An Earnest Appeal

THE PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION

The Publishing Association, in order to carry on its business, must have a large increase of its capital stock. The third building, including lot, will cost $10,000. The power press has now run fifteen years, and must be laid up for repairs. If it was in good running order, it would have to groan day and night, as it did at great loss all last winter, to do our work. We are, therefore, under the necessity of immediately purchasing two new presses, that two may run constantly, while a third may be held in reserve to be called into use in case of a break-down. The two presses, freight, and expenses of putting them in running order will cost not far from $8,000, so that the third building and presses cost, the present season, the sum of $18,000. EAAP 21.2

The rapid increase of the business of the Association called for these, and also calls for more printing material and stock to correspond, so that there should be raised by our people the present season the sum of $25,000, or the Association will have to draw upon its earnings, and contract debts. EAAP 22.1

We wish here to appeal to the sense of justice and honor of our people. You were informed by our article, entitled, Permanency of the Cause, which appeared in Review for July 8, 1873, that all that the numerous friends had done for our publishing interests for the period of twenty-one years, in donations, shares of stock, and legacies, was only $36,000; while those who had worn out their energies in building up the publishing interests had, with the blessing of God, added $37,000, besides paying the sum of $5,000 during the three years past, to the writers of new books, it being one-half of the profits on first editions. EAAP 22.2

And this has been accomplished while offering our publications at extremely low prices. It has been our policy to press our publications into the hands of the people everywhere, and we have put down prices very low, that we might give them a wider circulation. Our prices are generally below other publishing houses, even those larger houses where they turn out large editions one after another from plates, for the reading million. While the real cost of their books is at least twenty per cent less than the cost of ours, their prices are twenty per cent higher. It is under such circumstances that $37,000 has been added to the $36,000 put in by all our people. And now that $25,000 are wanted the present season, will our people raise this sum? or will they withhold their means, and leave the work to be crippled until this sum shall be earned by those who toil incessantly for six to twelve dollars per week, enough, simply, for a subsistence? Which shall be done? EAAP 22.3

We are conscious that those who have sacrificed health, and have endangered life, have erred in supposing that the friends of the cause would fully appreciate their toils and sacrifices. They did confidently expect that the low prices of our publications, and devotion to the work which has secured great prosperity, would inspire in the hearts of all the friends of the cause a corresponding spirit of sacrifice, to meet the rapidly increasing demands for more capital to be invested in buildings, presses, types, stock, etc. EAAP 23.1

Will not the facts and figures presented in the foregoing, relative to the Association, give confidence in the work, and provoke the friends of the cause, everywhere, to love and good works? If not, then we despair of their ever being moved to come up to the help of the Lord with their means. EAAP 23.2