General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION

G. A. IRWIN

Fifth Meeting, April 18, 10:30 A. M.

G. A. IRWIN in the chair.

Prayer by G. G. Rupert. GCB April 19, 1901, page 333.22

The Chair: The meeting at this time is an adjourned meeting of the stockholders. The Secretary will read the minutes of the previous meeting. GCB April 19, 1901, page 333.23

The minutes of the previous meeting were read by the Secretary. GCB April 19, 1901, page 333.24

The Chair: You have heard the reading of the minutes; and if there are no corrections, they stand approved as read. You notice from the reading that the meeting adjourned pending action upon the memorial that was presented by Brother Kilgore. That is now before you. What is the pleasure of the stockholders? GCB April 19, 1901, page 333.25

W. C. Sisley: I am heartily in favor of assisting the Southern district, but I think it is very questionable whether this body has any power at all to transfer that property without some consideration,—and that a reasonable consideration. The matter was brought up some days ago, and we have consulted our attorney with reference to it, and he says it can not be done, that is to say, from a legal standpoint. It might be done without any one interfering with it, but legally it could not be done. If it is done at all, it must be done by the directors. All that this body could do would be to instruct the directors what they might do in the matter. I presume that is a matter which must be brought before the trustees, and the consideration could be fixed by them, and then it could be presented to this body, perhaps, for their consideration. I think that all can clearly see that in the stockholders’ association, one stockholder has no right to give away another stockholder’s property; and that is the way the law views it. Personally, I am not objecting; but we must either be satisfied with the facts as they are, or the whole thing will be blocked. GCB April 19, 1901, page 333.26

C. H. Jones: I would like to inquire how much is involved in this transfer. GCB April 19, 1901, page 333.27

The Secretary: About fifteen thousand dollars. GCB April 19, 1901, page 333.28

R. A. Underwood: I move that this memorial be referred to the Board of Directors. GCB April 19, 1901, page 333.29

S. H. Lane: I second the motion. GCB April 19, 1901, page 333.30

The Chair: It has been moved and seconded that we refer this memorial to the Board of Directors. The question is open for remarks. GCB April 19, 1901, page 333.31

S. H. Lane: I would like to state some reasons why I seconded the motion. The Board of Directors will have the matter to deal with from a legal standpoint. Brother Sisley stated the point that is very evident; but before stating the point again, I wish to say that the charter gives the power to the Board of Directors to donate just as much of the profits as they see fit from books by giving away books. For instance, if we make ten thousand dollars, we have the privilege of giving away that ten thousand dollars in publications to any part of the world. But the institution is indeed paying in all from five to six thousand dollars’ interest money a year; and where we give away real estate, we imperil the credit of the institution itself. And before any move is made, we should make it very carefully. There are a good many stockholders who are not here this morning, and if any of them should object, they would say, “By what right without my vote did you imperil the credit of the entire property?” GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.1

I am not saying this to oppose the question. If the Lord wants the Southern field to have that property, they ought to have it in spite of all the charters in the world. But, brethren, as long as it is a legal institution, and it has its charter, its constitution and by-laws, I am in the favor of putting it into the hands of the committee; and if I should make a suggestion, I would be glad to have it associated with the body of the General Conference, and to study this matter and make just the move God wants us to make, and not to make this move without a study of all the facts in the case. So I second the motion. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.2

The Secretary: This memorial does not ask us to give it. It just says to “transfer.” Arrangements can be made, and will be made, for it afterward. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.3

The Chair: Any further remarks? The question is called for. The question is on the motion to refer this memorial to the Board of Directors. All in favor of this motion will manifest it by the uplifted hand. Contrary, the same sign. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.4

The motion was unanimously carried. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.5

The Chair: I understand that all the resolutions that were presented by the Committee on Resolutions were acted upon at a former meeting. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.6

A. T. Jones: I notice in the report of the president that the gains of the Review this year are reported as $3,852.55. Last year they were reported as $4,634.41. The income this year was $1,852.50 more than last year, making $2,634.36 that is cost this past year to run the Review more than it did the year before. Why is this? GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.7

