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of our own republic, which the Society purchases chiefly from its elder sister, the British and Foreign Bible Society, and similar purchases for the Foreign Agencies.

The total issues for the year amount to 5,251,176 volumes. This is an advance over 1913 of 1,201,566 volumes. The advance also is in every item. The whole number of issues is made up of 412,229 Bibles, 763,158 New Testaments, and 4,075,789 portions. The principal advance, of course, is in the latter item, but more whole Bibles and more New Testaments were sent out last year than ever before in the Society's history. Only five years ago the total issues were a little over 2,000,000, and the average for twenty-five years preceding was 1,500,000. We have reason for great gratitude in recording this notable advance. Nearly one half of these volumes, or 2,327,390, were sent out from the Bible House in New York, which is an increase of 219,531 volumes over the preceding year. 2,923,786 volumes were issued by the Society's Agents abroad.

THE TOTAL ISSUES OF THE SOCIETY IN THE NINETY-EIGHT YEARS AMOUNT TO ONE HUNDRED AND THREE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETY-ONE (103,519,891) VOLUMES.

CIRCULATION

These Scriptures have gone forth into every state in the American Republic. The work of distribution is carried on through Auxiliary Societies and other Bible societies that are not auxiliary, by co-operation with the various Home Missionary societies of the different Churches of the United States, but principally under the direction of nine Home Agencies of the Society, each covering several states and administered by its own Secretary and a staff of helpers, working with all local agencies of distribution and sending out its own colporteurs. These colporteurs go into the cities, among the congested populations, speaking foreign languages and speaking the English language, into the rural regions, following the newcomer to his new home, and ministering to those that have not been drawn into the vortex of city life.

Last year this circulation through the Home Agencies

alone amounted to 1,076,459 volumes, which was an advance over the preceding year of 280,228 volumes.

Abroad the Society maintains twelve Agencies and makes direct grants of funds and Scriptures to missionary societies and other workers in fields where its regular Agencies have not been established, as in Europe, Africa, and in the islands of the sea. The unusual circulation of the year is in the Republic of China, where 1,653,965 volumes were sent forth among the people, an advance over last year of 286,561 volumes. An increase in circulation is reported in Korea, Japan, and Siam as well. The circulation has not been quite as large in the Levant Agency. In Latin America there has been a slight increase in the circulation, principally in Central America. It is surprising to record that even in Mexico, in spite of revolution, there has been an increase over the preceding year. The facts follow in detail.

HOME AGENCIES

These are presented in the order of their establishment.

COLORED PEOPLE

The Agency among the Colored People of the South still continues under the charge of the Rev. J. P. Wragg, D.D. It has had a prosperous year, achieving a total circulation of 44,547 copies, of which 12,752 were Bibles (a very large proportion), 10,444 Testaments, and 21,351 portions, a total increase of 1,578 copies, of which only a small proportion were given away. Fifteen colporteurs have been employed for various purposes (three of them being young women), and they visited 311 towns in the states of Virginia, West Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

NORTHWESTERN AGENCY

The Northwestern Agency has been administered by the Rev. S. H. Kirkbride, D.D., McCormick Building, 332 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Ill. The Agency covers the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota.

The circulation for the year reaches a total of 231,103 volumes, of which 54,496 are Bibles, 81,392 are New Testaments, and 95,215 are Scripture portions. This is an increase of 94,217 volumes over the preceding year. 30 colporteurs and 83 correspondents, or a total of 113 workers, have assisted in this task. 197 towns and villages have been visited. 15,370 families were found without Bibles.

SOUTH ATLANTIC AGENCY

The South Atlantic Agency, embracing the states of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, has continued its efforts to reach this large territory from the headquarters in Richmond, Va., and with the counsel and co-operation of the Bible Society of Virginia. Under the direction of the Agency Secretary, the Rev. M. B. Porter, fifty-five persons have been employed at various times in the distribution, and they have distributed 94,333 copies. The territory worked this year has been chiefly small towns and rural communities. Seven hundred or eight hundred such places have been visited, but the work has not been confined to these.

