The Portland daily press., 1897-10-06
Amount.

Hancock, 425
Kennebec, 700
Lincoln, $40
Oxford, 400
Penobscot, $50
Piscataquis, 1888
WASHINGTON. 800
York, 257
Pledge cards were used to help in the
work of raising the money The report
says that it must be confessed that not all
has been accom- plished that was hoped
for, but for all that the plan of work has
in the main secured the desired results.
The churches have contributed to the
convention during the past year at the
average rate of more than 40 cents a
member, large increase over any pre-
ceding year and at the same time there
has been an increase in every item of
benevolence.
The present state of our treasury is
indeed serious, for the Indebtedness of
any missionary institution is serio US
matter, but there is in this nothing
to lead to hopelessness or despair.
The conditions of the year have
been peculiar in many res
poets. This has been the third and we
may hope the last year Of period of gen.
eral financial embarrassment; many
self supporting churches have found it
a struggle to maintain themselves, and
some of the weaker have felt obliged to
call for help; the accumula ted debts of
the Missionary Union and Home Mission
society reaching the round sum of $780,
900, have been provided for through the
unlocked for generous and conditional
offer of Mr.. John d. Rockefeller, and
our Maine churches have assisted to the
amount of more than $4,000 in meeting
the conditions; our Indebtedness of the
pr evious year amounting to $1,000, has
been paid; there has been temporary
failure to collect interest due US to the
amount of $500, all of which, however, is
considered perfectly safe and oollectable
in time; these all have combined to make
the year an unusually hard one for u.s.
But we believe that the outlook is bright
er for us along all of these lines and that
we may look for something better in the
immediate future. Readjustment and
revision there may be, but we should not
look for and ask great retrenchment and
curtailment of the work. We need more
work rather than less.
THE DEBT RAISING.
Then came the discussion of the day.
In the report of the trustees 1t had been
suggested that the indebtedness be cleared
away as a memorial to the lat Dr.
p Stephen Kicker. Another proposition
was that an independent fund be raised
as memorial to DR.. Kicker. Finally the
Indebtedness was cleared away and steps
were taken to carry out the proposition
that fund be raised. When remarks
were called for after the reading of the re-
ports, Rev. Mr.. Dutton spoke of the
steady progress Of the work and the in
creased contributions. Mr.. Dutton T e.
ferred TO the act that in the past five
years the contributions for benevolent
purposes have been $50, 900 greater than
they were in the five years preceding the
last convention held in South Berwick IA
years ago. That showed this to be a
progressive work. Mr.. Dutton then
offered resolution that committee of
three be appointed to raise permanent
fund Of $4,000 in memory of the late Dr.
Stephen Kicker
Rev. j. NJ. Wyman rose to second the
resolution and did so in few graceful
words of tribute to DR.. Kicker, man
who has had as much to do with the
work of the Maine Baptists as any other
man. A separate fund seemed to Mr.. Wy
man to be more fitting memorial than
an effort to raise as had been suggested,
the balance of the convention fund,
which many thought the members should
take care of themselves. 1t had been DR..
Rioker's habit to give 500 year to this
convention VIII ich he loved so well. How
valuable it would be to have memorial
the interest of which would not only
perpetuate this gift, but double it, or
even more, according to the investment.
Rev. d.. A. J. PadeIford said he was
heartily in favor of the spirit Of the reso-
luton. Something should certainly be
done as memorial to DR.. Kicker, but
first, in the opinion of DR.. Padelford,
the existing indebtedness should be re-
moved.
Rev. Mr.. Preble, who suggested the
memorial, in the form of an effort to
make up the deficit, said that he had
done so fearing that otherwise it might
be necessary to reduce the pay of the
clergymen in the smaller fields, something
o which he was unalterably opposed.
Rev. DR.. Burrage spoke of the need of
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