standing shall attain unto wise counsels." We are wise only when we are willing to heed advice, and when we begin to understand that words of admonition are for our benefit. Sometimes the wrong path will be made very attractive by those who are walking therein. We will be tempted by the so-called fun and sport, but if we yield, we will be caught in the mire of sin. The story is told of a boy who, one sunny afternoon, tired of school, decided to play truant. He followed a strange but attractive path, gathering wild flowers, chasing butterflies and what glorious fun he had! Finally, however, the path became narrow and walking difficult, for the ground was soft and wet. He walked on, hoping for firmer footing, but landed over his shoes in what had once been a pigsty. With great difficulty he retraced his steps and arrived home, soiled but repentant. If we choose the wrong path or hobnob with the wrong companions, we may change our ways and shun the evil, but we will never be as clean as when we started out. triotic service held at the College Auditorium, which seats 1,200 people. It was crowded, people standing both in the aisles and in the galleries. We had two strong addresses, those of Camp Pastor Rev. Joseph Green and Rev. Luther M. Kuhns. Appropriate music was rendered by the local and Augustana College choirs. The last session of the convention was the Rally Meeting. Preceding the address, the Augustana College Choir gave a halfhour sacred concert which was thoroughly enjoyed by the large audience filling the church. A masterly sermon was delivered by Prof. Martin Hegland, Ph.D., president of Waldorf College. Dr. Hegland said, "Let us preach, teach and sing the doctrines of God into the hearts of men and Greater to be an American than to be king of the mightiest empire on earth, but greater still to be a Christian. Great will be the day when our boys come home with victorious Old Glory, but greater still, yes, the greatest day, when the soldiers of Christ shall come home with victory out of the world, bearing aloft the standard of the cross, come home to receive the crown of victory." women. The safest way is to be sure who our friends are and choose only those who will arouse the very best element in our lives. First of all, choose for your daily companion the very best Friend a boy or girl ever had or ever can have-a Friend who loved you enough to die for you and in Whom you can confide without danger of betrayal; a Friend Whose standard you will always be proud to follow and will never be put to shame. Hints for Leader-Have a boy tell of the friendship of David and Jonathan. Have the boys and girls tell some of the qualities desirable in a chum. Poster-Pictures of children at play, at top of card "Our Chums," at bottom notice of meeting. Invitations-Small cards on which print "Bring your chums, one and all, to our Junior League meeting, on- at " Direct the children's reading. Arrange a "Story Book Trip," in which the children visit different sections of our land and other countries by reading books about those places. SOUTH DAKOTA CONVENTION (Continued from page 19.) gave us the convention sermon from the text, "But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" It was a most appropriate and eloquent sermon. At this service the Augustana College Choir sang. Rev. Jacobson said, "Victory, oh, for the zeal and fervor of Paul, valiant soldier was he-blessed we, if we can say with him, 'Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown.' Let us in this critical time, stand up for our Church, which is tried as by fire, and it must be proven true. This is a practical age. Oh, all too often we ask-Does it pay? When God. calls us let us not be worldly, not think of self. Jesus says, 'He who finds his life shall lose it, but he who loses his life for My sake shall find it.' When the call of the Church comes, answer-Here am I, send me." Sunday afternoon we had a grand pa After short closing remarks by Mr. Hodges, Rev. Kuhns, Thorvald Ditmandson, our new State President, and Rev. B. A. Benson, Mr. Larson announced that the convention was closed. After singing "God Bless Our Native Land," the benediction was pronounced. We bid our friends farewell and parted, with hopes of meeting again at the twenty-second annual State convention. Truly we dwelt on the mountain tops throughout the convention. May God grant that we may all from strength to strength go on, wrestle and fight and pray. Tread all the powers of darkness down, and win the well-fought day. Where the Thirteenth National Convention of the Luther League of America will be held August 27, 28, 29. No. 8 WHY NOT CONSULT US AS TO CONTEMPLATION OF MEMORIAL CHURCH GIFTS WHY NOT PRESENT TO YOUR PARISH CHURCH A BAPTISMAL FONT ON THE LINES OF THE THORWALDSEN ANGEL FONT IN THE DON AT COPENHAGEN? (VIDE ILLUSTRATION.) We carry in stock or design and execute in Wood, Metal, Stone, and Marble, Art Glass, Mosaic, Embroidery, etc., for the enrichment, decoration or furnishing of the Church interior We invite correspondence or, still