USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Extracts from the minutes of the yearly meeting of Friends held in Philadelphia, 1922 > Part 6
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The Business Problems Group has been addressed by Henry S. Dennison, of the Dennison Manufacturing Com- pany, Massachusetts, and by B. Seebohm Rowntree, of England, both of whom have notably combined humani- tarian idealism with the successful management of large manufacturing enterprises. Members of the Group are making progress in improving conditions in their own businesses. A Study Group within the Women's Problems Group is engaged in investigating the standard and cost of living among Friends in the vicinity of Philadelphia. In
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the field of the Educators' Group a Committee has conferred with the Principals and teachers of some of our schools for the purpose of considering what can be done in the schools to develop in the children the knowledge and qualities of character which they will require if they are to help in Christianizing the everyday world of work and business. These are a few of the activities of the Groups which may be of interest to the Meeting as a whole.
The work of the Committee and the Groups has required an office and stenographer, and has involved considerable expense, although our Secretary gives his services without compensation. About $2,600.00 was needed for the year ending Ninth Month 30th, 1921. To the interested Friends whose generous donations supplied the necessary funds, we again express our grateful thanks.
The most important action within the Yearly Meeting ยท during the past year connected with our field of effort has probably been the answering of the two special and tem- porary queries regarding our Christian responsibilities as employers and investors. We have naturally followed the course of these queries with great interest, and have been much impressed with the serious attention which some of our Meetings have given them. Their consideration has brought out certain difficulties which were more or less apparent from the first. We have realized throughout that it would not be practicable to answer these queries categor- ically, either in the affirmative or in the negative, and events have indicated that they might have been better phrased.
One important Monthly Meeting has suggested that a Query of the same general import but more happily worded, should be added as a regular annual Query. This suggestion interests us deeply and we hope that it may receive the thoughtful consideration of the Yearly Meeting. In this connection, however, we venture to raise a question. Will not the Meeting be able to act with greater wisdom next year in respect to such a Query if it takes a preliminary step first? Before we can wisely adopt a permanent Query must we not know the standard by which we desire
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to test ourselves, and is it not desirable therefore that before we attempt to frame a Query we should give further con- sideration to the Christian standards applicable to our social and industrial relationships? We believe this to be the case, and accordingly recommend that as a preliminary step to possible action next year, a suitable Committee should be charged with the duty of considering and report- ing upon the Christian ideals and standards which should govern us in these matters. We think it would be desirable if the Committee's report could be submitted to the Month- ly Meetings for their consideration and suggestions. In the light of comments from the Monthly Meetings the Committee might then reframe its report for presentation to the Yearly Meeting a year hence.
In pressing forward with its work the Social Order Com- mittee does not have any well-trodden highway to follow. The Yearly Meeting has commissioned us to help in the pioneer work of pushing out the frontiers of Christ's King- dom. We feel the difficulty of the task and our own insuffi- ciency. There is so much for us all to learn regarding the question : How would Christ have us order our lives today? We are glad indeed that the Yearly Meeting is attempting to find the answer to that question, and we esteem it a privilege to participate in the search. But we hope that the Yearly Meeting will not feel that it has shifted, or can ever shift, the responsibility to the shoulders of a small group. The Committee asks for the sympathy, the interest, and the co-operation of all the members of the Yearly Meeting.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Social Order Committee,
BERNARD G. WARING, Chairman.
PHILADELPHIA, Third Month 22, 1922.
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SOCIAL ORDER QUERIES
Query 1 .- Where schools or other institutions are under our care, are we watchful to fulfill our whole responsibility to those whom we employ, from managers and teachers to manual workers? Do all such persons have enough compensation and leisure to enable them to develop them- selves for the fullest services of which they are capable? Would it be desirable to make provision for our teachers to have greater representation at meetings of our Com- mittees of Management?
Query 2 .- Are we, as employers and stockholders, mind- ful that (as the name of our Society suggests) we are called to be friends and brothers of all men, and are we vitally concerned that the conditions of work of those in our employ should be such as we would desire for our own brothers and sisters? Are we earnestly endeavoring to secure for our employees the wages and the leisure that will be suf- ficient for the comfort, education and full development of themselves and their families, to free them from the dis- tresses of unemployment, and to give them opportunity for self-development in their work? In order to provide these advantages, are we willing, if necessary, to simplify our own lives and accept smaller financial returns for ourselves ?
