The Missionary | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 6, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 17.

The Missionary.

MEETING OF THE STOCKHOLDERS OF THE PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY.

PURSUANT to a notice published in the American Sentinel, the fourteenth annual session of the stockholders of the Pacific Press Publishing Company convened at the place of business of said company on Monday, April 22, 1889, at 9:30 A. M. Mr. C. H. Jones, president of the corporation, was chairman of the meeting.

The reading of the minutes of the last session was waived, and the chair appointed committees as follows:—

On Nominations, Elders W. M. Healey, Wm. Ings, and N. C. McClure.

On Resolutions, Elders E. J. Waggoner, W. C. White, and M. C. Wilcox.

The meeting then adjourned to meet at the Seventh-day Adventist Church at 10 o'clock for further business.

On reassembling it was found, upon calling the roll, that 2,698 shares were represented out of a total of 3,868 shares constituting the corporation. This representation was large enough to enable the meeting to transact any business that might be brought before it.

The minutes of the last session of the stockholders, held one year ago, were called for, read, and approved.

The next item of business was the reading by the secretary of the financial report for the year ending March 31, 1889. The total business done during the year was shown to be $233,270.03, an increase of about forty per cent. over the previous year's work. The net gain for the year was $4,938.48, and the surplus capital was $30,944.78.

The president called attention to the large amount of business done during the past year, and gave many other statistics in regard to periodicals and publications issued by the institution, and nearly all showed a large increase over previous years. Elder W. C. White spoke upon the same subject. He thought the report was a very encouraging one in many respects.

The important steps taken during the year were brought out during the discussion, the principal ones being the establishing of a branch of the corporation in New York City, and the changing of the American Sentinel from a monthly to a weekly periodical.

Pending the acceptance of the financial report, the meeting adjourned until 2:30 P. M.

AFTERNOON MEETING.

The stockholders convened as per adjournment, and the meeting was opened by singing and prayer. The minutes of the morning meeting having been read and approved, the chair called for further remarks upon the financial statement, before accepting it.

E. M. Morrison, manager of the Los Angeles branch, responded. He brought out quite a number of encouraging facts relative to this branch, and recommended that the office be continued in that city providing no other territory could be given to the canvassers who are laboring in this part of the State.

A letter full of interest to the stockholders was read from T. A. Kilgore, manager of the New York branch. He requested that more help be sent there, and it was thought by the chair that a competent person should be sent to work up the book business. Following the reading of this letter, remarks were made by others, after which the financial report was accepted.

Resolutions were then called for, and the committee brought in the following, which were taken up and discussed separately.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS.

WHEREAS, The record of the past year shows a large increase of business over the preceding year; and,

WHEREAS, This increase has largely been in the direction of our denominational work and the spread of the truth which God has intrusted to us for the salvation of souls; therefore,

1. Resolved, That we express our gratitude to God, from whom all these blessings come, for the prosperity which has attended this institution, and that we will, by his grace, labor with more faith and humility in the year to come.

2. Resolved, That we rejoice in the increased circulation of our religious literature, amounting to over eleven million pages more than for the year previous.

WHEREAS, Books published in America are more expensive, and not nearly so popular in England and the British Colonies as if published in England; and,

WHEREAS, The extension of our mission work and the rapid growth of our book business in the Colonies indicate that the publishing work in London will assume large proportions, and will call for more attention and for more capital than the Mission Board can give it, and it therefore seems advisable for one of our Publishing Associations to take charge of the book business in London; and,

WHEREAS, The Review and Herald Board has proposed that the Pacific Press Publishing Company take charge of this enterprise; therefore,

3. Resolved, That we approve of the decision of the directors, that the Pacific Press shall establish an office in London, and we suggest the selection of William Saunders as manager of the London office.

WHEREAS, The success of our branch offices depends upon the faithfulness, efficiency, and number of canvassers in their employ; and,

WHEREAS, Brother E. M. Morrison, who for several years has taken a leading part in the training of our canvassers, has been called by the General Conference Committee from the employ of the Pacific Press to engage in the subscription book work in Australasia; therefore,

4. Resolved, That we ask the assistance of the General Conference in securing a large corps of competent men, who are trained canvassers, to engage in the sale of our publications in Great Britain.

WHEREAS, Our brethren in the Atlantic Coast States approve of our action in the establishment of an office in New York City, and request us to keep a full line of all our works there,

5. Resolved, That we advise the enlargement of the New York Depository, and the maintenance thereof a full line of our denominational publications.

WHEREAS, The establishment of the branch offices in New York and London calls for additional investment of capital, inasmuch as those offices must carry a large and varied stock of publications; therefore,

6. Resolved, That we again earnestly request our brethren and sisters to come to the support of the work by taking stock in the Pacific Press Publishing Company, and by loaning to it funds for the proposed enlargement of its business.

7. Resolved, That we approve of the efforts of the managers during the past year, to fit up workers for our branch offices and for mission fields, and favor the continuance of this line of work.

