The Board of Conference Stewards present the following report:

   The stewards call attention to the fact that out of 145 appointments in the Conference, twenty-four failed to report anything for this fund. While we congratulate the Conference on an improvement in this particular, we earnestly hope that there shall be still greater care taken to raise this collection.

    We recommend that the Conference hold an anniversary in the interests of the superannuates, and that the same be provided for in the program.

   Recognizing the importance of the Sunday school in its relation to the church and the important position our Sunday School Union occupies in the field, we urge that each pastor take a collection during the coming year for the furtherance of this work.

   We are grateful to Almighty God for the progress already made in the temperance work. The Methodist church is a prominent factor in this cause, and is now waging a relentless warfare against the traffic, and in behalf of the unfortunate and fallen. We not only regard total abstinence as a duty of every Christian, but in the light of God's word he should be forever opposed to every of the traffic.

    Therefore we are in hearty sympathy with all organizations that seek the overthrow of the traffic. We would cheerfully indorse (sic) the Anti-Saloon League, and would recommend the election of two delegates to attend the convention to be held in Columbus, Ohio, January 11, 12, 13, 1898.

    We desire to reiterate the language of the Episcopal addresses of '88, '92 and '96, in which they say, "The liquor traffic is so pernicious in all its bearings, so inimical to the interest of honest trade, so injurious to the peace and order of society, so hurtful to the home, to the church, to the body politic, and so utterly antagonistic to all that is precious in life, that the only proper attitude toward it for a Christian is that of relentless hostility. It can never be legalized without sin.

    "In our judgment the saloon is an unmixed evil, full of diabolism, a disgrace to our civilization, the chief corruptor (sic) of political action, and a continual menace to the order of society and to the peace and purity of our homes."

    "We also concur with the committee of the General Conference of '92 when they say we do not presume to dictate the political conduct of our people but we do record our deliberate judgment that no political party has a right

to expect, nor ought to receive, the support of Christian men so long as it stands committed to the license policy or refuses to put itself on record in an attitude of open hostility to the saloon."

    "We also declare it the duty of every Christian minister to use his influence against the exhibit and free treat of wine at the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, to be held in Omaha, Neb., in 1898, and that we hereby as a Conference protest against it and instruct our secretary to convey this action to the executive committee of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition and that it be given to all the state papers for publication.

   We regard the Tract Society as an important factor in distributing valuable Christian literature among a class of people not otherwise reached.

    We believe the tract to bean evangelizing instrumentality, inexpensive, costing little more than the price of printing, their brevity making them acceptable and causing them to be read when a book would be neglected. They are convenient of circulation, and adapted to almost every variety of need.

    The Tract Society of our church commands a vast assortment of tract literature which is at the service of our pastors and tract committee, grants of tracts being made whenever circumstances require. We would therefore recommend that our pastors and tract committees avail themselves of these privileges.

    We would also call attention to the fact that our tract society contributes annually from *6,000 to $7,000, nearly one third of its collections, to the cause of missions in aid of our mission press, thus making possible the circulation of books and periodicals in foreign languages. The tract society asks from the whole church the sum of $50,000 of which the apportioned share to this conference is $325' therefore
    Resolved, That this amount be apportioned by the presiding elder pro rata among the charges; and that we will make special effort to raise the entire amount apportioned.

   We rejoice in the success of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal church.

    We are glad that the consecrated women of Methodism are so interested in their sisters of the orient.

    It is a cause of thanksgiving to God that the sum of $1,600 has been se

cured this year by the Topeka branch alone for the benefit of this blessed cause; therefore,

    Resolved, That we will welcome the agents of this society to our charge and give them every encouragement possible.

   Among the great organizations of the Methodist Episcopal church none is doing more practical and Christ like work than the Woman's Home Missionary Society.

    In our visit to York we had the great privilege of seeing in visible form the beneficent results accomplished by the above society on behalf of the destitute children of this nation.

    In the Mothers' Jewels' Home, at York, over which Brother and Sister Spurlock so efficiently and cheerfully preside, we have a glorious monument to the Christian generosity of our beloved Methodism; therefore
    Resolved, That we exercise to the utmost our efforts to support royally the Woman's Home Missionary Society and our local institution, the Mothers' .Jewels' Home of York.

JOHN CALVERT, Secretary.

H. W. COPE, Chairman.

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