better, a visit to our Studios. J&R LAMB STUDIOS 23-25-27-SIXTH AVENUE-NEW-YORK All Questions Answered Your Vacation Begins the Moment You Step Aboard The Ideal Picture to yourself the luxury of a magnificent, The Largest River Steamships in the World NEW YORK-ALBANY-TROY B Luther League Buffalo, the Convention City BY H. B. SAUNDERS, CONVENTION COMMISSIONER. UFFALO, the city in which this year's convention of the Luther League is to be held, like every other American city has its own peculiar individuality and history. Its location at the easterly terminus of navigation on the Great Lakes and beginning of the water level route across New York State to Albany and thence southward to tidewater, inevitably made it a city of commerce, and from the days of the beginning of the development of inland America, during the greater part of the nineteenth century and the begin ning of the twentieth, Buffalo was preeminently a commercial city. Completely destroyed in 1812, the present city represents the growth of a single century, a comparatively short period in the history of cities. During a few years previous to 1900 Buffalo had made some industrial gains and was slowly emerging from a community in which commerce was the paramount occupation. During the time which marked the development of the great Western grain fields, much of this vast golden stream of MAIN STREET, BUFFALO. grain flowed through Buffalo in constantly increasing volume, and today a large portion of the wheat which is being sent abroad for the support of our own troops and our allies is brought in great steel vessels to the port of Buffalo, where it is elevated in a group of great structures, including one of the largest elevators in the whole world, to be sent by rail and canal to the seaboard. In the early years of this traffic the Erie Canal was used to a considerable extent in forwarding grain, but this waterway was outgrown by the necessities of modern commerce, and the Empire State has expended $150,000,000 in the construction of a barge canal, which was thrown open to traffic this summer. This great canal not only will afford cheap transit for grain to New York City, but also will open up advantages for the transportation of manufactured products of all kinds, it being possible to ship in 10,000 ton units. It is believed that a saving of 50 per cent. or better on rail rates can be effected by the use of this new canal. The great war, and our later participation in it, very nearly revolutionized the industrial activities of the United States, and in no community were these changes more noticeable than in Buffalo. Previous to the outbreak of the war, in the five years between 1909 and 1915, Buffalo had gained 475 new industries. During the same period the combined net gain of twenty-five cities having a population of 100,000 or more was 924 new industries, or less than twice the number gained by Buffalo alone. In the same period ten cities with populations in excess of 250,000 gained 481 new industries, or only six more than Buffalo alone. This is the latest period for which accurate statistical information is available. Since the outbreak of the war it is known that Buffalo's industrial gain has been proportionately much greater, and whereas the city had 2,223 industries in 1915, we know that there are now upwards of 2,500 industries in the city and that there has been a still greater increase in the number of employees. A partial disclosure of Buffalo's tremendous gain since the outbreak of the war is contained in a report of the Statistical Bureau of the New York State Industrial Commission for 1917. This bureau made an analysis of conditions in Buffalo and environs, comparing conditions of Buffalo, Blasdell, Cheektowaga, Depew, Lancaster, Lackawanna, North Tonawanda, Tonawanda and Sloan, which in every sense other than political are a part of Buffalo. The results obtained indicate that the factory employees of the Buffalo district have profited considerably by the general increase of activity that has marked all the manufacturing undertakings of the Empire State. From the beginning of the war in April, and more especially since July, 1917, this city and adjacent villages experienced each month more activity than during the preceding month. All former records as to the number of employees and volume of wages paid dwindle in comparison with the figures for each successive month. Compared with November, 1914, Buffalo in November, 1917, increased its number of employees 70 per cent., whereas in the State as a whole the increase was but 30 per cent. Compared with November, 1915, Buffalo in November, 1917, increased its number of employees 28 per cent. During these same periods there have also been large increases in the total paid out in wages. In November, 1914, the average weekly earnings in factories in Buffalo were $14.13. In November, 1917, this average had increased to $22.26. These increases include both men and women in shops and offices and show that Buffalo paid from $1.75 to $4.50 more per week to the indi |