A. G. Daniells occupied the chair, and called a meeting of the General Conference Association of the Seventh-day Adventists.GCB June 3, 1909, page 304.13

He first read the call for this meeting, stating that it was to be held May 28, at 12 o’clock, and stated that all delegates of the General Conference session are members of the Association.GCB June 3, 1909, page 304.14

The first business to come before the meeting was the report of the treasurer of the association, I. H. Evans, which report was read by S. E. McNeill, and will be found on page 22 of the BULLETIN. The accompanying report of the auditor was read.GCB June 3, 1909, page 304.15

The Chair (A. G. Daniells) : What will you do with this report?GCB June 3, 1909, page 304.16

Upon motion of E. W. Farnsworth, seconded by E. T. Russell, the report was adopted.GCB June 3, 1909, page 304.17

O. A. Olsen: The report is a splendid one.GCB June 3, 1909, page 304.18

A. G. Daniells: The question is raised, What has been the gain during the quadrennial period? At the beginning of the period the insolvency was $18,454.54; at the present time the present worth is $4,938.30; so that the gain was $23,392.84.GCB June 3, 1909, page 304.19

C. McReynolds: Can we have information as to the source from which these gains have been made?GCB June 3, 1909, page 304.20

I. H. Evans: From wills and legacies received, and from the money that wasGCB June 3, 1909, page 304.21

[ADVERTISEMENT] turned over by vote of the last session of the General Conference, which authorized that fifteen per cent of the general funds be appropriated to the liquidation of the debts of the association.GCB June 3, 1909, page 305.1

A. G. Daniells: Has all the fifteen per cent been turned over?GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.1

I. H. Evans: No, sir; to both corporations—the General Conference Association and the General Conference Corporation—in the neighborhood of $20,000; whereas we were entitled to turn over, according to vote, $120,000. But with the pressure of need in the mission fields we never had the money so that we could do it.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.2

W. T. Bartlett: Does that mean that money contributed to foreign missions is applied toward the payment of debts here?GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.3

A. G. Daniells: This question is raised: Is the money contributed to foreign missions applied on debts here? I would like to have the treasurer answer that question.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.4

I. H. Evans: At the last session of the General Conference, it was voted, in open session, that, instead of going out and collecting new funds in the States for the liquidation of the debts of the General Conference, which had been accumulating by investments in foreign fields, we should make an appropriation of fifteen per cent of the money raised for mission work, to help the General Conference in paying these debts. That was considered by the delegates as being the best way of getting the money with which to pay these debts. We have not done this simply because there was never enough in the treasury to carry on our foreign work, and make this appropriation from year to year.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.5

E. E. Andross: What per cent has really been turned over?GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.6

I. H. Evans: You can figure it out for yourself. We have had $880,000 for foreign work; we have turned over to both corporations, I suppose, in the neighborhood of $24,000 or $25,000. Brother Prescott says it is about three per cent.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.7

W. A. Spicer: I think it ought to be emphasized that the old General Conference Association debts, as Brother Evans says, were accumulated by helping in the foreign fields. For instance, the General Conference bore our old London publishing expenses for many a year; so that this indebtedness really represents expenditures in mission fields, in the days when the association was financing missions, and hence it was perfectly proper that the missionary funds should be used in liquidating them.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.8

I. H. Evans: The Mission Board invested at one time over $100,000 in these various enterprises, which was paid out of the funds of the General Conference. Until a few years ago, the General Conference Association financed the work in foreign fields, and in that way acquired a large legacy of debts. They borrowed money, and expended it in these fields. and they have never yet been reimbursed for all these investments.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.9

C. McReynolds: Four years ago there was also another point considered, and that was the moral obligation to persons that had loaned their money to the General Conference Association. There were certain people who had put in probably nearly all they had, and it was considered that there was a definite moral obligation on our part to meet these debts.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.10

A. G. Daniells: The brethren ought to be informed that eight years ago the General Conference Association was owing $300,000, and it had practically ceased to be an active and useful corporation, because the change in our plan of operating had superseded it. So it was not an active affair, but it had these old obligations of $300,000. I want to tell you that I am glad to see that obligation cut down to $64,000, and thankful that in these four years we have been able to wipe out $23,000 of this obligation. If we had felt able to take the money that was voted to the association, we would have wiped the debt all out, but we did not want to take it out of the mission fields. Now we ought to go on reducing these few thousands to perhaps five thousand dollars, and then let it run along that way until the association expires by limitation, in 1915, I think it is. Then it will be clear out, out of the courts and out of existence.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.11

H. S. Shaw: I believe that the policy of the General Conference in authorizing fifteen per cent of the funds to be used in this way is a good thing. There ought to be a good understanding among our people, however, as to the nature of these old obligations, so that no one will get a wrong impression. It is very easy to get something started in minds that will tie up the funds.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.12

A. G. Daniells: It hasn’t tied them up these four years.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.13

L. W. Graham: What is the nature of these bills receivable?GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.14

A. G. Daniells: One of the bills is $45,000 or $48,000 or $50,000 against the Boulder Sanitarium. I do not know the exact figures, but it is nearly the whole $55,000.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.15

I. H. Evans: I would like to call attention to the gains of the General Conference during the past four years. We have gained, in the General Conference itself, during the four years, $54,736.21. That is, we wiped out $47,965.50 of deficit, and now have resources $6,770.71, making a gain in the General Conference of $54,736.21. Then we have gained in the association $23,392.84, and in the corporation, $11,395.31, making a total gain in the General Conference during the last four years of $89,524.36.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.16

A. G. Daniells: That is on the three lines of operation. Now are you ready for action on the motion to adopt this report of the association?GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.17

The question was called, and the motion carried.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.18

A. G. Daniells: We have no committees to appoint, so a motion to adjourn will be in order.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.19

E. W. Farnsworth: I move we as an association adjourn.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.20

Motion was seconded and carried.GCB June 3, 1909, page 306.21

A. G. DANIELS, Chairman.
H. E. ROGERS, Secretary.

Missionary Talks - A TALK ON FIJI

GENERAL CONFERENCE CORPORATION