cost of this year exceeds that of last only $126.34, the net cost is $671.15 greater. This would have been more than covered had these conditions been different. It has been my earnest desire to send postals notifying subscribers of the approaching expiration of a subscription, but it is sometimes quite impossible to do this and keep up with the current work of my office, as I alone take care of all of the correspondence, bookkeeping, and all work incident to the business department of the Magazine. And it would hardly seem necessary when the address slip each month gives the date of expiration of the subscription, and the subscriber's attention is frequently called to this through the Magazine. The Congressional numbers for this year cost $1,365.91-and the printing of the long reports of the Hospital Corps and State War reports, as ordered by the Board, while very valuable, was expensive. Some may question what seems to be a disagreement between the Treasurer General's report and mine in the point of the expense of the Magazine. My reports run for twelve months, from February to February, the books closing January 31st, to be ready for the Auditor. The Treasurer General's report includes all bills paid from the last Congress to the closing of her books in February. Our accounts have been checked up at intervals during the year and have always agreed. It is said that every man has his hobby; I believe mine is getting to be: "A New Magazine Cover." Really, do you not think our present one an abomination in this age of the artistic in everything? When there is so much of inspiration in the spirit of our organization to offer a designer as a basis to work upon, it seems to me that we should make use of it. I have several times brought this matter before the Board, but no action was ever taken. My idea is that it is essential to please the eye as well as the mind-and that this is considered true by the makers of the leading magazines is evidenced by their continuous efforts to produce something beautiful in a cover as well as a magazine worthy in literary merit. A gentleman conversant in such matters, has advised our offering a prize, of say $25.00 or $50.00, to schools of design and others. In this way we create large competition and at the same time it serves as an advertisement of the Magazine. The Magazine Committee might be empowered to draw up the conditions of the offer, give suggestions as to the Insignia, mottoes, etc., to be used as a basis for the designer to work upon. I offer this as a recommendation. There is one more thing I want to speak of. I sometimes receive letters saying (yes, and I have heard it in this Congress, too) that there are members of the Society who never heard of the Magazinedid not know there was such a thing. I can hardly understand how this can be even if they never heard it spoken of in the Chapter, for there is never a notification of election goes to a new member that is not accompanied by a Magazine circular-and this has been so for at least four years. I know this because I put them in the envelopes myself and with the exception of about two hundred, after the last meeting which were inadvertently mailed before this was done, none have been missed. The following is the financial statement: Receipts—February 1, 1898, to January 31, 1899. To subscriptions as per vouchers and cash register,. To advertisements, $1,627 86 60 63 311 00 To cuts, paid for, 625 Total (amount delivered to Treasurer General), $2,005 74 Office Expenditures—February 1, 1898, to January 31, 1899. To mailing extra copies from office, second class matter, as per vouchers, $19 14 To postage, To postage, Editor, 20 29 5.00 To freight and cartage, extra numbers, from Harrisburg, twelve months, 1654 To incidentals, as per cash book and itemized account rendered, 75 2.05 Total, Bills presented to Treasurer General for payment. Printer's bill, including postage, February number, 1898,.. Printer's bill, including postage, March number, 1898.. Printer's bill, including postage, April number, 1898, Printer's bill, including postage, May number, 1898, Printer's bill, including postage, June number, 1898, Printer's bill, including postage, July number, 1898, Printer's bill, including postage, August number,. 1898, Printer's bill, including postage, September number, 1898. Printer's bill, including postage, October number, 1898, Printer's bill, including postage, November number, 1898, Printer's bill, including postage, December number, 1898, Printer's bill, including postage, January number, 1899, Office expenses, as per itemized bills rendered and attached, Total cost, Receipt, Net cost, Respectfully submitted, I 25 $1,719 70 73 10 $6,061 62 2.005 74 $4,055 88 LILIAN LOCKWOOD, Business Manager. PRESIDENT GENERAL. You have listened to the report of the business manager of the AMERICAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE -what is your pleasure? MEMBER. I move that it be accepted. Seconded. PRESIDENT GENERAL. It is moved and seconded that we accept the report of the Business Manager. All in favor will please say "aye;" opposed, "no." It is carried. Mrs. RAOUL, of Georgia. I would like to move that the Magazine be stopped immediately