Having regard, on the other hand, to our obligation as employees, do we whole-heartedly give in full measure the service for which we are employed, remembering that con- secrated daily effort to supply the needs of others is an essential part of Christian loyalty?
REVIEW OF ANSWERS TO THE SOCIAL ORDER QUERIES.
By reports from the Quarterly Meetings it appears that the two Queries suggested by the Social Order Committee last year, and referred by this Meeting to its branches have had consideration by almost all of the Monthly Meetings.
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As was expected, different meetings have followed dif- ferent methods of treating them, and no two meetings have come to the same conclusions as to the value of any proposed plan; there is, however, to be noticed that in all the reports there exists a willingness to meet the topics under consider- ation in a spirit of honesty and fairness.
Answering for the institutions under the care of meetings subordinate to the Quarterly Meetings, one report states that there are nine schools, charitable institutions, office buildings, etc., under the care of subordinate Meetings; some reports allude to the Meeting's attitude toward the institutions under their oversight but make no enumeration. It appears that all of these are conducted in a large measure of that spirit which the query represents.
It is felt that a fair return in salary is given to our teachers, a great improvement in this regard having been made within a few years. Salaries are limited by the fact that institutions should live within their incomes. The fact remains that into the teacher's life must ever enter, as a strong feature of his work, the missionary spirit, a life- calling which, in a peculiar degree offers the opportunity for service as well as the means of gaining a livelihood.
The practice of having teachers and others who are employed meet with the Boards of Management has not been lost sight of; a variety of views as to the wisdom of this have been represented, but the spirit of co-operation, the matter of chief value in this connection, is universally encouraged.
Touching the broad question of our responsibility toward those in our employ-we believe that as Meeting groups we endeavor to fulfill our duties, though we fall sadly short of an attainment of the high standard, which is suggested by the words "whole responsibility."
The answers to the Second Query are much more full than those to the first, and in giving our review we shall quote in part from some of them. It will be noted that this query naturally divides into three specific questions and in some of the answers these are treated in turn.
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One answer states-"Two of our Monthly Meetings have sent copies of this Query to all of their adult members. Replies were received from a comparatively small number, many Friends appearing not in sympathy with the method of approach adopted by the Yearly Meeting.
"From the individual replies thus received and from the general answers which were presented by the other two Monthly Meetings, it appears that our members generally approve of the principles underlying this query and that it is the duty of each professing Christian to practice them in his daily life.
"Friends generally are endeavoring to the best of their ability to live up to this ideal.
"While it is felt by some that additional advices covering these points would best meet the requirements of the case, it is the view of others that a recasting of the present queries so as to make them more simple of expression and more easily understood by all would be the best course."
Another Quarterly Meeting makes in substance this return "Our members who are employers recognize, and, to a considerable extent, endeavor to discharge the responsi- bility to see that the conditions of those employed are such as they would desire for their brothers and sisters were they in the same station. Of those who are stockholders many recognize in some degree their responsibility, but are per- plexed to find effectual means to discharge it.
"Members generally seem concerned to secure for employ- ees such wages and leisure as will conduce to the full development of themselves and their families."
None claim that they have "reached an ideal in this particular, but they feel that under existing conditions they have done their utmost."
This same Quarterly Meeting further states that one meeting can make the return that its members have been willing to simplify their own lives and to accept smaller financial returns in order to advance the interests of those employed by them.
.
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Fear is expressed on the other hand lest the socialistically inclined among us may play into the hands of extremists, and one member expresses himself as satisfied with the existing order and feels no call to sacrifice dividends that others might receive more.
"This same report in generalizing near the close of the paper offers this encouraging statement. "There is a feeling among us that there is a growing spirit of toleration between the practical employer and the idealist, by means of which we shall be able to step forward wisely and surely in the right direction."
A large Quarterly Meeting composed of business men and farmers offers in part the following as its answer-"Accord- ing to current standards which are based largely on the present status of society, we feel that many of our members are alert to the interests of those in their employ, desiring to treat them with fairness and consideration. Our inherited disposition toward the matters mentioned in this query has made us careful to advance wages and to multiply oppor- tunities for self-improvement in proportion to the cost of living; attention is also called to the recent improvement in the houses and rooms occupied by salaried and wage-earn- ing employees. On the other hand, we are convinced that the true Christian ideal in these matters has not yet been reached, and that Friends should be willing workers and leaders in an effort to attain this ideal."
