EXPENSES AND OTHER MATTERS.
By Stephen N. Haskell
IN every State society there will be more or less general expense, such as freights, postage, placing books in libraries, and periodicals in reading-rooms, etc., etc., which it does not properly belong to any one district or church to pay. The State officers should once a year apportion this expense to the several districts, according to their financial ability. To do this, (1) Ascertain the number of members in each district and their circumstances with respect to means; (2) Ascertain the relative financial strength of the districts; (3) Divide the expense among the several districts in proportion to their ability to pay, and charge to each its respective proportion. 1. Do the directors decide important questions at the quarterly meetings, or are they decided by those present at the meeting? — The directors; but after they have decided the points, it is always well, in matters of general interest, to lay them before the brethren, that they may understand them, and be more interested in them, although this is not necessary. 2. When a member goes into a district where he does not belong, where shall he get his tracts and to whom shall he report? — Of the church society of which he is a member, and he should report to the same, even if he is in another State. If he changes his church relationship, he should change his tract membership. 3. Can a tract society be organized before a church is organized? — Yes. 4. Must a member pay a dollar every time he changes his place of membership? — Not unless he moves out of the State; but if he moves from one Conference to another, it will be necessary for him to pay another dollar, before he can become a member of that Conference tract society. 5. Can a church society or district receive members in the tract society for any sum less than one dollar? — It is not Constitutional. See Article IV. 6. Has any State society the right to change the Constitution, so that individuals might be admitted for a less sum than one dollar? — We know of no reason why not, but it would be detrimental to the interests of the society. 7. How shall those directors attend the quarterly meetings who are unable to bear their individual expenses? — (1.) It is well to have all the directors, as far as practicable, attend each quarterly meeting. (2.) Each director should feel it his duty and privilege to attend these meetings, even at a sacrifice. (3.) It would be well to have men for directors who are able, and can spend much time and bear their expenses for the privilege of engaging in the work of God. But in some of our large Conferences it frequently happens that some of the directors live at a long distance from the quarterly meeting, and are in circumstances which will not justify their bearing their own expenses. (4.) It would be well in such cases if the district could raise money outside of the tract society to bear the expenses of the director. (5.) But if there be no other way, it is in the province of the directors to pay a portion or all the expenses of one or more such directors from the tract-society funds, and bring it in the general expense, which should be apportioned annually to each district. (See first paragraph of this article.) (6.) If any important meeting is to be held, the President should be authorized by the Board of Directors to urge those directors in limited circumstances to attend, in view of their expenses being partially or wholly met as above suggested. (7.) It should ever be remembered that all moneys received by the tract society from donations, book sales, free-will offerings, and the one-third, is tract-society money, and no one person has the right of appropriating these funds out of the regular tract society business. S. N. HASKELL.