# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1887_S22
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

22 Proceedings of the 20th General or

Up to now the house could have been resold at a profit at any time. We
ourselves, though, would put ourselves in a very poor light if we let this
property pass into foreign hands. In fact, however, the matter has
already been decided. All the districts have spoken out on it so
unanimously and decisively, and indeed so much in favor, that we now
really have nothing more than a formality to complete, in resolving,
with heartfelt thanks to the brothers concerned, to take over this
house. But if we do this, we thereby also take on the obligation to
discharge a debt that is not small. At the time the report was drawn
up it still stood at $38,000. For toward paying it off, unfortunately
only $9,950.50 had come in by the first of January this year, though
since then a little over $2,000 more. The next payment date is in
August. Then $30,000 will be due. — That such a sum can indeed be
raised, and how to go about it, the brothers at Addison have recently
shown us. Despite the enormous sums that had just before been
collected for St. Louis, they managed to bring in not only $26,000 for
their building but also $6,000 in surplus besides. Let our Emigrant
Commission [Emigranten-Commiſſion] follow this example, then, and
may it likewise find open hearts and hands.

In Baltimore too the work of the Emigrant Mission [Emigranten-
Miſſion] has met with not merely a blessed advance but a considerable
expansion. It is all the more distressing, therefore, that the
commission feels compelled to raise public complaint that individual
members of our Synod have, on their own account, taken on sub-
agencies for various outside emigration agents.

Regarding the publishing house [Buchverlag], the Auditing Commission
[Reviſions-Commiſſion] reports having found everything in good order.
The net profit has remained roughly the same, although the prices of
precisely the best-selling books have been lowered and not
inconsiderable sums have been spent on expanding the business. Of the
new Luther edition, two volumes will appear this year. The first three
have already paid for themselves, but close to $10,000 is still tied up
in the rest. It is all the more regrettable that sales have fallen from
5,300 to 1,282 copies. As we hear, some hold back from acquiring this
work because they fear the Synod will not be able to carry the project
through. In doing so they forget how much they themselves could do
to avert this danger. If every member of this assembly, upon returning
home, earnestly set about placing a few more copies in his
congregation, the danger would be past. And what a blessing that
would bring into our congregations and families! — With the
expansion of the business, an addition to the business premises has
now also become necessary, requiring about $11,000. This sum, though,
could be recovered in a short time if all our dear congre-