G. A. Irwin: This hour will be devoted to the plan of relieving our schools by means of “Christ’s Object Lessons.” When this plan was adopted, it was suggested that a committee be appointed to have charge of the work. A committee of seven persons was thus appointed, and the committee was organized by the selection of Elder Lane as chairman and Professor Magan as secretary. These brethren will lead out in the consideration of the subject this morning.GCB April 14, 1901, page 209.6

S. H. Lane: The facts in regard to the selection of the committee have just been stated to you, and I do not need to state any more facts, only to declare to you that we have held several meetings. We have considered the field carefully, and have done all in our power, to bring the matter before our brethren and sisters everywhere. The secretary, Professor Magan has attended many of the meetings, laid the matter before them, and we want to state to you that our brethren and sisters everywhere, as far as they have been reached, have responded nobly, as the report if the secretary will declare. There has not been anything introduced for many years that has taken so well and so generally as has the sale of “Object Lessons” for the relief of our schools.GCB April 14, 1901, page 209.7

Perhaps it would not be out of place to state that the schools that are in debt, some more, some less, are the schools at South Lancaster, Mass.; Battle Creek, Mich., Mount Vernon, Ohio; Graysville. Tenn.; Huntsville. Ala.; Keene. Texas; College View, Lincoln, Neb.; Healdsburg, Cal.; and Walla Walla in the far Northwest. The principal debts of those schools that are most deeply in debt are the Battle Creek College and the Union College. As the report will show the aggregate principal, and the interest on the same, I need say nothing further on that. I will state, however, that the field has not as yet been thoroughly worked. Quite a number of campmeetings have been attended, perhaps half, and the matter laid before them; and although something has been done, it is only a beginning. I hope we shall lay plans at this Conference to prosecute this work more thoroughly than it has been carried on heretofore, and that all will take hold with all the zeal and vim the Lord may give to them to make this work a glorious success.GCB April 14, 1901, page 209.8

P. T. Magan: I have been praying earnestly that God would help me this morning to lay the plan before all of you in just the right way. I am sure that it is with a deep sense of thankfulness that we all realize that the work for the relief of our schools has at least begun.GCB April 14, 1901, page 209.9

One year ago at this time, practically nothing had been done. Every college and academy which we possessed in this country was burdened with a heavy debt. These debts aggregated three hundred and thirty thousand dollars. For a long time these debts had been growing. As the debts grew, the courage of our brethren and sisters decreased. In fact, I believe it almost came to be a settled fact that those debts never could be paid. At least, we thought that, if they ever were paid, it would be because God would especially interpose to help in some miraculous way. The thing had gone so far that it was practically impossible for our schools to continue to run unless relief came to them. The interest upon these debts aggregated somewhere in the neighborhood of $16,500 a year. This enormous amount was paid out every year in interest upon these debts. The interest itself was so large that the majority of our schools were unable to meet it out of their earnings. It was utterly impossible for them to do this, and then more money had to be borrowed periodically by the General Conference Association and the different college corporations to pay this interest. So that the debts were forever increasing until, as I have stated before, it seemed almost impossible that they ever should be paid.GCB April 14, 1901, page 209.10

A number of letters were written to Sister White upon the subject. The matter was quite thoroughly laid before her, and again and again she answered that she would be glad to send a ringing appeal to all our people to help to reduce these debts; but that the angel of the Lord restrained her from doing so until our schools adopted right principles. At last the letters began to come that now the schools were working toward the plans of God, that old wrongs were being righted, and that God recognized the attempts that were being made to get right, and that she felt clear before the Lord to ask our people to help reduce these debts. So I believe, my brethren, that we not only have cause to be thankful this morning that God has given us a plan, whereby the debts can be raised, and has also cheered us with the message that our schools are getting right.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.1

I am thankful to say that at last the ever-rising tide of debt has been stayed. It has not only been stayed, but it has been turned. Some substantial work has already been done; Some substantial payments have been made. The aggregate amount of debts is now considerably smaller than when the work first began.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.2

At first this work came almost as a shock to our people. They had fallen into complete despair over the matter of the payment of these debts, and when the news went out throughout the land that Sister White had given her book, “Christ’s Object Lessons,” and called upon all the people to take hold and sell the book for the benefit of the schools, it was such a new and strange way of paying a debt; at least it looked so then, that it took considerable time before we really began to get the value of it through our heads and into our minds. But I believe we all agree to one thing this morning, and that is that God has several purposes in this matter. First, he wants to bring relief to our schools. Second, he desires that the disgrace which has been against the name of the denomination, be wiped away, and that the reproach be rolled back. Third, I believe that he wants to bind the hearts of his people everywhere more closely to this educational work in its grand reform phases of the last days. Fourth, I believe that God wants us to bring all our people everywhere, and all of our laborers, back to our old-time spirit of selling our literature, and that instead of setting aside a small army of what are called “regular canvassers,” and thinking they, and they only, can sell books, the Lord wants to teach us that every soul, even the children, can scatter precious pages everywhere, and thus carry the truth to the world. Lastly, God designs that this work bless not only the people of the world, but also that it shall bless us, and assist in our sanctification and preparation for the kingdom.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.3

