REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
The Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the financial statement of the Association for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1879, as presented by the Treasurer, beg leave to report that, in the discharge of the duty assigned to them, your committee have carefully examined the accounts of the Treasurer, including a detailed statement of receipts and disbursements, also a statement of endowments and a full list of all the property owned by the Association, the correctness of which have been fully certified to by the Board of Auditors appointed by the Executive Committee.
The total receipts of the Association for the year have been $215,431.17. The cost of collecting, including the salaries of the District Secretaries and all other expenses connected with their offices, has been 5-84/100 per cent. of the amount received. The cost of publication, including the distribution of 25,000 copies per month of the American Missionary, has been 4-13/100 per cent., and the cost of administration 4-97/100 per cent.
Your committee are impressed with the care, fidelity and economy shown in all departments, and can suggest no way of reducing the percentage of expenses except by enlarged contributions. It costs just as much time and just as much paper to acknowledge the receipt of $50 as it does of $100. If the patrons of the Association will double their contributions they will lessen the percentage of expenses one-half.
After long years of struggle the Association is now out of debt and ready for an advance. The machinery is in order, and the motive power necessary to keep it in motion is the earnest prayers of God’s people and a liberal supply of the money which is so rapidly finding its way to our shores. In view of the grand work which has been done and the still greater work to be accomplished, your committee desire to urge upon the friends of the Association the necessity for a large increase of contributions the coming year, so that the missionaries and laborers in this good cause may “go forward.”
Jas. W. Scoville,
Samuel Hastings,
Geo. Bushnell,
Chas. L. Mead,
W. G. Hubbard,
Joseph H. Towne,
W. J. Phelps.
THE FREEDMEN.
REV. JOS. E. ROY, D. D.,
FIELD SUPERINTENDENT, ATLANTA, GA.