The Portland daily press., 1895-03-21

This increase OF disbursements Is eX-
planned partly on the ground of an in
crease in the, numb Der of the regular
students, and partly on the ground of
giving aid to foreign students at Chicago
Theological Seminary, and the Slavic
students at Oberlin Seminary, aid to the
latter students being still an important
part of the society's work. Some grants
also have been made to special students
in those two institutions. The contrl bu-
tious of the churches OF Ohio to this So
ciety for the year 1894 amounted to $470
Ultimately the whole State WAS open to
the agents of the society, which resulted
in a gradual increase of the Ohio gifts
to our treasury from $40 in 1884 to So, All
in 1894. In 1895 the Rev. 7. Y. Gardner
was appointed Western secretary with
headquarters at ElYria, afterwards at
Chicago, and still later at Cleveland.
The receipts of the society from Western
churches have, under the management
of Mr.. Gardner increased, coming up from
S1,l31 in 1886 to 81, sos in 1885. 1t was
determined that restriction be placed as
far as practicable upon the free coming
of representatives of different colleges to
New England for purposes OF solicitation.
Hence in 1889 Rev. i'll. Maile was ap-
pointed to act as the society's field secre-
tary, the idea being that Mr.. Male sup
ply the place, according as he was able,
of the other agents referred to, and thus
ena BILE the latter to give more attention
to their immediate and legitimate
duties in the institution. Under the
agency of Mr.. Male. the work thus en-
trusted to his care met with encouraging
progress.
In 1891 the society's work was enlarged
by the admission of academies to it's list
of institutions. Nine of this class of
schools were received by the society the
following year. and most were aided
from it's treasury. Increasing grants to
about the same numbe of academies
have been made during subsequent years,
and the work is more and more widely
commencing itself to the churches, as a
very important factor in the home mis-
sionary agencies of the denomination,
resulting 10 an encouraging increase in
the mum Der contrib uted to the socieuy's
treasury. In August, 1888, Rev. F. l..
Ferguson was called to serve the society
as field secretary, with headquarters at
Boston, Mr.. Male being assigned to the
district OF Connecticut and the Middle
States, headquarters in Hartford. This
arrangement has been still further in the
line of progress, and the work of secur-
ing funds by solicitation tor the colleges
and other departments of the society is
now done by the soclety's own agents;
representatives from the colleges coming
OAfS 90 Ah'AeS' " 'ho rs Nv W Wv
headq uarters. The society today has,
firmly and effectively in hand the work
of soliciting funds for it's various objects
from its own headquarters.
Fosr years ago Pacific University at
Forest Grove, Oregon, was in a critical
condition. The first instalment OF the
Erwin Request WAS paid, and the officers
OF Pacific University were informed that
a portion of that II oney would be remit
ted to the treasurer of the university,
provided salts actory proofs were shown
that the home constituency desired to
maintain and would generously belp to
maintain the institution, as under the
auspices of the State Congregational
body. The result was Reorganization
of the faculty. and full commitment of
the institution to the CONGREGATIONAL
body. Increased funds were collected in
the home field-fuuds amounting to
many thousand dollars-a new building,
much needed, has been erected nearly to
completion, and the attendance upon the
college bias been largely increased. 1t
has a thoroughly united and competent
faculty, and thoroughly united board
of trustees
The following ia bic showing how the
receipts of the society have grown will
be interesting: