Columbia Union Conference
By I. G. Bigelow
IN the report for last month, New Jersey should have been given the following record, instead of the one that appeared:— Agents, 9; hours, 688; number of orders, 699; value of books, $579.90. While our April showing is not up to that of March, we are looking for a record-breaker for May, and all through the summer. April was largely given to institute work, and drew quite a number of canvassers from the field. However, a large corps of workers was prepared in these short canvassing schools for the summer's campaign; and if prospects have anything to do with it, this ought to be the banner year for the Columbia Union. Our field agents are now busy placing regular canvassers, as well as students, in the field for the season's work. About thirty-five students from the Seminary and from Mount Vernon will go into the field this year, and nearly all of these canvassed for their scholarship last year. Truly, we should be glad for this excellent means that the Lord has provided by which many are working their way through our colleges who never would have been able to do so if the canvassing work were not open to them; we hope to see a larger number availing themselves of this plan for next year. Some are intending to make two scholarships or more. Among these is one brother who is going out determined to win two scholarships this year, so that his wife can again go into the school with him the coming term; this will be the fourth year for them in Mount21Vernon. The prospects also for regular canvassers never seemed brighter to me. I have had the privilege of visiting every conference this past winter, and quite a number of our brethren are planning on entering the work at an early opportunity. The District of Columbia Conference has voted to place a man in charge of the literature work as quickly as a competent one can be secured for the service, so we hope to see some good reports from this field in a few weeks. Brother C. V. Leach, field agent of the West Virginia Conference, who has been attending school at Mount Vernon the past winter, will soon be actively engaged in his field work again. He and Brethren Kirk, of Ohio; V. O. Punches, of West Pennsylvania; J. H. McEachern, of Eastern Pennsylvania; F. E. Hankins, of the Chesapeake Conference; and C. E. Grey, of New Jersey, are quite enthusiastic over their prospects for the summer. This enthusiasm on their part, with the help of their many good workers, leads us to prophesy that we shall climb high over our record for last year. Virginia, though without a field agent since last summer, has kept well at the head of the list, having had some good, steady resident canvassers. We hope soon also to have some one at the head of the work in this conference; then, with all our conferences manned with earnest workers, we do not see why our expectations should not be fully realized. I. G. BIGELOW,
Field Agent Columbia Union Conference.