Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-03-20
AMERICAN RIBLE SoCIETy,
BIBLE HOUSE, AsTOR PLACE.

=
Rer. Vim. A. Chambers, Ageat for the
american Bible Society:
DEAR Sir: As the financial year of
our Society is now drawing towards a
close, we deem it expedient to call
your attention, and through you that
of the auxiliaries and friends Of the
Society, to our pecuniary condition.
We are now in the tenth month Of the
current year, and we are admonished
of the need of prompt liberality to
prevent q very serious falling of in
our receipts. Up to the first instant
the receipts are see, ,4Sa 10 behind those
of last year up to this time. The deti-
cheney is largely in our ordinary in-
come from sales of books and dona-
tions. Auxiliaries have been less
punctual in settling their accounts, and
the ordinary donations have been
smaller and fewer than in some years
past
But while the receipts have fallen of,
il is pleasing to know that the work Of
tha Snsiaty, instead OF diminishing, has
increased. While the receipts Of our
treasury are less than those of last year
| to the extent above mentioned, the
issue Of books is greater. Last year
up to this time our issues amounted to
49,, ,595 volumes; the present year they
have been 743,40l, being l0,SO6 more
than those of last year, though the last
month, we regret to say, has shown a
falling off. Then it should be remem-
bered that we make no profit on our
books, which are sold to purchasers at
cost, while the Society makes a dis
count TO auxiliaries Of five per cent. to
to pay expenses of transportation
storage, etc. This, however, is not so
much lost TO the Society, because what
the auxiliaries do not pay on book ac-
count, they do pay rs donations. The
discount, therefore, while it diminishes
their book account, increases their do
nations. To wealthy societies this is
but small matter, but to the feebler
ones 1t Is of some consequence, as II
makes their book account small, and
enables them to purchase more, thus
giving the books freer and wider cir
culatiOn. The object of the society Is
to spread the Holy Scriptures, and
money Is asked for only in view Of do
ing this more eifectually.
Meantime the demand for the Scrip
lures is increasing, and promises 10 in
crease more and more. The wants Or
our home population, the large arri-
walls of Immigrants, the settlement OF
new territories. the continued. demands
for freedmen, the supply of penal and
benevolent institutions, with hotels,
steamboats,, railroads, shipping, mis-.
| sion schools. and poor Sunday schools,
make large demands upon our deposi-
tory. We look to the friends of the
Bible for means To meet these calls.
Then ii should be remembered thai
the period il coming for making the
annual appropriations to Missiopary
Societies tor the foreign work Th;s
| is an important and encouraging fea.
tture. Il is Of vast inportance tI,at we
| be enabled 10 make ti,ese annronria. J.
tions with nj least our accustomed in.
| erality. Indeed. in many fields there
| il need of considerable increase. as the
work enlarges. and the way opens
more and more for the spread of the
Bible.
| Be 1t remembered too, that the va
rious Missionary Societies are extend
ing their fields and widening their OPP