From a Quarterly Meeting largely rural we have the following-"Though this is an agricultural community, and though it is difficult at times for us to observe short work- ing hours, yet as employers we are mindful of the comfort of our employees and are desirous that they shall have adequate compensation, and working and living conditions that will be pleasant and uplifting.
"This attitude is more than a mere development of the practice among us of taking a personal interest in the lives of our helpers, which has long been our habit, and some have denied themselves that conditions for their helpers might be made more agreeable."
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Another Quarterly Meeting, comprising five Monthly Meetings, makes the general statement that their members endeavor to comply with the spirit and suggestions of this query, but with the others already cited acknowledge the difficulty of offering a compact and satisfactory answer. One of the constituent meetings reports itself as unfavorable to the reading and answering of these queries. Another Monthly Meeeting based its answer upon the returns to a questionnaire sent widely throughout its membership. 200 copies of the Second Query were sent out in this way and 43 replies were received. Most who responded felt that they in good degree lived up to the ideal of the first part of this query.
In respect to the second question in the query, the replies indicate a desire, as well as some attempt, to secure the advantages for employees here specified, although no men- tion is made of any efforts to free them from the distresses of unemployment.
As regards the last section of the query the answer states that many Friends would be willing, if necessary, to further simplify their lives, and accept smaller financial returns, if, by so doing, workers would be definitely relieved of distress and would be given the advantages of which they were in real need.
All of the answers indicate that those among us who are employees strive to render in return to those who employ their time and labor a full equivalent of service recalling . the language of the query, "Consecrated daily effort to supply the needs of others is an essential part of Christian loyalty.'
In reviewing the service rendered by subordinate meetings in answering these Social Order Queries we feel that many of us have been stimulated to a fuller realization of our duties and that not a few have in substance adopted the language submitted by an individual among us-to wit; "These queries have I believe not only increased my con- cern for Christian dealings toward those for whose employ- ment I have any responsibility, but I feel the need of more thought and more light."
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It was the judgment of the Yearly Meeting that the sug- gestion of the Social Order Committee made a year ago that these Queries should be for this year only, should be followed.
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REPORT
OF WILLITS COMMITTEE.
The African's Friend continues its circulation of nearly 5,000 copies issued Quarterly, thus carrying out the inten- tions of Charles Willits in his bequest, making possible the sowing of seeds of love among the colored people.
In the southern states there is more demand for the paper than we can supply as evinced by letters which we from time to time receive.
In Liberia, we find that the illiteracy of the natives is a barrier, but we are getting in touch with Missionaries now establishing a new field of work and hope to be able to get in closer touch with these far away people. The following letters give a little idea of the appreciation of recipients of our paper.
GREENWOOD, S. C., FIRST MONTH 17, 1922.
"I saw just a half sheet of The African's Friend paper and just long to read more of it and would like to introduce it to my Missionary Society of which I am President."
M. A. BUSH.
CALVERT, TEXAS, TWELFTH MONTH 19, 1921.
"The African's Friend was duly received and more gladly distributed than any previous allotment. I would like to distribute more of last issue with that splendid open letter to the colored people of America. I think it most timely and appropriate.
"The number of readers here about increase with each free distribution."
C. C. PLATT.
On behalf of the Committee.
WM. B. HARVEY,
Clerk.
PHILADELPHIA, Third Month 13, 1922.
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ANNUAL REPORT
OF COMMITTEE ON RECORDS AND CHANGES IN MEMBERSHIP.
The total membership of the Yearly Meeting reported for Twelfth Month 1, 1920, was 4,461.
Recorders' Reports indicate the following changes:
Gains for the Year-
Births 39
Certificates received 68
Membership by request 63
Total gain 170
Losses for the Year-
Deaths
84
Certificates granted 45
Resignations 9
Disowned or dropped .
Total losses 138
Net gain for the year. 32
The total membership reported Twelfth Month 1, 1921, was 4,493. It will be observed that a possible twenty-three of the accessions by certificate came from other Yearly Meetings.
A tabular statement accompanies this report.
