MISSIONARY SOCIETY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 
 A REMINDER TO OUR MISSIONARIES 
 ABOUT THE METHOD OF MAKING PAY¬ 
 MENTS IN THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 The rules of the Society on this subject do not seem to be thoroughly 
 understood; or, if understood, are not always strictly observed. We, 
 therefore, call particular attention to the plan provided in the Missionaries' 
 Manual , and shall hereafter require that the law of the Society be faith¬ 
 fully observed by every missionary asking favors under it. 
 
 CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT. 
 
 “When ariy of our missionaries in foreign lands desire to make pay¬ 
 ments in the United States for the support of their families, or for friends 
 here, the money may be paid to the Treasurer of the Mission, whereupon 
 he shall issue a Certificate of Deposit of the prescribed form to the 
 order of the person making the deposit, which, if properly indorsed, 
 will be duly honored on presentation to the Treasurer of the Society at 
 New York.”— Missionaries ’ Manual , p. 16. 
 
 The Board has added another rule by which the amount for which 
 a Certificate of Deposit may be issued is limited to $200 or less, and 
 still another declaring that no Certificate of Deposit shall be valid until 
 countersigned by one of the Missionary Secretaries. 
 
 Please observe that Certificates of Deposit: 
 
 1. May be issued by Treasurer of Mission only for deposit 
 actually made, not in anticipation of money to be received or of 
 salary to fall due; 
 
 2. To missionaries only; 
 
 3. must be indorsed by persons in whose favor they are issued; 
 
 4. Must never be for more than $200; 
 
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 5. Cannot be paid by Treasurer in New York until countersigned 
 by Corresponding Secretary. 
 
 Treasurers are warned to observe strictly rules one and four. 
 
 If Certificates of Deposit were issued except for money deposited they 
 would be in effect drafts on the Society, and the Missionaries' Manual , 
 page 19, says: “No missionary or other person, other than the Corre¬ 
 sponding Secretaries, is allowed to make drafts on the Treasurer for 
 Foreign Missions, except on letters of credit duly issued.” 
 
 PAYMENTS FOR GOODS PURCHASED. 
 
 The Manual provides, page 17: 
 
 “In case any of our missionaries desire to make purchases in the 
 United States, a bill for the same, accompanied by an order 
 from the missionary for its payment, may be presented to the 
 Corresponding Secretaries for audit, and upon their certificate may be 
 paid by the Treasurer of the Society, and the same reported as so much 
 cash remitted to the Treasurer of the Mission, whose duty it shall be to 
 deduct the amount from the next payment to the missionary. The bill 
 and order attached shall be the proper voucher in such cases of 
 the Treasurer of the Society. If a duplicate order is necessary, the mis¬ 
 sionary must supply it; and, if a duplicate bill is desired, the missionary 
 must require it of the dealer. The order should never be part 
 of a letter, nor on the same sheet.” 
 
 Please observe: 
 
 1. That a bill of goods must be presented to the Secretaries, with 
 an authorization from the missionary for its payment. 
 
 2. That the authorization must be distinct and separate from 
 the letter to the dealer, and be addressed to the Corresponding Secretaries. 
 
 3. That so far as possible the printed form provided by the 
 Mission Treasurer should be used. 
 
 4. That where the printed form is not obtainable the authorization 
 
 may be written, as follows: 
 
 [Place and date.] 
 
 Corresponding Secretaries, 
 
 Missionary Society, Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 
 150 Fifth Avenue, New York. 
 
 Dear Brothers: 
 
 Please certify for payment by the Treasurer the accompanying bill 
 (to be furnished in duplicate, or triplicate , as the case may be) of [name 
 
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 of dealer], for [goods ordered], amounting to [indicate whether amount given 
 is exact or only approximated ] dollars ($ [amount in figures]), and charge 
 the amount to the appropriation for [name of Mission] Mission, to be 
 deducted by the Treasurer of the Mission from any future payment on 
 my account. 
 
 [Signature], 
 
 [Name of Mission] Mission. 
 
 5. That^he dealer of whom goods are ordered should be specif¬ 
 ically instructed as to the method of securing payment and should 
 be asked to furnish two copies of the invoice (one for the Society’s 
 voucher and one for the use of the missionary in checking off the goods 
 and in adjusting his account with the Treasurer of the Mission) unless, 
 for any reason, a copy is not needed by the missionary. 
 
 6. That, if the goods are to he paid for hy the Society 
 and also to he sent to us for shipment, the dealer should be 
 instructed to furnish us with three copies of the invoice, the 
 third copy being needed for the use of the Custom House Officers. 
 
 7. That, to make the matter of number of invoices clear, we repeat 
 (1) If the goods are to be sent to us for shipment only, but not to 
 be paid for by the Society, it is only necessary to send one invoice to 
 us; (2) if the goods are to be paid for by the Society, hut not to 
 he shipped by us, then two invoices are needed, one for our 
 voucher and one for the missionary; (3) if the goods are to be paid 
 for by the Society and also to be shipped by us, three copies of 
 the invoice must be furnished. If you neglect to ask the dealer for the 
 proper number of invoices, do not complain if you do not get one, nor 
 expect us to get it for you. 
 
 MISSION ROOMS, 
 
 150 Fifth Avenue, New York. 
 
 August 1, 1902. 
 

 
 
 
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