To the Tract Societies.
By S. N. Haskell
To those ordering the “Hand-book of Health” we would say that there are about 400 copies in the hands of the binder which we expect will be ready in a few days. Then all orders received will be promptly attended to. Therefore we say, Let the orders come in. When the liberal offer was made to the Tract Societies to furnish the Reformer for one-half the subscription price when furnished by them to new subscribers, the question of the postage came up, as the law requires a prepayment of it. The following plan was suggested in the True Missionary to be adopted the present season. The publishers of the Reformer would furnish the “Hand-book of Health” for one-half the retail price (which was 60 cents), and the hygienic book fund would pay one-half of that, bringing it to the Tract Societies for the small sum of fifteen cents. This book the missionary workers would offer as a premium to those who had never taken the Reformer and would pay one dollar for it. Twenty-five cents of the one dollar thus received would be retained by the Tract Society to pay for the book, and the seventy-five cents would go to the publishers. Thus the twenty-five cents extra more than the fifty cents sent to the Office, would help pay the postage on the fifty-cent subscribers furnished by the Tract Societies. It was expected that other health works would be published before the next fall campaign, adapted to the wants of every family, which might be used as a premium in canvassing. Then some permanent arrangement would be entered into between the Tract Societies and the publishers. We have been much encouraged to see that this plan, which was only an experiment, works so well. It has thus far exceeded our expectations. But only a portion of the Tract Societies have taken hold of it. Where they have, it has been the universal testimony so far as we have heard that many more full-paying subscribers could be obtained by offering the “Hand-book” as a premium than could be by those subscribing and paying only a small sum as a donation. To the brethren and sisters we say, Go on in the good work. We recommend the foregoing plan to those Tract Societies that have not tried it. Let the light shine. Our object is to spread the truth. Our interest is to see the good work prosper. S. N. HASKELL.