Report of the Chairman, January 1, 1916

Report of the Chairman

To the Committee on Temporary Organization -- for teaching character as outlined in the book entitled The Remedy, the prospectus of our organization.

January 1, 1916

Report to the Committee

January 1, 1916.

To the Members of the Committee:

First thanking you for the [cooperation] you have given the promotion of this cause, I wish to report to you the progress being made. As it is just as cheap to have this report printed in the quantity needed, as to use the typewriter or its substitutes, I am having a sufficient number printed to supply you, future prospective committeemen and many others who have, or who will, assist the committee, and, should know what we are doing.

It is advisable that this committee should number as many as one hundred and while I am now feeling out several for that purpose, you can be of assistance in suggesting and promoting other proper persons. Mr. Charles Henry Davis, one of our committee, has suggested the names of several and I am now in communication with them.

Our committee was organized Nov. 18th, last, and Mr. Atkeson, Mr. Charles Henry Davis and Governor Capper have been added since. Mr. Frank A. Davis, our secretary, has gone to Colorado to live and engage in business and as soon as practical some one else will be selected. In the mean time I am directing the work.

Since the committee was organized, 30,000 Bulletins have been sent out, mainly in packages of from 10 to 25 Bulletins in each package. Prior to that, I had sent out 41,000, making in all 71,000. These have gone, principally, into Missouri and Kansas. How many of these are wasted is an unknown quantity, but based on an estimate founded on experience, the Bulletins are counting and will give results. They are causing from one to two books a day to be ordered through the committee; and where one will act on [page 4] receipt of printed matter, write enclosing draft, it is safe to say that as many as 25 think about doing so and will ultimately buy of dealers or agents. And the continued pouring of the Bulletins out into the United States, will bring on a general buying of the book and the people informing themselves as to the merits of our cause. I now have, coming off the press, 28,000 of Bulletin No. 4.

I have resorted to the Bulletin, because proprietors of newspapers, as a rule, are so busy and so engrossed with their work, they will, often, not read a book sent them; and many of them regard any publicity given a book as advertising a private scheme or commercial proposition. However, quite a number of newspaper men have already grasped the merit and significance of our proposition and are helping. In time, when the unselfishness and merit of this movement is generally understood, I look for thousands of newspapers to espouse the cause we present. The people, as a rule, are so engrossed with their vocations and cares and their attention so fixed on the world's war and military or physical preparedness, to ward off, temporary, threatened danger, the subject of moral preparedness that will bring justice and a permanent world's peace, is not getting their attention as it will later.

The Bulletin is now our chief reliance and, probably, should be continued till permanent organization is established. The Bulletin's present circulation, however, is entirely too small.

There are now about 6000 of the books in circulation. There are about 4000 more in print and when they are absorbed, I will have in the next run of the book the announcement of our committee and a number of opinions printed in the first part thereof, to quicken the interest of the reader in the subject he is about to investigate. One person reports to me about 20 having read one copy of the book, but in the main, I fear, many, though in possession of the book do not realize the importance of the subject treated, have only casually examined it and will not [page 5] turn to it again till more importance, generally, is attached to the subject. Warm friends of the movement, however, are developing. Colonel Frank Buffum, one of our committee, has purchased one hundred of the little school booklets for use in a school at Louisiana, Mo. A benefactor and student of education has purchased 2,500 of The Remedy and given them to teachers in Missouri; and has contributed $250, to our expense of promotion; and others are becoming active.

FINANCING.

The receipts of the committee have been, from books ordered through the committee, $15; from contributions $251 ($250 from a gentleman in Kansas City and $1.00 from St. Louis), a total of $266. Seventy-five dollars was contributed and used before this committee was formed, making $341 that has been contributed to this movement by others than myself. This committee's expenses have been $126, which includes the cost of printing 30,000 Bulletins, stationery, postage and clerical help. No officer draws any salary and I am financing my personal expense, which will not be charged to the committee. In Chapter 10 of the book I say that I will account for the royalty on The Remedy to the permanent organization; but now conclude that it will probably be more satisfactory for me to do so to the present committee; and as soon as there is an excess above my personal expense, will turn over the excess to our treasurer; and, periodically, will make business like statements to you. I regret that I am not financially able to give more than my time and what I am doing.

