General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4

THE CANVASSING WORK

Report of Canvassers’ Convention, April 13.

(Concluded.)

He should have right business principles, and if he has not taken these into consideration in his experience, then he had better try to find out what true business principles are, that he may teach them to the agent, and teach him how to keep his accounts, and how sacred the funds of the Lord are. GCB April 1, 1901, page 489.1

When a minister goes out and raises up a church, the first thing he tries to present to those members who accepted the truth is the gospel principles of paying tithe to the Lord. It is just as sacred, I believe, for them to pay their debts, or to pay their obligations to the tract society, as to the Lord, because it is all one work of the Lord. GCB April 1, 1901, page 489.2

S. D. Hartwell: I can indorse what the former speaker has said in reference to the matter of agents’ being trained to regard as sacred their financial responsibilities to the office. It is necessary to train agents and instruct them upon their responsibilities to the office. We have dealt with many agents, and in dealing with them we have not had sufficient time to train them in that particular line. My experience has been that agents have made their greatest mistake at the beginning of their experience. GCB April 1, 1901, page 489.3

In reference to the second clause, “How can a canvasser keep out of debt?” It seems to me that about the first thing they should be instructed in, is how to keep out of debt. My experience is that a great many canvassers are allowed to get into debt in the beginning of their experience. It is not those who have been long in the work we have trouble with in this respect. Almost invariably it has been necessary for us to enter an account with them when entering the work. Sometimes they need help in one way and sometimes in another, but it is almost always necessary to open an account with them. It seems to me if some plan can be devised whereby they can be started out in the work free from this incumbrance, and free from any desire to be incumbered with debt, a great step will be taken. GCB April 1, 1901, page 489.4

In our State it is almost necessary that we have an account with each agent from the fact that the laws of the State are that the ownership of the books shall rest with the publishing house. If the agent purchases the books, they become his own, and he lays himself liable to the State law for a license, so you see it is necessary for us to have an account with them, but some are in debt with us all the time. The first principle is how shall they be trained so as to regard that obligation as sacred, that they may never take any advantage of the situation in which they are of necessity placed,—in fact take no advantage of us in the necessity in which we are placed, and thus we will get along without any trouble. GCB April 1, 1901, page 489.5

H. H. Hall: I think, brethren and sisters, that we now have something that will enable us to impress this matter of keeping out of debt as we never have had before. I refer to “Christ’s Object Lessons.” As a people we have been educated to go into debt. Our conferences, our schools, everything we have, has been in debt. You know how it is, and our canvassers do it as a matter of course. This is wrong. The principle you will find laid down in the sale of “Object Lessons” is to get out of debt. Begin with the schools first, and then the other institutions will be taken hold of the same way. Now we must bring this same principle to bear upon our canvassing work, that it is wrong to get into debt. GCB April 1, 1901, page 489.6

E. P. Boggs: Brother Hall, where should a line of educational reform begin? You say it is to begin with the schools. Where should it begin? GCB April 1, 1901, page 489.7

H. H. Hall: In the schools, certainly. We should keep this thing continually before the people, that we have come to the time when we are going to pay our debts, and are not going to run into debt. I trust we may come to the place where we will regard the money belonging to the Lord just as sacredly as the Sabbath. I believe that as we impress this on our conferences, schools, and churches, we shall have very little difficulty in the matter of canvassers going into debt. GCB April 1, 1901, page 489.8

W. M. Lee: I would like to ask a question of Brother Boggs—I know he has engaged in this canvassing work and instructed agents for the work—how much time he takes in presenting to them business principles in his line of instruction; whether the burden of his instruction is on the canvassing work, as to how to present the book, to sell books, etc. GCB April 1, 1901, page 489.9