The Secretary: I noticed the point Brother Jones speaks about, and I called the attention of the superintendent to it, and he probably can make some explanation. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.8

W. C. Sisley: There is more than one reason for this. There are at least two reasons. Last year we had a very low contract on stock. You all know that paper rose very materially last fall, and the other is that in making our estimate on the factor of expense, we did not make it high enough last year. We took a great deal of pains to figure out the factor of expense, and went over it very thoroughly. I called Brother Jones over, and talked with him about it, and showed him all the ins and outs and details. I showed him every figure we used in arriving at the conclusions we did, and he said that the factor of expense should be higher than we had figured it the year before. So we placed the factor of expense higher. That, of course, would make it higher in the report; higher in the charge that we made from the manufacturing department for the Review. It does not really make the Review cost more, but it makes more to go from there into the manufacturing department than it should; for the Review has cost but a trifle more than it did the year before. That difference is made up in the difference in the price of stock. But then the price charged higher on account of the factor of expense. Evening it up, you understand that the manufacturing department charges up the different departments for whatever they deliver to them. They charge the Review for the work that is done on the Review. Now, the cost, or the price, is based on the actual cost of material and labor, with the added factor of expense. We made that factor of expense higher, in order to make it cover all the expense; and so it made the Review appear to cost more than it did last year, when in fact, it did not, only in price of stock. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.9

The Chair: Is the Committee on Nominations ready to report? GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.10

W. T. Knox: Elder place will present the report. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.11

Elder A. E. Place [reading]:— GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.12

“Your Committee elected to nominate officers to fill expiring terms on the Board of Trustees of the Review and Herald Publishing Association, would respectfully submit the following names for your consideration: I. H. Evans, C. M. Christiansen. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.13

“W. T. KNOX. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.14

“H. M. MITCHELL. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.15

“A. E. PLACE, Secretary. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.16

“Committee.” GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.17

The Chair: You have heard the nominations. Last year the by-laws were changed so that instead of electing all seven of the Directors at once, as had been the rule, heretofore, three men were elected last year for three years; two men for two years, and two men for one year, so that after this they will run in that order. The terms of the two men who were elected for one year—I. H. Evans and C. M. Christiansen—have expired, and Committee on Nominations have reported the same names again. Now these two men, if they are elected, will be elected for three years. The only thing we can do is to ballot. The by-laws make this provision, that when it comes to the election of officers, the president vacates the chair, and the stockholders appoint some one to act during the election. What is your pleasure? GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.18

W. C. Sisley: I move that the president continue to act during this meeting GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.19

O. A. Olsen: I second the motion. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.20

The motion was called, and unanimously carried. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.21

W. C. Sisley: I move that the Chair appoint three tellers. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.22

A. Moon: I second the motion. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.23

The Chair: The motion before us is that the Chair appoint three tellers to act in the election. As many as favor this say, Aye. I would appoint H. M. Mitchell, J. W. Collie, and W. T. Knox. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.24

F. D. Starr: What are the names of the other five persons on the Board? GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.25

The Chair: They are G. A. Irwin, G. W. Amadon, U. Smith, S. H. Lane, and C. D. Rhodes. Elder Lane and Brother Rhodes have one year yet to serve; the others have two years yet. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.26

J. O. Corliss: Will the Board reorganize after this election? GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.27

The Chair: In all probability they will reorganize. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.28

The Chair: The tellers will now collect the ballots. While they are counting this vote, is there any further business to come before the stockholders? GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.29

H. Schultz: Our German brethren have been together, and had a kind of committee meeting of their own; and they would request the stockholder of the Publishing Association here to give them a little church paper in connection with the Hausfreund. That is our missionary paper, and there are things that come up that we would like to know, and our people would like to know, that we can not very well put into our missionary paper; and for that reason they would like a small paper, to be issued as often as once a month at least, in which can be put reports from the different parts of the field, the wants of the cause, etc.; that we may have a paper into which we can put the things that we can not put into our missionary paper. GCB April 19, 1901, page 334.30

