The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-26
Combine Controls Price and
Distribution Of Holy Book.
State Investigation Is to Be
Asked I'm New York.
COMPETITION KILLED.
Big Concern Results In the EX-
tinctiOn of Local Societies.
Increase in Price to Those De-
string to Make Gifts.

New York, March 26-An in1ernation-
al trust, covering the price and distri-
button of Bibles and marked by many
of the methods already familiar to the
public through the Standard Oil and
sugar trust exposures. has its Arneri-
can headquarters in the Bible house,
opposite Cooper Union.
The American Bible society, founded
so years ago, is the American branch
of the combination. Though 1t dis
claims. with the other members of the
pooling agreement-the British ana
Foreign Bible society and the National
Bible society of Scotland-any insent
of commercialism, the combina tiou
since its formation has resulted in the
extinction of hundreds of local Bible
societies, the absorption of
hundreds of others as auxiIaries of the
American Bible society and an Increase
of the price of Bibles to American pur-
chasers. whether booksellers or those
wishing to give a wider circulation to
the scriptures through religious mo-
1tvss.
Attacks by Church Periodicals.
Throughout New England within the
last month attacks on this pooling
agreement have been frequent, both II
the church and secular press. Included
in these charges have been many charges
that the American Bible society rs
not been managed so as to produce the
most good for the money expended. A
prominent book seller said:
I'VE used to buy Testament in Can
ada which cost US, laid down i'll B1s-
ton. a little less than 3 cents and
which we sold at that price. since
the trust was formed we can not get
these. and similar book put out by
the American Bible society costs
cents.
1--WE can buy more cheaply from l.
dependent publishers than IIUln the
American Bible society since the recent
to tn r1win
The undisDuted facts are these:
The British and foreign society has an
agreement with the American Bible
society that it will not sell bibles
for distribution in America. nor will
the American Bible society sell bibles
for distribution in England. The Can
adam Bible society will not sell bibles
for gratuitous distribution in the Unit
ed States
THE American Bible society has
also been carrying on a propaganda by
which local bible societies have been
induced to become auxiliary to the CEN
trail society and to send their funds
there, and the bible colportage work.
which was formerly one of the chief
activities of the society and which de-
servedly won to it the support of Chris
tan people, has been almost entirely
discontinued.
although heavily endowed, the
American Bible society does not sell
bibles any cheaper than they are made
and sold by independent publishers.
The administration expenses of the so
ciety are enormous and it does not do
any such amount of benevolent work
would justify these expenses.
Condemns Society's Work.
81 have long studied the work of
the American Bible society at home |
and abroad. and have believed for sew
eral years that it is not an organiza-
ton to which the contributions of
Christian people for bible work could |
be judiciously committed"
In the present annual report of the
American Bible society the boa I'd |
members says:
During the year 1906 four new BIZ
Bile societies have been recognized as
auxiliaries of the national society |
Thirty-two societies have been re-
stored to the lists of living and active |
auxiliaries. During the same period
three societies. formerly auxiliary have
been removed from our list. This ac-
ton became necessary because these |
societies long ago ceased to maintain |
those close and helpful relations to |
the national society which the name |
auxiliary implies. The total number of !
local bible societies sharing our bur
dens and recognized as our auxiliaries |
is fifty
1t is charged by the officers of the
Union Bible society that instead of
aiding in the circulation of the scrip-
lures in the United States the absorp- |
ton of a local society as an 'au1il- |
larry merely makes 1t a collector of
"
which, for twenty-five years previous /
to the Issuance of its last annual re-
port had abandoned house to house
work among the white Americans. The
constitution of every auxiliary must
contain this article.
Local Societies AnnihiIated.
All funds not wanted for circulating
the scriptures within the society's own
limits shall be paid over annually to
the parent society. Local Bible socie-
ties. of which there were 1900 in this |
country few years ago, all do house
to house work in their districts, main
tanning paid agents. who sell Bibles |
where they can and give them away to |
families too poor to purchase them
But if a local society does not consent |
to become an auxiliary it pays 10 |
per cent more for its Bibles.
Since the Bible trust began to alb
Eorb local societies under threat of
dropping them from its list of favored
customers-those allowed to purchase |
at cost-nearly 1000 of those societies |
have been driven out of existence. This |
has meant the abandonment of that |
number of fields of house to house |
work.