if subscriptions are not paid. I cannot see why we should continue to send the Magazine to people if they don't pay their subscriptions. PRESIDENT GENERAL. Do you make a motion? Mrs. RAOUL. Yes, I say I make a motion. PRESIDENT GENERAL. Will you send the motion to the Chair? The Chair announces that Mrs. Taplin, one of the Vice-Presidents General, has been asked to receive the motions this evening. READER. Motion of Mrs. Raoul, of Georgia: "I move that the Magazine be discontinued-at once when the subscription is not paid." Mrs. BALLINGER. May I ask that the reading clerk read that motion without a pause in the middle of it? READER. "I move that the Magazine be discontinued at once when the subscription is not paid." Miss PIKE. I think that would be a very inadvisable measure. We who are Chapter Regents know that often we must exercise a little clemency. If we draw the line so tight when any one is in arrears of dues, we drive many meritorious members out of our Chapters, and it is the same way with subscriptions to our Magazine. There is no member of this Society who may not some time be in financial straits and might not be able to pay her subscription promptly, and it would be a very hard thing if she could not be allowed a little time to meet that obligation; and to discontinue her subscription at once would prevent her from ever reading it. When a reliable woman is appealed to and says, "I cannot pay now, but I will as soon as I am able to," I think the Magazine should be continued for at least a reasonable time. Mrs. RAOUL. I want to say that all first-class magazines in our country are stopped as soon as we fail to pay our subscription. We do not want a magazine unless it can be a first-class magazine, and we want to be governed by the rules of all first-class magazines. Mrs. FRYE. I certainly hope it won't be done, for I think my own subscription has about expired, or very nearly; if Miss Lockwood would notify me, I would certainly pay with pleasure. Mrs. BALLINGER. I think the matter can be simplified. Is there not a time in which the subscriber can pay before the Magazine is stopped? Ought there not be some limit, two months in arrears, three months in arrears, and then let the Magazine stop? PRESIDENT GENERAL. Is it Mrs. Ballinger's desire to amend the motion? If so, will you kindly send it up? Mrs. NEWCOMB. I would like to ask how many in this audience find that they can do their work intelligently without reading the Magazine? Mrs. CAMERON. Cannot all these details be safely left to the management of the Magazine? Miss MILLER. I would like very much to endorse what Mrs. Newcomb has said with regard to the impossibility of our understanding the working of this Society or keeping in touch with our fellow-members, without our Magazine; and it does seem to me that we all ought to subscribe to it, and if it is better known we simply will; and I don't think we ought to rob those persons of the Magazine. Miss PIKE. I move an amendment to Mrs. Ballinger's amendment. I move that the time be longer, not so short as three months, at least six months. (Cries of "Oh!" "Oh!") Mrs. ROBERTS. I was only going to suggest that this discussion would probably be more potent and broader after hearing the report of the Chairman of the Magazine Committee. Mrs. JEWETT. I move that the consideration of this question be held in abeyance until after the reading of the report of the Magazine Committee. Seconded by Miss Temple. PRESIDENT GENERAL. It is moved and seconded that this matter be postponed until after the report of the Magazine Committee has been read and submitted. All those in favor say "aye;" opposed, "no;" the motion is carried. We will listen to the report of the Magazine Committee, by its Chairman, Miss Forsyth. (Miss Forsyth reads report, as follows:) REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE AMERICAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE. Madam President and Members of the Eighth Continental Congress: The Committee on the AMERICAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE report that the breaking out of the war made it absolutely impossible to carry out the plan laid before the last Congress, viz: that advertisements might be obtained in sufficient numbers to meet, or largely reduce, the cost of publication. Indeed, persistent efforts to secure advertisements on the basis of an issue of twenty-five thousand copies, with inquiries in many directions, have shown conclusively that a much larger circulation is requisite for this, except as individual influence may secure subscriptions. If the Society generally should take the Magazine and work for it, much could be accomplished. Your Committee has made careful investigation regarding the whole matter. It has received the cordial co-operation of those engaged in literary work, of advertising agents, the business manager of a prominent magazine, and of others competent to advise. The facts regarding our own publication are these: The Society, as a whole, does not sustain it. Its circulation does, indeed, steadily increase; but not in proportion to the rapid growth of our membership. Some of those who do not subscribe for it have never even heard |