves without reserve into the service during the present season, instead of following private and worldly pursuits. “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few.” The Lord pays well, even if some payments are deferred. We are promised, however, thirty-, sixty-, and a hundredfold even in this life. In all fields where our book work has been revived, we have received our best help from old, experienced agents who from one cause or another have left the field, expecting soon to return to it. As they have seen the work revive little by little, they have joined their strength and experience, and thus a revival has been accomplished. Now, in nearly all parts of the United States we see the work advancing. There is a “sound of a going.” The times are prosperous. There is promise of a good season this year. Isn’t this the time above all others when the old workers should join the ranks? Is there likely to be a better time? Think seriously of this. We give you all a cordial invitation to the service.

E. R. PALMER, Sec. Gen. Conf. Publishing Dept.