To the Tract and Missionary Societies in the West.
By Stephen N. Haskell
Last spring, we visited some of the western Conferences, and made an effort to assist the brethren in their tract and missionary work. While in these various States, the brethren took hold nobly to settle up the amounts of delinquency on our periodicals, which the various Conferences had previously voted to assume; also adopted such changes in their method of operation as bade fair to give the missionary society a new impetus. In every Conference where we held meetings there was money pledged, including what was paid, sufficient to settle their delinquency and have an amount to purchase tracts to commence operations with. Some of these States have moved forward, collected their pledges, and balanced their accounts. Michigan, which was owing about twelve hundred dollars after the discount made by the publishing association, is now paid. Minnesota was the first that settled their delinquency in connection with this labor. The other Conferences have done something toward it. Yet in the brief space of time we were West, we could do but little more than to help the brethren set the thing in motion. We now propose, if the brethren in these different Conferences desire it, after the close of the Illinois meeting, to go over this ground again. One meeting in Iowa, Oct. 9 to 13; Oct. 18, 19 and 25, 26, in Minnesota; November 1, 2 and 8, 9, in Wisconsin, then spend four weeks in Michigan, commencing Nov. 15, 16. The last meeting in each State should be a general quarterly meeting. Previous to that, each district should hold its quarterly meeting in season to report the same to the State quarterly meeting. This is necessary that we may learn what all parts of each Conference are doing, and thus be better able to assist the brethren and sisters in their efforts. In fact, if we cannot have a meeting of this kind, it would hardly be worth while to visit these different States so far as the tract and missionary work is concerned. We would suggest to the friends in Michigan that the district quarterly meetings commence with our first meeting in that State. So I shall be able to attend four district quarterly meetings, the last one to be in connection with the State meeting. In other parts of the State, the meetings will be held by the directors at the same time. We hope, with the blessing of God and the united co-operation of the friends of the cause, that each of these meetings will be a success. We shall have with us the Office account of the standing of the T. and M. Society in each Conference and their delinquent matter where it has not been fully settled; and earnestly hope that each Conference will be prepared to settle arrearages and enter upon the cash system.