About Business by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 22, 1883

About Business.

By Editor

SEVERAL complaints have been received of the slowness of business transactions at this office. We will give a sample. A letter has just been received from Eureka, Humboldt Co., Cal., complaining that periodicals have not been received as ordered. Turning to the records we find that the order was dated December 28. Whether it was mailed that day we cannot say. It was received here January 5, which was Friday; it was forwarded to the office of publication the first of the week. As far as our part of the business was concerned it could not have been done more expeditiously.

We always make an allowance for about as much time from post-offices in this State off the railroads, as we do from post-offices on the railroads east of the mountains. Thus, as in the case above noticed, one week is taken to receive the order here; one week must be allowed to reach its destination East, and one week for the return. In such cases if no return is made in three weeks we think there is unnecessary delay somewhere. It is true that a week is not always taken to reach this office, but we speak of the time we allow without imputing error to the parties through whose hands the business passes.

It has now been determined in our office that, when orders are sent here for any of the periodicals printed in Battle Creek, Mich., to immediately send a number from this office, so that there may be no delay in receiving the first number. This must prove satisfactory to all parties.

We have several times received business letters from the East, and in ten days or less the writer would send a letter inquiring why the business was not attended to. Now it takes a week to transport the mail from ocean to ocean, without any transfers from the direct line; therefore it is impossible to make return in ten days.

The editor of the Signs has nothing to do with the business of the office; business letters never go into his hands. But if any one has complaint to make which, on consideration of the circumstances he thinks is reasonable, if he will state the case to us we will inquire into the matter and report the result. We are very anxious to have our patrons well and promptly served.