OUR WORK AND WORKERS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 23, 1896

OUR WORK AND WORKERS.

ELDER D. A. ROBINSON reports that “in and around London, where we had one meeting place a little more than a year ago, we now have six places where we have weekly meetings.”

THE Seventh-day Adventist publishing house in Christiania, Norway, has been fined 100 kroner (about $27) for Sunday labor. The technical offense with which the establishment was charged was that of allowing persons to work on Sunday who do not keep the seventh day. A few hands were employed who were not Sabbath keepers. According to this judgment people who do not keep the Sabbath in Norway must keep Sunday.

ELDER E. W. WEBSTER, missionary to the island of Trinidad, asks for donations to help build a house of worship at Couva. The number of Sabbath keepers in that place, when last reported, was thirty-seven, and for want of a better place, meetings are held in a private house. More would attend the meetings if held in a public meeting house. Persons who desire to contribute to this good purpose should send their donations to Elder A. O. Tait, Battle Creek, Mich. Elder Webster says there is a Sunday ordinance there that requires the closing of business places after 9 o’clock A.M., but an effort is being made to include the whole day.

THE managers of the Seventh-day Adventist printing works in London, which have been virtually closed through the oppressive Factory Act, addressed a letter to the home secretary in reference to the situation, showing that the spirit of the act was not violated by Sunday labor, inasmuch as the employees rested the day previous. Following is the reply from the home secretary’s office:—

WHITEHALL, 13th December, 1895.

With reference to your letter of the 1st instant, drawing attention to the operation of section 21 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1878, in so far as it affects the printing works of the International Tract Society at 451 Holloway Road, I am directed by the secretary of state to acquaint you that the matter has received his very careful consideration; but, as the law at present stands, the Seventh-day Adventists cannot be exempted from the penalties consequent upon a breach of the Factory laws as to Sunday labor. The secretary of state does not think the numbers of the sect afford any hope or reason for legislation to alter their position.

I am, sir, your obedient servant, KENELM E. DIGBY.

The force of the reply will be more readily appreciated when it is remembered that the Jews have the privilege of substituting Saturday as the rest day under the Factory Act, and that the Adventists could have the same privilege if they would declare themselves to be Jews. Such is only one of the many inconsistencies of state-enforced religion.

A SPECIAL course of Bible study has been arranged by the faculty of Healdsburg College for the benefit of missionary and other laborers in the cause whose age and circumstances will not permit them to take a regular course. It was designed to begin this course on the 15th inst., but it has been postponed until February. The notice says: “The work of organization will begin on Sunday, February 2, and it is desirable that all should reach Healdsburg as early as the preceding Thursday or Friday. None should fail to come, however, even if they can not arrive before the 13th, as the work of the first few lessons can be made up by extra effort. The school will continue twenty weeks. All who desire to attend will be required to present recommendations from the conference president, Elder N. C. McClure.”