All contributions of money to assist us is received by or handed to Mr. Huttig, the treasurer and the receipt acknowledged by both of us. We pay money out with a voucher check on The National Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Mo., that itemizes the account being paid, is receipted by the payee, giving his address and is signed by Mr. Huttig and myself. As our finances increase in importance I will, from time to time, have the local members of the committee [page 6] select an expert accountant to examine our accounts and report to the committee.

WHAT WE NEED.

We need to increase the circulation of the Bulletin to 20,000 a week, going out in packages of ten each to bankers, lawyers, editors, merchants, educators, ministers and others, whose names are easily obtained through directories listing them; each package of 10 requiring a two cent stamp; and to those known to be taking an interest, larger packages, requiring more postage. In this way we can fairly well cover a state each week, but even then taking 48 weeks to cover the United States. And about 3000 personal letters, per week, should be sent out, calling attention to the movement, each enclosing a Bulletin, each letter requiring a two cent stamp. To do this, 2000 packages and 3000 letters per week, and keep up with the correspondence this will bring about, a reasonable office force will be required.

The following is an estimate of what it will cost:

With this amount of money to promote with, our work will become a force throughout the United States and I believe permanent organizations will be perfected. It will naturally result in the sale of a larger number of books and the royalty account, 5 cents per book, will be materially [page 7] helping to finance us. On 100,000 books, it means $5,000, and more if in a larger number, that will bring fresh financial assistance to relieve our finances or enlarge our work.

I am going to undertake to raise the amount needed. The importance of it, the dire necessity of our work being pushed, is incentive enough to place it before proper parties and keep trying, in a courteous and gentlemanly way, till it is available; and as the money is received, enlarging on what is now being done till it is up to the point estimated.

To raise this money we must rely on men and women who have it, who have surplus wealth and incomes; and who can appreciate the influence for good, of a tremendous educational movement such as we are promoting. Tens of thousands are, annually, contributing to education, religion, charity, or to relieve distress; and as each one of this class realizes that all their work, in the end, is marred or ruined, unless what we propose succeeds, we will get from them the contributions necessary. We have just celebrated Christmas and have seen how liberally those who have, are willing to feed the poor; but they do not see how the dependent can be reduced in number to a minimum and general contentment and happiness be brought about; and when they do see it they will be willing to help.

I will appreciate each member of the committee furnishing me names of those who are able, financially, and broad minded enough to comprehend our proposition; and I will send to each a copy of the book, this report and address, each, a personal letter.

We must win! Civilization itself is at stake!

The present indifference of the class to which I refer, people who are able to help, is due to being immersed in business or domestic or social cares, and to not knowing there is a way out, a remedy, for world wide evil conditions. With the news of nearly a million people assassinated in Armenia, a half million starving in Poland, alone; 15 million casualties in wars in 18 months; 8,000 murders in the United States in a year; the continued increase in tenantry [page 8] and evils, creating restlessness and crime; with nothing effective coping with the dissolution of governments and society, an indifference exists that must be shaken! Geology, an infallible historian of the Earth's surface, tells us that the world has been inhabitable for millions of years, and prehistoric relics tell us of civilizations, now dead, that have preceded ours. Of those millions of years the world has been inhabitable, our civilization, the one of which we are a part, is known of, indistinctly, for only 6,000 years. Printing is only about 500 years old; and half the world was discovered by us only 400 years since. So that ours is but a recent civilization risen from the tomb of a past dead civilization. Its present demoralized condition indicates that we have been narrow and not broad; that vain ambitions, narrow prejudices and temporary selfish ends, have obscured the vision of a permanent and enduring civilization.

Are we, too, to join the dead civilization of the past? Their fate, mute monuments, warn us that there were stumbling blocks over which they fell.

It is better that we ask ourselves this question now, before humane instincts have surrendered to animal viciousness, than when it is too late! It is upon those in independent circumstances, who are not harassed by want and care, that the responsibility mainly falls. If they will unselfishly lead the other people will follow. To their place their minds upon the problem of a world's salvation will bring to them, more or less, happiness; and an ambition so noble will give to them added interest in life!

Again thanking you for the assistance you have given me and appreciating your [cooperation] in the future, I am,

Sincerely

WM. H. HARVEY.