WESTERN AGENCY

The Western Agency has had a full year of the administration of the Rev. Arthur F. Ragatz. The headquarters are at Denver, Colo. The Agency covers the states of Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Arizona. 55,674 volumes, of which 16,922 are Bibles, 17,870 are New Testaments, and 20,882 are Scripture portions, have been circulated through the help of 92 persons employed in Bible distribution. 885 towns and villages have been visited.

SOUTHWESTERN AGENCY

The Southwestern Agency, covering the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas, has continued under the administration of the Rev. J. J. Morgan, whose headquarters are at Dallas, Texas. 17 colporteurs and 64 correspondents, a total of 81 persons, have assisted him in this work. 618 towns and villages have been visited. This has required on the part of the colporteurs alone the traveling

of 25,267 miles. 90,135 volumes, an increase of 33,477 volumes, have been circulated, of which 19,945 are Bibles, 35,605 are New Testaments, and 34,585 are Scripture portions.

PACIFIC AGENCY

The Pacific Agency has had a prosperous year in many ways. First of all its distribution has advanced 49,977 volumes, 128,952 copies having been distributed this year. These have gone among the many alien peoples gathered on the coast-Hindus, Japanese, Chinese, and among European settlers, as well as the native American populations. The report shows that this distribution has been as usual accompanied with evangelizing zeal and has the marks of divine approval in the results gained. Large gifts from generous givers have brought new courage and thanksgiving into the heart of the Rev. A. Wesley Mell, the Agency Secretary, and his twenty-three associates.

EASTERN AGENCY

The Eastern Agency has for its field New York State and adjacent regions not otherwise cared for. The central office of the Agency is at 137 Montague Street, Brooklyn. The Agency Secretary is the Rev. W. H. Tower. The work of the year has included colportage work in the great field presented by Brooklyn itself and its masses of foreign inhabitants; in the dock region of Brooklyn, among the shipping; in the lumber camps of the Adirondacks, and among the immigrant laborers in different parts of the City of New York. The efforts of the Agency have had results, and its workers have met with much encouragement. During the year the number of Bibles, Testaments, and portions put in circulation was 90,800.

CENTRAL AGENCY

The Central Agency, covering the states of Ohio, Kentuck, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, has continued under the administration of the Rev. George S. J. Browne, D.D. 28 colporteurs and 11 field workers, a total of 39 persons, have visited 471 towns and villages and have circulated 103,098 volumes, an advance over the preceding

year of 15,579 volumes. The total consists of 19,260 Bibles, 54,858 New Testaments, and 28,980 Scripture portions.

ATLANTIC AGENCY

The Atlantic Agency completes the fourth full year of its history by reporting a circulation of 237,817 copies, an advance of 55, 820 copies over the previous year. The Rev. Dr. Leighton W. Eckard and Mr. R. H. Thomas, Jr., still continue to direct its affairs from the headquarters at 701 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. The Agency has sought through the year to maintain a proper proportion and order in distributing its energies through towns and cities on the one hand and rural districts on the other. To accomplish this diverse methods have been pursued in city streets and slum neighborhoods, farming regions, and scattered hamlets as well. A considerable work has been done for the blind in various systems of printing. The prosecution of the work of the Agency throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware continues to progress in a natural and normal manner. The relation with the old auxiliary societies is pleasant and useful. The "oldest Bible Society" has put forth new energy, and the effect of its transformation into the Atlantic Agency seems a manifest token of divine approval.

The following is a list of the Agency Secretaries, with the date of their appointment:

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Under the oversight of these Agency Secretaries four hundred and eighty-two (482) persons (234 colporteurs and 248 others) are reported to have been employed in distributing the Scriptures.

1909, Rev. G. S. J. Browne, D.D., Cincinnati, O., 1909 1910, Rev. L. W. Eckard, D.D., Philadelphia, Pa., 1910

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