Manager’s Column

From Fourth International, June 1946, Vol.7 No.6, p.162.
Transcribed, edited & formatted by Ted Crawford & David Walters in 2008 for ETOL.

In the first six weeks of Fourth International’s 2-month campaign for 500 new subscribers, we have received a total of 336 new subscriptions. As the scoreboard shows we are 10 percent behind schedule. By this time, we should have 75 percent of our quota.

Here is the score board up to May 15:

SCOREBOARD
City	Quota	Subs	Percent
Milwaukee	5	8	100

Newark	20	21	105
Boston	10	10	100
San Francisco	25	25	100
Tacoma	5	5	100
Pittsburgh	15	14	93
Connecticut	10	9	90
Philadelphia	20	15	75
Youngstown	20	15	75
Akron	10	7	70
Baltimore	10	7	70
Detroit	40	26	65
New York	100	61	61
Chicago	50	30	60
Bayonne	10	6	60
Reading	5	3	60
Minneapolis	25	15	60
San Diego	5	3	60
Buffalo	20	10	50
Flint	10	5	50
Los Angeles	60	17	28
St. Louis	5	1	40
Cleveland	10	2	20
St. Paul	10	2	20
Seattle	20	2	10
Allentown- Bethlehem	5	0	0
Toledo	10	0	0
Portland	–	2	–
General	–	15	–
Total		336	67

Campaign Directors from almost every city have written in that they are confident of making their quota by June first. It is therefore a question of putting on extra pressure to carry through campaign plans as expeditiously as possible. Newark and San Francisco, both of which have already completed their quotas, have put on well organized campaigns. Anne Alexander reports on methods used in San Francisco as follows:

“We too have combined our Militant recall work with FI sub getting. Besides that, I have made a very careful check of the files and picked those most likely to be interested in a theoretical magazine. Next week I am going to visit these people and see what happens.”

Newark sent sample copies of the May FI to a list of Militant readers with a special letter, enclosing a subscription blank and a self-addressed prepaid envelope. However, Campaign Director Reed points out that his method is being tried out after the original quota of 20 was completed. He writes:

“We have now gone over our quota of 20 and claim first place over Buffalo, Philadelphia, Youngstown and Seattle with similar quotas. We were too busy getting subs to issue formal challenges, but results count. Moreover eleven of these subs are $2.50 one year Fourth International-Militant combinations. We will now try to claim a further victory by turning in the highest number of subs of these five cities.”

Congratulations to Boston, Newark, San Francisco and Tacoma on reaching 100 percent! Milwaukee, which went over its quota in the early weeks of the campaign, has plans to continue sub work, according to Director Carol Andrews.

* * * *

As reported in this column last month, a number of challenges were given and accepted by cities with similar quotas. Buffalo, challenged by Youngstown and Philadelphia, replied:

“Please inform our many challengers that we take all comers and may the best city win! As an indication that we mean business, ship us more sub blanks without delay.”

The results of the socialist competition between these 20 quota cities so far are: Newark, 105 percent; Philadelphia and Youngstown, 75 percent; Buffalo, 50 percent; Seattle, 10 percent.

Youngstown’s campaign director, Mark Farrell, accompanied his last batch of subs with this query: “What’s the matter with Buffalo?” It will be interesting to watch the neck and neck race between Philadelphia and Youngstown, each of which has 15 subs.

San Francisco, challenged by Minneapolis in a letter published here in the May issue, has won out. L. Lynn, Minneapolis campaign director, says he doesn’t know how San Francisco did it, for “Minneapolis has been putting a lot of work into this campaign.”

Although San Francisco reached 100 percent first, it behooves Minneapolis to regain their well-established prestige by turning in a larger total number of subs by the end of the campaign.

Two cities which were assigned no quota in this campaign have not only asked to be included but have challenged each other. John Leavitt, Baltimore FI agent, having read our suggestion that his city enter into competition with Portland, replied:

“I received our copies of the FI tonight and read with the greatest pleasure your proposal that we take up the challenge that Portland has thrown into the ring. So before any other city gets ideas, I am writing you to accept the offer on behalf of Baltimore. Since we have drawn up a list of some fifteen names and have seven subs into the bargain as a handicap, and since we expect a good many call-backs on Militant subscribers and intend to follow Newark’s suit in getting combination subs, we feel sure that ten is well within the possibilities of realization.

“Will it be possible for you to raise our quota, though it is already established? We would like to hear if Portland is willing and able. East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet, all in the spirit of a good cause.”

To which Portland replied:

“We accept your latest challenge. Portland is willing – we don’t know if we are able to meet the raised quota but we will try. We hope to prove that east and west shall meet.”

* * * *

Extracts from FI campaign directors’ letters:

Cleveland, I. London: “We are planning to call back on the FI and Militant expired sub lists. We will surely reach our quota.”
Connecticut, William Singer: “Here are two more subs – that makes nine up to now. We expect to go way over our new quota of 10. All our subs are from Militant readers. We are not doing so badly in Connecticut!”
Pittsburgh, Ruth Massey: “We mean to beat Connecticut on a percentage basis, since they have suggested competition. Here is our fourteenth sub, which brings us to 93 per cent.”
Tacoma, R. Cappy: “With this sub Tacoma has attained its quota. However, we don’t intend to stop here. We will do all we can to push the FI subs and go over the top.”
Los Angeles, Al Lynn: “I am very glad that we decided on subscriptions as the way of increasing the circulation. It is true that many people who would be interested in the FI do not know about it. At the same time due to the excellent analyses of strike events and the international situation, I believe that the magazine is, more than ever before, an attraction to the advanced militants in the labor movement.”
Philadelphia, Herbert Newell: “Besides our campaign work, we have a few more newsstands carrying the FI now. Wherever the magazine is displayed, it sells well. Please increase our bundle order to 40.”

* * * *

In the July Fourth International we will give the final scores on the campaign. We expect not only to attain our goal of 500 new 6-month for $1.00 subscriptions but to exceed it!

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Last updated on 9.2.2009