Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-05-10
ABOUT METHODISTS.
Statistics of the Church at Large
Submitted to General Conference.
Committee Says Book Sales Are DeciinfnGs
the Public Substituting Secular Papers
and Magazines for church Liter
ature-WOrk of Missions

Chicago, May with the laity
and the clergy theoretically if not
practically equally represented, tbs
second session of the Methodist Epis-
copal general conference began
Thursday. The day was given
up largely to statistical reports, OF
which the following are taken:
The report of the book committee con-
tanned the following: There is marked
decline in the sale of books We are
aware that this is true, not only in de-
nominatiohal books, but in those de-
signed for the general trade. The peo-
pie are substituting newspapers, maya
zines, the public and circulating libraries
for the family library. During the past
Quadrennium the decline in the sale OF
books by the eastern house over the pre-
vious four years amounts to $443,O00, and
that of the western house to S25S, 1885,
These figures alone are sufficient to ar
rest attention and stimulate the minds
of all responsible parties to solution
of the problem involved.
The report of the board of education
showed that the combined fund securely
invested now amounts to $253,62S- The re
ceipts for the quadrenniunl were 1928, 51l,
81, ,073. The disbursements for the
last quadrennium were $40, asa total
since 1888 of 1921, 128.
The report of the general missionary
committee contained the following: The
estimated value of churches and chapels
in the foreign field in 1899 was So, 134, 97S,
a gain of 1858, 275. In 1895 there were 225
missionaries and 224 assistant missiona-
rieS. In 1899 there were 467, a gain of 49,
The report of the Woman's Foreign
Missionary society said the work at home
is represented by the following statistics:
Auxiliary societies, 5,006; members, 127,-
455; young WOmen's societies. COS; mem
bers, II S67 children's bands, $50; mem
berS, 16 933; total organizations, 6,375, with
a membership OF 166, 759 The total re-
ceipts were s., 28S, 595, an increase of $144,-
1877. The total amount raised and dis
tributed in 80 years reached the sum
of s., 049, 1879.
The report of the board of managers
of the Sunday School union showed that
during the past four years there has
been steady growth in the Sunday
school. The latest statistics are: Number
of Sunday schools, 81, S48-increase, 1853;
number of officers and teachers, 347,914
decrease, 4,513; number of scholars, g.
647, increase, 1921.
The report of the Freedmens Aid and
Southern Education society contained the
following: The society has expended
| between S., 900 and $6,0OO000 in the
southern states; it has nearly so schools,
half of them among the colOred people,
half of them among the whites.
The report of the Epworth league set
forth that the past quadrennium had been
| marked by an advance movement on
practically every line of the work.
March 1, 1900, there were 10 991 chapters,
with a membership of over 1850, 600. In
the Junior league there were 1857 chap
tiers and membership of more than
1901 00 The total membership is there
| fore 27,043 chapters and about 1,750, 900
members.
The report of the Womans Home Mis-
sionary society showed that the income
had steadily increased since 1888, when
it was $27,903, it being for the last four
years 1904, 403, of which $527, 1885 was cash,
and $276,66S supplies.
Bishop E. G. Andrews made an adj
dress and stated that the church will
not abandon it's position on the liquor
question. On the contrary, aroused
and indignant at the aggressions of
the liquor power, at the inexcusable
miscarriages of the anti-canteen law,
and at the new perils in which the
nation is involving it's new posses
sfons, it will summon and pledge all
our ministers and people to a more
determined struggle against this
enormous evil. AS to marriage and
divorce, Gin the presence of this evil
the church cannot allow it's rules on
the subject of divorce and remarriage
to be in any case imperative and
void" The address recommends
either the abolition of the time limit
on pastorates, or a return to the old
three-year limit rule.