The Yearly Meeting of 1921 directed that certain additional statis- tics be collected and reported by this Committee. This inquiry was made for the first time, some Monthly Meetings were unprepared, and the subjoined figures are assumed to be only a close approxima- tion :
Number of non-members married to members .. 522
Number of children, having one parent a member. 567
Number of non-members attending our Meetings with more or less regularity 240
Number of above classes received into membership during the year . 34
By direction of the Committee. WATSON W. DEWEES,
PHILADELPHIA, Third Month 13, 1922. Clerk.
MONTHLY MEETINGS.
TOTALS
Births
Certificates
Requests
Deaths
Certificates
Resignations
Disowned or
Dropped
Net Gain
Net Loss
Members
12th mo. 1, 1921
Adult-Males
Adult-Females
Minors
Phila. Arch St. . .
...
294|1 |45 9|3
Il
1
568| 217
243 |
108
Muncy.
108| 5|
|3||4| |3
1|
1 109||
37
48|
24
Haverford.
223| 2 |
9| 2| 4 |7|
2
225|
84
84
57
Totals for Quarter|
1192|
1194|
453
511
230
Abington.
17
10|
| |1|
9 |1|
26|
6
8
12
Frankford.
80|
| 2|
1
3|
77|
47
23
7
Gwynedd.
46|
| 2| 2
46|
21
16
9
Germantown.
500|| 5 | 9| 8 |10|
|12
512|
177 |
189 |
146
Totals for Quarter
643|
661||
251
236
174
Chester, Pa.
271|| 2 |6 |2| 5|2 |1|
2
273|
81
129
63
Goshen.
44|
44|
16
20|
8
Concord.
28|
28||
10
12
6
Wilmington
84| 1 5 1| 1 |1|
| 5
89|
33
36
20
Birmingham
267|3|1|1 522
4|
263|
70|
140
53
Lansdowne.
181| 1 | 4| | |
1
| 4|
185|
58 |
62 |
65
Westtown.
61| 1 | 5 | 7| 1|
|12
73
14
26
33
Totals for Quarter|
936|
955|
282|
424
249
Bradford
154| 1 |3| 1| 3|
2|
156|
65
58
33
Uwchlan.
44|
| 1| 2|
43
15
18
10
Totals for Quarter
198||
199|
80
76
43
Kennett.
85]
| 1| 1 |
85
37
35
13
New Garden. .
159| 1|
|| 2 | 2|
3| 156|
65
67
24
London Grove. . .
36| 1
2 | 5|
7|
29
9 |
9
11
Totals for Quarter
280|
270|
111
111 |
48
Burlington. .
89| 1|
| 1|2|
89|
36
41
12
Chesterfield. .
60| 1
| 2| 4|
2
5.8
24
24
10
U. Springfield .
17|
1|
16
81
4
4
Falls.
132| 2 |1| 8|2|
9
141|
43
50
48
Totals for Quarter||
298|
304|
111
119
74
Haddonfield.
189|
|2|1|3|2|
2|
187|
63
84
40
Chester, N. J.
.433|| 6 | 4 |7|| 5| 9
| 3|
436|
118
182
136
Evesham.
53 | 1|
|| 1 ||1|
1|
52
18
22
12
U. Evesham.
162|
| 2| 5||
=
3||
159|
56
58 |
45
Woodbury .
53|1|1|1| 1|3|
1| 52
19
23
10
Salem .
24|
24
6
7
11
Totals for Quarter Totals. .
914|
910| 280
376 |
254
4461 39 |68 |63 84 |45 | 9|
||62 |30 4493 |1568 |1853 |1072
Net Gain, 32. Membership 12 mo. 1, 1921, 4493.
Phila. Quarter
Abington Quarter
Concord Quarter
1
(Caln Quar
[ Western! Quarter
| Burlington and Bucks |
Haddonfield and Salem
GAINS
LOSSES
2 292| 115
136 |
41
Phila. 12th St.
567| 5
2| 9| 7 | 8
12 mo. 1, 1920
86
REPORT
OF THE BOOK COMMITTEE.
The concern forwarded with approval last year by the Book Committee, that Friends should bring a clearer knowledge of our religious views to the notice of large numbers of our fellow men was endorsed by the Yearly Meeting and a special committee was appointed to take up the work. The report of this Extension Committee comes direct to the Yearly Meeting this year.
