Your Committee on Finance beg leave to report that they have
examined the accounts and have found them duly audited. Attached
to the auditor’s report there is a statement that all the funds
which represent permanent property of the Society have also been
examined, and everything is found in order. There is a balance in
the treasury, Sept. 30th, 1881, of $518.80. The management asked
last year for an increase of 25 per cent. in the contributions;
the churches gave them an increase of 30 per cent. During the year
there have been large improvements made, and some enlargements of
the different educational institutions, so that they are now able
to accommodate a much greater number of students than before; and
if that opportunity is to be embraced, and these students who are
clamoring for an education are to be instructed, it will require a
larger outlay of money than that of the preceding year.
On the basis of the heartiness with which the churches complied
with the request of last year, your Committee recommend that the
management ask of the churches this year a little more still; and
that, as against the $246,000 last year, the endeavor shall be made
to raise $300,000 the present year.
The Committee desire reference to be made to some departments of
the work where the need is special, notably the Chinese work, where
there is ample room for a hundred-fold more of service. The Indian
work also claims a special contribution, and the work among the
Africans is always enlarging more and more.
I am requested to call attention also, in this informal way, to two
provisions of the by-laws, that you may understand how financially
secure this Society is, and how well-nigh impossible it is that
there should, in any event, be any loss of its funds, or that they
should be diverted from the use to which they are devoted.
On the sixth page of the report, concerning the Committee on
Finance, it says:
It shall be the duty of the Committee on Finance to examine the
accounts of the Treasurer for the month preceding each regular
meeting of the Executive Committee, before such meeting, taking
the books of account kept by him, and comparing them with
his statement of the month’s receipts and disbursements and
with the vouchers, and to certify to the correctness of such
statement when approved by them. They shall also cause to be
kept a book, wherein shall be set forth in detail, (1,) all
stocks and bonds owned by the Association at par, with a note
of the original cost of the same to the Association; (2,) all
real estate (both land and buildings) and other property of
the Association, with the full cost of the same; and (3,) all
property held on special deposit or in trust. This book shall
be at all times open to the inspection of the members of the
Executive Committee, and the record shall be so added to and
amended, from time to time, under the direction of the Finance
Committee, as to show at all times a correct statement of the
property of the Association, and of any special trusts in its
hands.
The Committee desire to say on this point that they doubt whether
any other benevolent organization can show a more careful guarding
of the munificence of the churches; and on the basis of increased
want and of larger opportunities and perfect safety, they ask that
the churches this year put into the hands of the management the sum
of $300,000.—_E. S. Atwood, Chairman._
* * * * *