Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-07
SOCIETIES FIGHT
BIBLE TRUST
WILL PROTEST TO CONGRESS
AGAINST METHODS
Combination, II Is Alleged, Has Caused
the Extinction of Hundreds Of
Local Bible organ-
ization3

Specla to The Herald,
NEW YORK April 6-An interma-
tional trust, covering the price and dis
tribution Of Bibles and marked by many
of the methods already familiar to the
public through the Standard Oil and
Sugar Trust exposures, has its Ameri-
can headquarters in the Bible house,
opposite Cooper Union
The American Bible society, founded
81 years ago, is the American branch
lof the combination. Though 1t disclaims,
with the other members of the pooling
agreement-the British and Foreign BIZ
BILE society of Scotland-any intent of
lcommercalism the combination since
Its formation, has resulted in the ex-
ttnction of hundreds of local Bible So
cieties, the absorption of hundreds of
others as auxiliaries of the American
Bible society aid an increase of the
price of Bibles to American purchasers,
whether booksellers or those wishing
to give a wider circulation to the scrip
lures through religious motives.
Throughout New England within the
last month attacks on this pooling
agreement have been frequent, both in
the church and secular press, Included
in these charges have been many that
the American Bible society has not been
managed so as to produce the most
good for the money expended. But the
| Union Bible society, with headquarters
| at Worcester, Mass has zone farther
| Its officers, who include some of the
richest and most prominent business
men Of New England, have decided
to use every means to bring about an
Investigation of the affairs of the
American Bible society. They propose
TO appeal to congress to remove the 20
| per cent tariff duty on imported
Bibles.
Prices Have Been Raised
Rev. DR.. Efnund F. Merriam, editor
of the Watchman, tie organ of the
Baptist denomination in New England,
said to a correspondent n Boston:
THE price of Bibles has been raised
to higher rate than independent book
sellers charge and the free gifts of
Bibles during the last year by the So
ciety amount to only $104O0 in the
United States and foreign lands, while
the administration expenses, exclusive
of the item, diffusion and information,
$1,000, amounts up to over $4,000.
Every dollars worth of free Bibles
distributed by the American Bible So
ciety cost nearly 81 to circulate. The
salaries of three secretaries and A
treasurer, who comprise the executive
Officers, are $4,000 a year. Clerks and
assistants take s1O,621 more. We can
buy more cheaply from independent
publishers than from the American
Bible society since the recent increase
in price.
THE undisputed 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
A ealI
distribution in England The Canadian
Bible society will not sell Bibles for
gratuitous distribution in the United
States"
One Thousand Forced to Quit
Local Bible societies, of which there
were 22O0 in this country a few years
ago. all do house to house work in
their districts, maintaining paid agents,
who sell Bibles where they can and
give them away to families too poor
to purchase them. But if a local so
clety does not consent to become an
auxiliary" 1t pays an additional 10
per cent more for it's Bibles than If 1t
buys from the American Bible society.
Since the Bible trust began to alb
sorb local societies under threat of
dropping t.em from it's list of favored
customers-those allowed to purchase
at cost-nearly 1000 of these societies
have been driven out of existence. This
has meant the abandonment of that
number OF fields of house to house
work.
The American Bible society, for many
years prior to 1906, did no colportage
work except little among The negroes
III the south among the Indians and in
Foreign fields. OF scriptures printed
and purchased last year, the annual
report of the society shows that, in
cluding Bibles, Testaments and por-
tions, there were printed at the Bible
house 1,03OO55 pieces and printed
abroad 1,126,011 pieces, while nearly
$4,000 more were purchased abroad.
9SS