Besides this, we need something similar to what you call the Berean Library. We need many of our tracts revised, and we need something like this to come before our people. I notice it works well among the English, and as it works well among our American brethren, I am satisfied it would work just as well among our German brethren. We feel just as much interested in the work and in the cause and the spread of the work as you do. And we love to see the work go just as well as you do. And we would like to get all the instruction for Germans that we have for Americans. The majority of our German people can not read the English language. Half of them do not understand it, even when it is talked to them. Of course a great many can read the English, and a great many can understand it, and understand a great deal more than they can talk. But we need something like the Berean Library published for our Germans, and we need this little church paper, as I have already said. Many times we would like to say things to our German brethren that we can not say through our missionary paper. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.1

Our committee has drawn up a resolution, which I will present:— GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.2

“Resolved, That we ask that a German monthly church paper be published, in which our German brethren and sisters can be instructed, and reports of our laborers can be published.” GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.3

I would move that this resolution be adopted by this body of stockholders. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.4

G. H. Smith: Mr. Chairman, I second the motion. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.5

The Chair: You have heard the resolution. It has been moved and seconded that it be adopted. It is now before you for consideration. Perhaps all did not hear it. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.6

The Chair [reading]: “Resolved that we ask that a German monthly church paper be published, in which our German brethren and sisters can be instructed, and reports of our laborers can be published.” GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.7

F. D. Starr: I would like to ask if there is any idea about how large the subscription list would be? GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.8

H. Schultz: I do not know just how large the subscription list will be; but we will see to it that every one of our brethren, every family, has one of them at least. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.9

S. H. Lane: How high price paper should it be? What do you think the constituency would be willing to pay for a monthly paper? GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.10

H. Schultz: I do not know as to that; but it seems to me that it could be made quite a cheap paper. I do not think that, coming once a month, it should be very high. I do not like to have a thing run that falls behind. I believe in paying as you go, and owing no man anything. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.11

The Chair: Any further remarks? GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.12

R. F. Andrews: It seems to me, brethren, that this idea of giving our German brethren an opportunity to read the printed page is right. This message is to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And there are a great many Germans in our country, and a goodly number of them are deeply interested in the truth; and it seems to me that it is the least thing we can do is to give them an opportunity to read at least a little of the truth in their own language. I would be heartily in favor of granting the wishes of these brethren in giving this matter to them, so they can read it. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.13

L. R. Conradi: I am not a stockholder; but I will say what we are doing over in Germany. We are publishing, besides our missionary paper, a church paper for our people. Our missionary paper has a circulation now of about 17,000, and we attach a church paper, extra, every month, giving the reports of our field, of Russia and Germany, and we furnish it for 25 cents a year, even over here in America, with double postage. The reason we do this is because we think we are doing missionary work. We think enough comes back to pay us; and by uniting our missionary paper with the church paper, we find that we are not falling behind. We make them both pay. That is the price we charge,—25 cents, even delivered here in America, at double postage. So surely one ought to be gotten out here for 25 cents. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.14

S. H. Lane: Mr. Chairman, I am in favor of the proposition before us. There is no foreign paper that the Review and Herald Office is printing at the present time that is paying expenses; but the German work comes nearest to it of any other foreign work. The German paper has been gaining ground financially every year for several years. They have several thousand subscribers at present; and, although I have not the exact figures, the deficit the past year has been less than $500. And if they gain ground as rapidly during the next year as they have the past year or two, they will more than pay their expenses. The Germans seem to be alive. They are working their papers, books, tracts, and pamphlets into every nook and corner; and we have been very much encouraged by the activity of the editor and all connected with their work. Now, if they will do as Brother Schultz proposes, to have the paper small, and then put it in every family, I know not why an eight page, twenty-five-cent paper may not the president vacate the chair, and the pay its way. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.15

J. J. Graf: In addition to what has been said, I wish to call attention to this fact: I believe the present German paper can be made a better missionary paper by keeping out of it some of the things that have been published in it; and for that reason I am inclined to think it would be a benefit to the present paper if a church paper were published, that it may increase the interest in the missionary work, and further the cause in general. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.16

