A charge was brought against Rev. M. F. Keiter, publishing agent, alledging that he was short in his accounts over $6,800. This arose from an expert examination of the books and accounts of the publishing establishment. With this, of course, Mr. Keiter joined issue, and the matter was referred by the last General Conference to the incoming Publishing Board for settlement. Let it be borne in mind that the only question to be settled, was the issue raised by the expert's report.

Pursuant to the instruction of General Conference, the board was called together and arranged to have the same expert go over the books again, he having in the first examination consumed sixteen days, and, after spending eleven and one-half days more, he reported an apparent shortage of $2,581.93, adding however, that most; if not all, of an item of $1,111.10 should probably be deducted from this amount. At a subsequent meeting of the board, this item was deducted without a dissenting voice, thus reducing the apparent shortage to $1470.74, more than $5,000 less than the charge made at General Conference.

In a circular dated August 25, 1903, it is stated that an accountant employed by the board reported that great frauds had been committed by the former agent and that a majority of the trustees refused to accept his opinion.

These statements are both incorrect. The accountant made no such report, and a majority of the trustees accepted the report he did make, and made it the basis for settlement with the ex-agent, but Bishop Wright has been clamoring for an other expert examination ever since. The trustees however were entirely satisfied with the work done already.

After the expert's report was submitted it was proposed by resolution that the former agent be furnished with a copy of the expert's report and that he be requested to come before the board and account for the apparent shortage.

This proposition met with strong opposition from Bishop Wright, but the resolution was adopted by a yea and nay vote, as follows: Yeas: Barnaby, Floyd, Montgomery and Tharp. Nays: Wright, Miller and Wood.

Who will condemn us for voting for a resolution so just and reasonable?

Subsequently, to wit: February 12, 1902, Mr. Keiter appeared before the board with his explanations and the board made a careful examination of every item, accepting nothing only what was shown by the books to be correct. In this examination all the members of the board took part except Bishop Wright, who took little or no part, and much of the time was absent from the room, at one time an entire session. Revs. Miller and Wood were present all the time and at no time objected to the mode of procedure, or suggested any other method, or expressed any dissatisfaction with the explanations given by the ex-agent until we had gone over the whole matter, when Bishop Wright came in and pronounced the investigation inadequate. A vote was taken and a majority expressed satisfaction with the explanations given, but a minority was not satisfied. No proposition was then made, nor has there been since, to go over the examination of Keiter's answer, comparing it with the expert's report, but there has been a continuous demand for an other expert examination of the books. This is the peace proposition, so called. To this the majority wou1d not agree, as the matter was settled upon a basis agreed upon when the accountant, G. D. Crane, was employed.