At the General Conference at South Lancaster, we thought that some one from the world had been moved upon to help us to pay our debts. But, my brethren, in this plan God is causing the world to pay our debts. As we sell these books to the people of the world, the money of the world, rather than the money of the denomination, is being utilized with which to pay off the debts on our schools; and while we are called upon to work for this money, that is in itself a benefit and a blessing. Better still, God has confidence in us yet, that we will arise and work—work loyally for his cause till every debt is swept away. If he had not this confidence, he would not thus appeal.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.4

Sister White made a proposition to give all her royalties, all the money which in any way she might have invested in the preparation of the manuscript of “Christ’s Object Lessons” for the purpose of relieving the schools. She asked, then, that the committee which was appointed negotiate with the publishing houses, and ask them to help in this matter. The Review and Herald and the Pacific Press responded liberally, and agreed to donate the work on the construction of three hundred thousand copies of the book. The Pacific Press agreed to do the work, free of cost, on 150,000 copies, and the Review and Herald agreed to do the work, free of cost, on an equal number.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.5

The committee made a call upon our brethren and sisters to raise the money to pay for the illustrations in the book, the setting of the type, and the making of the plates. We were also asked to pay for sets of plates to go to Australia, England, Germany, and Scandinavia. The proceeds from the sale of the book in England will go to establish a school in England. The proceeds of the sales in Germany will be used to help the school work there. The money raised by sales in the Scandinavian countries will help the publishing house there, and schools now established and yet to be established in those countries.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.6

I will say that up to date the following amounts of money have been raised and disbursed by the committee. First of all, I might say that we have already sent, free of cost, and all paid for by donations raised in this country, the plates to the Australian publishing house; we have also raised the money and paid for a set of plates, and sent them to England, and the work is now almost completed on the German and Danish plates. We are held on the matter of the Swedish plates as the one who is translating the book in Sweden has been sick, and the work has not gone forward as fast as we might wish.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.7

The total receipts on this large fund for the relief of the schools, out of which these various accounts are being met, are $15,936.02. There has been paid to the Review and Herald for the material to be used in “Christ’s Object Lessons,” for advertising matter, canvasses, blanks, circulars of one kind or another, and the publication of the little testimony entitled “Rolling Back the Reproach,” the sum of $7,473.19.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.8

Mrs. E. G. White: That comes out of the sum that you have stated?GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.9

P. T. Magan: Yes, that comes out of the $15,936.02. There has been paid to the Pacific Press Publishing Company, in New York, for illustrations and initial expense $1,506.46. There has been paid to the Pacific Press Publishing Company, Oakland, Cal., for material and initial expense, $1,951.23. I will say that the Pacific Press has had a large number of its quota of books made at the Review and Herald, paying the Review and Herald for doing the work. That is why it is that the sum of money paid to the Review and Herald in all is so much greater than that paid to the Pacific Press.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.10

There has been paid to sundry firms and accounts for general expense, $403.84. That includes the purchase of two typewriters; it includes the postage which has been used; it includes the paying of men for translating these books into the foreign languages.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.11

The committee has in hand, in cash, to-day the sum of $4,601.30. This sum, however, will all soon be used in paying for the initial expense on the foreign editions, and in paying for editions which are now coming out of the book in the English.GCB April 14, 1901, page 210.12

I have here a tabulated form, not perfectly complete, but as complete as we can get it, of the number of books sold in the different school districts, the amounts of money which have been paid to the different schools, and thus the general reduction of the school debts.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.1

I would say, in general, that between 70,000 and 75,000 copies of “Christ’s Object Lessons” have been shipped out from our publishing houses. Of course some of these books are in the hands of the branch publishing houses, and so will not appear in the totals of sales given here.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.2

In the Union College district, as nearly as we can ascertain, there have been 14,078 copies sold; the value, at $1.25 a copy, would be $17,722.50. The amount of cash received by the school from the tract societies is $10,363.37, all of which, I understand, has been paid out, immediately upon its receipt, on the debt. There is still owing to Union College by the tract societies $10,671.57.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.3

You will notice as I read this report, that a considerable amount of money is owing to the different schools by the tract societies. But that comes in this way: the first copies of this book were received only the last days of the month of October by the sales departments of our publishing houses. It took some time to get the books to the branch houses and to the tract societies, more to get them out to the churches and considerable more to start the work in the churches; and as a good deal of this money is returned from the librarians, it will not appear until their reports, which closed March 31, come in. Very few of these reports are included in this report. That is why there is so much money outstanding on the part of the tract societies toward the schools.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.4

