Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-25
Continued from Page one)

taries was held at the Railroad Y. M.
r A., Waterville, November 15, and
Messrs. Smith, Heald and Garland of
the State Y. NJ. c. A. and Bible Society
were invited to join the group and to
participate in the work. In view OF
the work he had done along survey
lines in the State, Mr.. Heald was ask
ed to act as secretary for the commit
tee and to help the committee in its
future investigation. At this meeting
the following steps were takeni
First: The different surveys which
had been conducted in other states
were described so that each member of
the committee might understand what
would prove adaptable to our needs.
Second: Careful study was given
o fthe work already done by the Free
Baptist denomination in connection
with their Community Study work
and 1t was decided that while such
survey was excellently fitted to meet
the requirements of the denomination,
it was too incomplete for the purpose
the committee had in view and should
be ampified to meet the needs OF all
the different denominations. Mr.. Head
was requested to aid in compiling
new survey blank that would meet the
comprehensive wants of the different
interests and he agreed to do this IL
each secretary would furnish him with
list of the corrections and additions
desired in the Free Baptist blank.
Third: The method of securing
the desired data was given careful
consideration and while it was clearly
realized that the accuracy of the rec
ord would be diminished if unframed
men were used in the survey work,
it was felt, in view of the lack OF
funds and the conservation of the fl
nal results. that it would be wise to
ask the. pastors of the different
churches of the county to act as in
vestigators.
Fourth: 1t was also decided to di-
vide the county up into sections ana
TO ask the different denominational
leaders to each assume responsibility
for getting the cooperation of the
pastors and the data desired. The fol-
lowing divisions of territory were
made:
Rev. Charles Garland, Group L
Clinton. Benton, Unity. Albion, China,
Vassalbero and Winslow.
Rev. Charles Harbutt, Group 2-Aa-
gusta. Sidney, HalloWell, Chelsea ana
Manchester.
Rev. |. 3. Mower, Group 3-Water-
vile, Oakland and Winslow.
Rev. ]. NJ. Frost, Group EReadheld,
Mt. Vernon, Fayette, Wayne, VIM
throp. Belgrade. Rome and Vienna.
Rev. s. c. Whitcomb and Rev. j. b.
Coy. Group 5-Gardiner, Litchfield,
Monmouth, w. Gardiner, Pittston,
Farmingdale and Randolph.
In the week following, work was
begun on the survey QUESTIONABLE and
q letter was sent to every pastor IN
the county by Mr.. Heald stating the
work the comittee desired to do and
asking for cooperation. In addition
to this, a letter was sent out to the
pastors by each UNCONVENTIONAL leader
in charge of a district and arrange
ments were made to meet the men per-
sonallv. Out of 81 churches in the
county So responded and stated they
were willing to help. To all that re-
sponded. a complete QUESTIONABLE was
sent out which covered the six fol-
lowing phases of the communities life.
namely:
Field and Population.
2-rrdustrial Life and Economic
Conditions.
S-Social Life and Moral Conditions
4-Recreational Life and Amusement
Conditions.
5-Edueational Life and Hysienic
Conditions.
e-Church Activities and Religious
Conditions.
Each phase of the subject was
treated in detail by number or
questions which were prepared in
mimegraph form and properly bound.
A duplicate copy Of the questions was
furnished to the pastors so they
could preserve the result of their in
vestigations.
I'm view of it's experiences in get
ting this data, the committee would
recommend, if the survey is to be con-
tinued, that the commission take some
action as to the following things.
First: Determine what is to be the
urinary motive of accurate statistics
of the area surveyed, then some pro-
vision should be made for securing
more expert investigators. These can
be secured from outside the State at
a cost of 800 to 5000 month and ex-
penses or arrangements can be made
with the Bangor Theological Seminary
and the Maine colleges to secure the
assistance of students. These men
should be properly trained in elements
of the science of investigation during
the balance of the year, and then
placed in the field under expert leader
ship during the summer. They could
probably be secured at Sl2 to SlS a
week, this being cheaper than the out
of State experts, while at the same
time we would be training men for
a life work.
Second: If the primary object Is
not to get accurate statistics but ra-
ther a series of approximate statis-
tics that will reveal general condi-
tions and at the same time to awaken
an interest on the part of the minis
try of the county on the Importance
of a scientific habit Of mind in study
ing and promoting all religious work.
and a clearer realization Of the actual
needs of the field and a willingness
later to cooperate intelligently in the
commissions work. If these are to be
the objects the committee would rec