T. Valentiner: As has been said, our paper is being used as a missionary paper. We have churches in New York, Milwaukee, and other large cities, that the last few nights we have spoken about how to get men to work in the different cities, with this paper. Some of our people donate five, ten, or fifteen dollars to pay for the distribution of the paper. We have received quite a large sum of money in this way, and we still have some money left. We have had some men at work in the different States. Last summer there was one man at work in Omaha, and a year ago, a man in Cleveland. With some assistance, he used two hundred and fifty or three hundred papers. Our aim is to find ten, or a dozen, or twenty, or as many as we can get, to do this work, and give them what papers they want to work with, and get them to doing house-to-house work, and if they do not fully make their living in this way, that we assist them in some other way. These brethren can not use the papers if there are reports of our laborers in them. GCB April 19, 1901, page 335.17

There are other objectionable features about this paper also. There is no reason why we should not have a church paper. There are many reasons why we should have a German church paper. There are many things we should like to say to our own brethren that would not be of interest to others. There is St. Louis, Cincinnati, and other large cities in this country that have hundreds of thousands of Germans. If we can assist people from our funds to do a house-to-house work with these papers, I think it will accomplish a large amount of good. GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.1

The Chair: The question is on the adoption of this resolution:— GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.2

The question is called on the motion to adopt this resolution. As many as favor its adoption say Aye; opposed, No. It is carried unanimously. GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.4

At this point a German brother asked for specific information with reference to the loss on the publication of the German paper during the past year; but as there was so much important business before the house, and as there were comparatively few who would care to listen to the lengthy explanation which would be necessary, it was suggested that all persons who were desirous of getting this information arrange with the Superintendent to explain it at a special meeting in the Review and Herald chapel. The Superintendent said he would be very glad to explain the matter in detail to any one who was sufficiently interested to listen to him. GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.5

The Chair also stated that any who wished to examine the details of the Auditor’s work would be afforded an opportunity to do so if he would call at the Treasurer’s office. GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.6

The Chair: Before listening to the report of the election. I would like to call the attention of the stockholders to the fact that there are some shares of stock in the hands of the association to be disposed of. Quite a number of shares were taken last year at the close of the meeting, and there are still shares on hand. If there is anybody who would like to purchase one or more, I think it would be a good thing for a number of the brethren who are not stockholders at present to take one or more of these, so as to multiply the constituency, and make more men available for membership of the Board of Trustees. The old stockholders are dying off, and the constituency of the association is narrowing down, especially those who are competent or capable of filling the offices in connection with the association. And the association is so organized that you can not go outside of it to select any person to act as a member of the board. If there are any persons here who would like to take one or more shares of stock, just hold up your hands. [A number raised the hand]. Well, there are quite a number here. If you will speak to the Secretary at the close of the meeting, he will be glad to take your names, and certificates will be issued in due time. We will now listen to the teller’s report of the election. GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.7

Teller: Total number of shares voted, 4,985. I. H. Evans received 4,746; C. M. Christiansen, 4,652; W. C. Sisley, 260; P. T. Magan, 81; J. W. Collie, 88; W. H. Edwards, 25; J. O. Corliss, 15; R. A. Underwood, 10; F. E. Belden, 10; S. H. Lane, 8; A. G. Daniells, 2. Two ballots were put in without signatures, and 77 votes without the person named for whom the stockholders wanted to vote. GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.8

The Chair: You have heard the report of the tellers, and the nominees are elected.—I. H. Evans and C. M. Christiansen. What is the further pleasure of the stockholders? GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.9

W. C. Sisley: I would like to extend an invitation to all who have not already done so, to visit our manufacturing department. We would be glad to have you come in there whenever you can find opportunity between meetings. Our regular time is 10 o’clock, but we waive that, and would be glad to show you through the institution. GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.10

The meeting adjourned, sine die. GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.11

G. A. IRWIN, President.
C. D. RHODES, Secretary.

“IT is faith in something, and enthusiasm for something, that makes a life worth looking at” GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.12

“BLESSED is he that readeth.” GCB April 19, 1901, page 336.13