In the Battle Creek College district there have been 13,739 books sold. The value would be $16,762.53. The amount of cash received is $8,963.62. The amount of cash still owing is $7,061.90.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.5

The third school is South Lancaster. There have been sold in its territory 9,342 books; the value is $11,677.50. There has been paid to the school $3,752. There is owing to the school $8,284.38.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.6

The Walla Walla College district has sold 3,906 books; value, $4,882.50. The amount of cash which has been received is $1,000; the amount owing, $1,083.80.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.7

The Mt. Vernon Academy has sold 3,000 books in the State of Ohio; value, $4,750. They have received on their debt, $1,800, and there is owing them by the tract society, $1,200.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.8

The Keene Academy has sold 2,488, at a value of $3,110, and reports that that school has received $816.75 in cash, and that there is due it $1,174.85.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.9

The Oakwood Industrial School reports that it has received $140 in cash.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.10

Healdsburg College has not rendered a report, as the whole movement was deferred in that territory until this spring.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.11

No report has been received from the Southern Missionary Society.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.12

These reports which I have given would show actual sales that we know of (there have been a number more unaccounted for, but actual sales accounted for) to the number of 46,553 books. The value would be $58,925.03; and the total amounts received and due our schools, $57,372.24. So that, provided the tract societies pay all that they are owing to the schools (and I do not think there is any reason to suppose that they will not pay all this money), there has been already produced by this enterprise, for the benefit of the schools, $57,372.24.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.13

My attention is called to the fact that I omitted the Southern Industrial School, Graysville. Graysville has reported $575 received in cash, and $475 still due.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.14

I presume that a few words in regard to the pledges might be of some interest. The total value of all pledges taken in this movement, outside of cash payments made, without pledges, is $18,543.65. Of this amount, $10,869.90 is in definite money pledges, to be paid in a certain time; a large number of these have already been paid. The total value of pledges due up to date, and paid, equals $1,882.60; while the total value of pledges due to date, and not paid, is only $450.25. On the other hand, the total value of pledges paid before they are due is $2,388.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.15

There has also been a considerable amount of property given to the different schools since this movement began, which is not included in this report.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.16

I do not know that there is much more that I need to say. Your committee has no power to make definite recommendations to this Conference. We understood that we were simply chosen to act until this Conference should convene, and that now it will be the duty of this Conference to provide for the further conduct of the work in whatever way it may seem best.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.17

First, we would ask this Conference to take under consideration the advisability of establishing a permanent relief department in connection with the General Conference, this department to make its special work the carrying on of a campaign to liquidate the indebtedness of the denomination.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.18

Second, we would ask this Conference to take under consideration the advisability of starting an educational movement among our laborers and brethren and sisters generally, to set aside a certain time each year for the pushing of the book work by everybody. I would like to say a word or two on that point.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.19

We have found, brethren, that our churches have largely lapsed into the idea that the regular canvassers alone are to do the book work; and the oldtime burden of scattering our literature is not among us as it should be. We believe that, with the fear of God in our hearts, and hope and courage and loyalty to this message burning in our souls, if our ministers will work diligently to educate the church members to take hold of the sale of our publications once more, that we can sell millions of pages where we are now selling thousands; and that this work will be a cause of great blessing to our churches.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.20

There have been most encouraging reports from the churches which have taken hold actively in this movement. I am also glad to say that we have had most encouraging letters and words from the people of the world, in regard to the way that we have taken hold to pay our debts.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.21

Not long ago, in Chicago, I was introduced to a man who is many times a millionaire. When he met me, although I had never seen him before, did not suppose he had ever heard of me, he said: “Oh, yes, aren’t you the Seventh-day Adventist who is pushing this book business to pay off your school debts?” I said, “I am doing what I can to help in it,” and intimated to him that I should like to sell him a book. “Oh,” he said, “my wife and I have already taken seven books, and we have sold some of those books ourselves, and given away others.” He said, “I want to tell you that if there was not another thing in that book outside of what is on the one hundred and forty-fifth page, it would be worth the whole price of the book, and if that one hundred and forty-fifth page was not there, the thoughts that are on the sixty-ninth page are worth more than the price of the book.” And he said, “My wife and I have read it and reread it, and are aiming to do everything in our power to help you to scatter it everywhere; and we commend you people for going about it to raise your money in this Christian way rather than by starting church fairs, raffles, and things of that kind. We admire your Christian courage in getting out and doing good, hard work yourselves, to raise these debts, rather than simply begging everybody to help you to pay them off by making gifts.” I believe, brethren, that the world itself has seen light in this plan, and that we are not only getting a large amount of literature before the world, but we are going to help our schools, and help our people and help the book work everywhere.GCB April 14, 1901, page 211.22