E. P. Boggs: We consider that the matter of sound business principles is of as much importance as is the understanding of the book. A man who goes out into the field unprepared to take up and carry the financial end of his business will just as surely fail as will the man who goes out not understanding how to present his book. We take a sufficient amount of time in our school work to make them proficient in the lines of business. Starting in with reporting, making up their daily and weekly reports, and keeping an actual account of their daily expenses—in fact, every item. If they buy a postage stamp, we have them set that down, so that they can tell how much money they have spent for postage stamps, how much for soda water, and useless things,—things which they would be better off without. In this way they keep a strict account of all their accounts. Then when they come to purchase their books they can keep an actual account of the money taken in and the amount disbursed. GCB April 1, 1901, page 489.10

The best way to do is to send cash with order. That is really the strict business principle; that should be the standard we should educate up to. But whenever a tract society has sufficient confidence in agents to send them books and open an account with them, then we tell them that 50 per cent of every book they deliver should be returned to the tract society. Fifty per cent, and in fact I go farther than that in this, that they first take out money enough from the books they have ordered to settle in full for the shipment of books to the tract society. That is the true principle. When an agent orders books, they will belong to that agent when he pays for them, not before. GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.1

I have been watching the matter closely from time to time in the matter of payment for books, etc. I have noticed some instruction on this point in the “Manual to Canvassers.” I will not take time to read all it says: “Debts to Publishing Houses.—The loose way in which canvassers, both old and young, have performed their work, shows that they have many important lessons to learn. Much haphazard work has been presented to me.” I do not believe canvassers are altogether to blame for that. You can go right from the General Conference clear down through. This idea of indebtedness has permeated the whole organization. Yet the canvasser was just as liable as the rest of us, and God wants us to raise the standard, not only in profession of faith, but in our business methods. The Testimonies years ago told us that we needed bookkeepers, and I believe bookkeeping is as much a part of the work of God as is preaching the third angel’s message from the desk. GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.2

[Reading.] “Some have established themselves in deficient habits, and their deficiency has been brought into the work of God.” If these deficiencies have been brought into the work of God, what must we do? We must work these deficiencies out. GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.3

“The tract and missionary societies have been deeply involved in debt through the failure of the canvassers to meet their indebtedness. Canvassers have felt that they were ill-treated if required to pay promptly for the books received from the publishing house. Yet to require prompt remittal is the only way in which to carry on business.” And whenever we let a canvasser get shipment after shipment of books, each time increasing his indebtedness perhaps $10 on every 100 books shipped, or in that ratio and proportion, we are not doing that canvasser a kindness. GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.4

W. C. McCuaig: What if you had a canvasser who wanted to give his note for a shipment of books? GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.5

E. P. Boggs: His note? GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.6

W. C. McCuaig: I do not see how we can do it, but we have had that in our State. GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.7

E. P. Boggs: We don’t take notes. There may be instances in which I would accept a note. I do not recollect any instance now to make it necessary. [Reading.] “Matters should be so arranged that canvassers shall have enough to live on without overdrawing. This door of temptation must be closed and barred. However honest a canvasser may be, circumstances will arise in his work which will be a sore temptation to him.” That is true. “When they get into difficulty, some canvassers expect that money is to be drawn from the treasury to help them out, only to get into strait places again to require help. Those who are stewards of the means in the treasury must keep a sharp outlook to see that the supply is not exhausted by these drafts.” I believe that whenever an individual comes to a place where after a sufficient demonstration he can not keep in the field and do the work, I believe it is time to let him get out. Help him, suggest something else to him. No doubt you may think my last statement a little strong. [Reading.] “When men can not by canvassing bring into the treasury every dollar that belongs to it rightly, let them stop just where they are.” That is my impression. They should not engage in canvassing unless they can be the means of bringing into the treasury, rather than robbing it. GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.8

Mary F. Beatty: I will say just a few words. I would like to give one thought on the canvasser keeping out of debt. I notice that a great many people have gotten into debt. They think the future is going to be very bright, they are going to have wonderful success in selling their books. Then if they do not have very good success, they will say, “I will use this money, and with the next pay the tract society. This is not the right principle. I know in my own experience I would not want to go any further than at present. I want to live within my income. I have tried, with what little business I have had with agents, to inculcate that principle. I have not succeeded in all cases. GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.9