The members of the Book Committee, who are all included in the Extension Committee and who constitute about one- half of its number, have tried to do their full share of this new work, while not neglecting its own well established fields.
The Book Store at 302 Arch Street, Philadelphia, is steadily increasing its usefulness both as a distributer of Friendly books and as a general book store which assists Friends and others to get hold of the best modern publica- tions of all kinds. It has during the year put into cir- culation 4,500 volumes and 8,052 pamphlets, of which 648 volumes and 4,290 pamphlets were donated. The total receipts from the sale of books and other merchandise were $4,036.00. This represents fifty per cent. more business than was done last year, which was about fifty per cent. greater than the year before.
Three years ago various valuable records and books were transferred from the Meeting House to the new vaults at 302 Arch Street, and the work of arranging,, cataloguing and indexing these has with intermissions been going on ever since. Minutes of the Yearly Meeting, of the Meeting for Sufferings and of various other Yearly Meeting Com- mittees have been catalogued and arranged; 76 boxes of papers belonging to the Meeting for Sufferings and to other
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Yearly Meeting committees have been catalogued and indexed, and other meeting records have been catalogued. A collection of about 1,450 books and pamphlets forming the Library of the Meeting for Sufferings, has also been indexed and catalogued. This includes a number of Quaker books and pamphlets of great interest and value, some of which are quite rare, some, indeed, unique. It is a satisfac- tion to report that this valuable collection is safely housed in the new vault and is now well catalogued, (though not all of the individual papers have been indexed), and that the work is now to be discontinued as in good degree completed.
In conjunction with the Book Association of Friends, the Book Committee last year issued a Year Book which con- tains in convenient form, much information about the meet- ings and various organizations and interests of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and its members. The value of such a handbook was quickly recognized and about 750 copies were sold. The 1922 Year Book was published just before Yearly Meeting time, (omitting some of the matter in last year's edition) and it is hoped that this useful manual may be issued regularly each year.
Our Book Committee is one of the eight or more Friends' committees and book concerns on this side of the water which have been united to form the American Friends' Literature Council, whose object is to encourage the production and circulation of Friendly literature and to act as a clearing house for information about the publication and distribution of such literature. This Council, which has its headquarters in the office of the Secretary of our Yearly Meeting, is increasing the co-operation among Friends' book stores in this country and England and is quietly stimulating the cir- culation of Friends' books and pamphlets. It has recently published a course of readings in Quaker literature, which it is encouraging young Friends and others to follow out this Spring, with a system of awards.
Its only publication has been the pamphlet containing Elbert Russell's address "The Quaker Challenge to a World of Force," of which more than 25,000 copies were issued.
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However, credit should perhaps be given to it for making possible by its co-operative work with other Friends' book concerns in this country, the publication of Maude Robin- son's new book, "Nicholas the Weaver and Other Quaker Stories," and the new edition of T. Edmund Harvey's "Rise of the Quakers."
Four or five manuscripts have been offered to the Book Committee with a view to publication, which indicates an altogether commendable interest in the preparation and publishing of books about Friends. While in none of these cases was the committee able to arrange to carry out the work, it is hoped that additional volumes of the Pennsbury series and of Quaker Biographies may be issued in the not distant future. Four pamphlets have, however, been pub- lished, in quantities ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 copies, "Rights of Conscience," by William C. Allen; "The New Emphasis in Quakerism," by Alfred C. Garrett; "Worship," by Janet Payne Whitney, and "Some Aspects of Our Faith," by R. Barclay Moon.
A Book Table in the Committee Room of the Meeting House has been arranged for during this Yearly Meeting week which will contain a good collection of the standard as well as newer Friends' books and pamphlets, and it is urged that all of our members who can, spend a few minutes looking at and perhaps buying some of these books by Friends, for Friends, or of interest to Friends.
Gifts of Quaker books have been made to a number of our recently married members, through the Elisha Roberts Legacy, as solid contributions to their reading matter when establishing their new homes, and donations of carefully selected books to inquirers, libraries, etc., have been made as for many years past. As the result of interest in the continued circulation of standard Friends' writings an offer was sent to the pastors in the Five Years' Meetings and on their request more than 200 copies of "George Fox's Jour- nal". and rather less than that number of "Barclay's Apology" have been donated and received with appreciation.
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