Now it is a fact that many of our brethren—and I say this without any spirit of criticism—and many of our brethren in the ministry have found it very hard to take hold of this book work. They have not only found it hard to do this, but when they have talked in a general way to the churches, our church members have complained that they did not seem themselves to know how to take hold of the work, to know how to educate the members themselves to do it. This point has been commented upon a great deal, and I believe that as ministers and laborers we want to wake up in our own hearts, in the fear of God, with the spirit which the pioneers had to sell literature, and not consider our ministry complete without it. It seems to me that that thing must be done.GCB April 14, 1901, page 212.1

Third. We would ask in a general way that some provision may be made by this Conference to call this whole matter to the attention of the Union Conferences, that they may lay wise plans for the systematic carrying forward of this work. I believe this, brethren: We must all recognize that in one sense the easy part of this work has been done. There were many who wanted to give a few books to friends; but now if we want to sell the whole 300,000 copies, it will take downright hard work, genuine effort, to get those books off. No half-hearted movement is going to do; and we may just as well face it with strong and willing hearts and loyal hands, now as any time. God has given us this work. He calls upon us to do it, and I believe that the Lord will bless a whole-souled movement to get in and be men, and work, and work hard, and make our headquarters, as Grant used to say, in the saddle; keep right out in the field where the people are, and the work is to be done, until this work is accomplished. More than that, if we as laborers let this thing cool off and drop back now, it will be almost impossible ever to make it go, or accomplish it again. We must, while God is moving upon the hearts of the people to do it, strain every nerve, and put all the help and all the Christian power and consecration into this work that we can possibly put into it.GCB April 14, 1901, page 212.2

I suppose the question arises in your minds as to whether all these debts can be paid off by means of this book? I don’t know that it was ever Sister White’s mind or the mind of anybody, that this book work would pay off the whole thing; but it was a plan which she believes was given her of God to start the movement, and to do a great part of it.GCB April 14, 1901, page 212.3

Some of our schools are situated entirely different from others. Some of them can do much more in paying off their debts through this movement than others can. There are many reasons for this. At present it seems to me that the serious attention of this Conference ought to be called especially to the condition of the Battle Creek College, and to measures which ought to be taken in order to relieve the situation in regard to that school. I will say frankly and plainly that the debt upon the Battle Creek College was larger than any of the other debts. It aggregated some eighty-four thousand dollars. This came largely through the erection of buildings on borrowed capital. Then the interest would accrue year by year, and in many cases, for lack of power to pay, the interest was simply added to the principal. And that in large part has been responsible for this great debt. I want my brethren to take this thought into consideration: The interest on all these debts is about $16,500 a year. Those figures are not exact. The interest varies from four per cent in some of our schools (although there is little money in our schools that is at four per cent; a large part of it is at five or six) to even ten per cent which has been paid for some money by the Keene Academy, and it was necessary for them to do this in order to keep the doors open at all. You can see that the longer this movement drags out, the more of this interest there will be. Now unless we do this work heartily and quickly, there will simply be another large account accruing from interest all the time, so that the more rapidly this is paid off the better.GCB April 14, 1901, page 212.4

Now in the case of the Battle Creek school, Sister White has kept sending Testimonies to us that we must establish small industrial schools outside of Battle Creek in various Conferences of this district, in order that our youth of younger years, say from 15 to 18 years of age, might be educated in the country away from the cities, and away from the wrong influences and troubles which have grown up in this large and congested center. The Testimonies kept on coming to us to establish that class of schools, and we were plainly told not to urge this middle class of students to come to the Battle Creek school. We have tried to act in the fair way in this matter. A school has been established at Woodland, Wis., another at Cedar Lake, Mich., and a third at Sheridan, Ill. These schools are small, are situated in the country, and are industrial in their nature, patterned. I believe, more largely after the Avondale school than any other class of schools among us. You can readily see that will cut down the attendance at the school here in Battle Creek most materially; and from the light given us, that attendance ought to be cut down. But once you cut the attendance down, you make it much harder to pay the running expenses of the plant. That is true from a financial standpoint. From the moral standpoint I don’t know that I need to add any more than what has been so plainly stated in the Testimonies,—that the school would be infinitely better off if it were located outside of Battle Creek.GCB April 14, 1901, page 212.5

Therefore, I believe that this body should seriously take under consideration the movement of the school from this place to a more favorable locality.GCB April 14, 1901, page 212.6

I think this is all that I need say at present, and with this report and these suggestions, your committee leaves this matter with you, and lays down its work.GCB April 14, 1901, page 212.7

Mrs. E. G. White: I wish to read this morning from Testimony No. 34:—GCB April 14, 1901, page 212.8

RAILROAD MATTERS

THE RELIEF OF OUR SCHOOLS