POVERTY BAFFLED by S. N. Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 10, 1878

POVERTY BAFFLED.

By S. N. Haskell

We have never presented to any company of our brethren the importance of extending the circulation of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES when an interest was not manifested to do something in that direction. I have seen our brethren and sisters weep because of their desire to engage in this work, while they realized that they had no means with which to pay for the SIGNS. Therefore the question is often asked, “How can an individual who lives alone, and is poor, but who could make use of eight copies of the SIGNS, pay for them?” The liberal plan devised by the Publishing Association has solved this problem. It is done by making the following arrangement with your tract society:—

1. Eight copies of the SIGNS will cost you one dollar a month, in advance, to be paid to your tract society.

2. This money can be obtained by canvassing for the REFORMER, using the “Household Manual” as a premium. The price of the REFORMER is one dollar, and the Manual will be given with it as a premium for this price. Now, by obtaining four subscribers, and sending their names, with the four dollars, to the secretary of your tract society, you will secure to your credit one month's payment on your SIGNS, which is one dollar. That is, your Tract Society will give you the Manuals and twenty-five cents, for every new subscriber for the REFORMER with one dollar.

Our brethren in Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee are quite poor, and they have adopted this plan generally. Many individuals living alone have also adopted it. One church wanted one hundred Manuals to begin with. A number of individuals and churches had commenced this work with success, before I left them, and I seldom remain in a place where I hold meetings longer than till Monday, and never later than Tuesday. They first order a number of copies of the SIGNS, some eight, some twelve, others sixteen, and pay their first monthly installment, at the rate of one dollar for eight copies, then they commence canvassing before returning home. In a number of instances they secured a sufficient number of subscribers to pay another monthly installment as the result of the first day's trial. One lady, while waiting for the cars, obtained six subscribers. Ten thousand subscribers for the REFORMER can thus be obtained, and this will pay for over sixteen hundred and fifty copies of the SIGNS. Certainly no church need be without a package of the SIGNS.

S. N. HASKELL.