How can a tract society secretary best help the canvasser in his work? I believe he can teach him right principles about his business transactions; and be an encouragement and a help to him. This is our duty as well as our pleasure. One way we can do this and help them is to write to them. I find it is a great help to our workers to write them. Sometimes I have been very busy, and could not write to them. They would say, “I did not receive a letter from you this Friday, and was disappointed.” I try to help them and encourage them in the work. While I try to help them spiritually, I try to help them on this other line. The Lord has blessed our work in Nebraska. We have tried to work together. We have done something for the Master. GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.10

B. W. Spire: I want to talk on the subject of debt. It is something that I abhor. I believe the quicker we come to the principle that the apostle laid down, the better it will be for us all. GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.11

Now brethren, it may seem strange, but I believe our general agents and State agents are largely to blame for the canvasser getting into debt. (J. B. Blosser: That is so. That is true.) I might relate to you a number of instances, if time permitted, but one will suffice. There was a brother who came into the truth from a worldly business, and he entered the canvassing work in our State. Well, about the first order he sent in I think was about $50 or $75 worth of books. I said to myself right away, I can not send those books. Our canvassing agent was there, and he said, “You send them.” There were several others there, and they all advised me to send the books. That was a larger bill than I knew that man could meet. The consequence was, that man had to leave the field, and he has an account of $40 or $50 which he can not pay. GCB April 1, 1901, page 490.12

S. E. Wight: Did he have orders for those books? GCB April 1, 1901, page 491.1

B. W. Spire: No. What Brother Boggs read is my idea. To require prompt remittance is our only hope to succeed in business. Brethren, I have been dealing with a tract society in debt the last three years. We are thousands of dollars in debt, and we are struggling under that load. We have canvassers who are owing us large sums, and there are many who are not in the work to-day because they are in debt to the society. GCB April 1, 1901, page 491.2

W. C. McCuaig: I would like to ask a question. Suppose a brother wants $10 worth of books, but has not the money to pay for them. He wants to read up and prepare himself for the work in some way. GCB April 1, 1901, page 491.3

B. W. Spire: Brethren, if the canvasser has not had instruction in business, he should have. Be careful about his getting into debt. There is a principle involved in this, that you are doing a man an injustice when you let him run in debt head over heels. There are a number of men who are not in the field because they owe the tract society $100 or so, and they can not pay that debt. We have come to the place that we have had to say to our brethren. You can not have books unless you pay cash for them. We have found that the canvassers who have been the most prompt to pay up their accounts and send in money have been the men who have made their marks in the field. There may be exceptions in this cash business. I would not advocate it. We must come into sound business principles, and educate our canvassers in their financial obligations. GCB April 1, 1901, page 491.4

T. E. Bowen: Time is about up. I would like to ask a question. How many would like to pay for things they have not ordered themselves. You see when an agent orders books more than he has orders for, the tract society secretary is expected to pay for them, yet the agent who is out in the field orders them. It often results that these books come back to the tract society that has to pay for them. GCB April 1, 1901, page 491.5

J. B. Blosser: I do not like to give personal experiences, but I will state that I had to meet his thing in a very forcible manner, and I had to cast about to find some means to bring agents out of this way of doing business. When I came to the Texas Conference, I found 11 agents owing the tract society $1,625, and the tract society owed the publishers $3,600. I had learned by experience in the work in Oklahoma that the principle the canvassers should work on is, “Owe no man anything.” We taught them that the books did not belong to them; that they were stewards. When they paid for the books they belonged to them. Whenever a book passed out of their hands they were expected to remit to the tract society. The Lord has blessed us. We have trained our canvassers to pay their way as they go, by the use of helps, and by getting some advanced payment on orders, they could get along, and when delivery came they would not be in debt. The principal thing is for the canvasser to keep out of debt. If we have this firmly impressed on his mind it will solve the problem. GCB April 1, 1901, page 491.6

E. P. Boggs then announced that inasmuch as there was such an interest in this meeting, and as the time was too short for due consideration, that the same subject would be taken up to-night at the college. GCB April 1, 1901, page 491.7

Meeting closed with benediction. GCB April 1, 1901, page 491.8