8. Resolved, That we express our approval of the Sentinel Library, and the plans for the Bible Student's Library, and will endeavor to give them a wide circulation.

9. Resolved, That we are grateful for the success that has thus far attended the establishment, by the Pacific Press, of the evening classes, and that we urge all the employés who can possibly do so to avail themselves of this means of education to better fit them for usefulness in the cause of God.

WHEREAS, The mission for which the American Sentinel was originated, the increased interest which is taken in this important publication, the living issues with which it has to do, and the rapid spread of National Reform principles, and increase of efforts towards religious legislation, make it necessary that the Sentinel should be published nearer the national capital, and the center of news, commerce, literature, population, and religious work of this country; and,

WHEREAS, New York City presents unexampled facilities for the successful publication of such a journal, and excellent advantages in overlooking the great politico-religious field; therefore,

10. Resolved, That it is advisable and necessary that the publication of the American Sentinel from the New York office be begun not later than January 1, 1890.

11. Resolved, (1) That in order to be consistent with the new corporate name of this company, the word "association" be hereby changed to read "corporation," as it appears in the following named sections of the By-laws, to wit: Art. I, sections 1 and 2; Art. III, sections 4 and 5; Art. IV, section 2; Art. V, sections 1 and 2; Art. VI, sections 1 and 2; Art. VIII, section 4; Art. IX, sections 2, 3, and 4; Art. XI, section 1; and,

(2) That in Art. IX, section 3 of the By-laws, the words "Pacific Press Publishing Company" be substituted for the words "Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association."

12. Resolved, That the word "shall" be substituted for "must" in Art. II, section 8 of the By-laws, after the words, "All meetings of the directors."

13. Resolved, That Art. X, section 1 of the By-laws, describing seal, be and is hereby repealed, and that the following be substituted in place thereof:—

Article X.—Seal.—Section 1. The seal of this corporation shall be within a circle two inches in diameter. The outer circle shall consist of alternate dots and dashes, about a quarter of an inch from which shall be an inner circle of dots. Between these two circles shall be the following inscription, to wit, on the upper portion from left to right, the words, "Pacific Press Publishing Company," with an ornamental dash at each end; and in the lower portion, from left to right, the words, "of Oakland, California, U. S. A." Through the center, from left to right, shall be the word "Seal," with a star before and after it. Above the word "Seal," from left to right, shall be the word "Incorporated," and below the word "Seal," from left to right, the words, "April 5, 1875."

Brethren Saunders, Jones, White, Loughborough, and Glenn each spoke at some length upon the second resolution. The establishing of a London branch was presented by the speakers as quite an undertaking, and a very important matter, but it was thought the cause of God demanded the advanced step.

At the close of the discussion upon this resolution the meeting again adjourned, to 7:30 P. M.

EVENING MEETING.

Prayer by Elder M. C. Wilcox. Minutes of the previous meeting having been approved, Elder J. N. Loughborough presented the following resolution for immediate action:—

WHEREAS, In the inscrutable providence of God, death has removed, in the strength and ripeness of his years, a faithful friend and co-laborer in the cause of God, one who has long held an intimate connection with our work, and especially with this publishing house, and who has greatly contributed to its success by his pen and counsel, Elder J. H. Waggoner;

Resolved, That we meekly bow to the will of Infinite Wisdom, knowing that he is too wise to err, and too good to prove unkind; and, further,

Resolved, That we will endeavor to learn by these sad afflictions the uncertainty of this life, and the necessity of using well every moment, that whatever the future may hold for us, will find us, through the grace of God, prepared to meet it.

This resolution was seconded and unanimously adopted, first by the stockholders, and then by the entire audience rising to their feet.

By request, resolution No. 9 was introduced out of order, and Elder M. C. Wilcox gave some very stirring remarks in harmony with the resolution.

In connection with resolution No. 6, W. C. White suggested that a circular or articles for publication be prepared, bringing out the points in the resolution, and drawing the attention of our people in this direction.

The President thanked the stockholders for the hearty support they had given the institution since his connection with it, more especially during the past year.

The resolutions were then adopted by a unanimous vote.

The following were then read and carried:—

Resolved, That the Pacific Press Publishing Company does hereby authorize its board of directors to execute, through the president and secretary of said board, a special power of attorney, containing such powers and limitations of power as said board may deem advisable, authorizing a suitable person to represent this corporation in the branch office thereof, situated in New York City, State of New York.

The Nominating Committee named the following to be voted upon as directors for the coming year: C. H. Jones, Elder W. C. White, Elder J. N. Loughborough, M. J. Church, Joseph Leininger, S. C. Stickney, and E. A. Chapman. They were balloted for, and declared elected.

Adjourned. C. H. JONES, Pres. S. C. STICKNEY, Sec.

The board was organized on the evening of April 23, as follows: President, C. H. Jones; Vice-President, Eld. J. N. Loughborough; Secretary, S. C. Stickney; Treasurer, E. A. Chapman; Auditor, Geo. H. Heald.