Chapter 17—Periodical Circulation
Review and Herald and Signs of the Times—Mistakes have been
made in putting down prices of publications to meet certain difficulties.
These efforts must change. Those who have made this move were
sincere. They thought their liberality would provoke ministers and
people to labor to greatly increase the demand for the publications.
Ministers and people should act nobly and liberally in dealing with
our publishing houses. Instead of studying and contriving how they
can obtain periodicals, tracts, and books at the lowest figure, they
should seek to bring the minds of the people to see the true value of the
publications. All these pennies taken from thousands of publications
have caused a loss of thousands of dollars to our offices, when a few
pennies more from each individual would scarcely have been felt.
The Review and Herald and the Signs of the Times are cheap
papers at the full price. The Review is a valuable paper; it contains
matters of great interest to the church, and should be placed in every
family of believers. If any are too poor to take it, the church should,
by subscription, raise the amount of the full price of the paper, and
supply the destitute families. How much better would this plan be than
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throwing the poor upon the mercies of the publishing house or the tract
and missionary society.
The same course should be pursued toward the Signs. With slight
variations, this paper has been increasing in interest and in moral worth
as a pioneer sheet since its establishment. These periodicals are one in
interest. They are two instrumentalities in the great field to do their
specific work in disseminating light in this day of God’s preparation.
All should engage just as earnestly to build up the one as the other....
Extend the Circulation—Our people should make greater efforts
to extend the circulation of the Review. If our brethren and sisters
would only manifest greater earnestness and put forth more persevering
efforts to accomplish this, it would be done. Every family should have
this paper. And if they would deny themselves their darling luxuries,
tea and coffee, many who do not now have its weekly visits might pay
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