Main FI Index | Main Newspaper Index
Encyclopedia of Trotskyism | Marxists’ Internet Archive
From Fourth International, March 1947, Vol.8 No.3, p.66.
Transcribed, edited & formatted by Ted Crawford & David Walters in 2008 for ETOL.
Fourth International agents secured 475 subscriptions during the first two months of the national three-month campaign for 1,000 new readers. In other words, they have achieved 48 per cent of their goal. Minneapolis tops the scoreboard, having gone over its goal with 120 per cent. Pittsburgh and St. Paul tie for second place, each with 110 per cent. Milwaukee, Boston, Flint, Reading, Cleveland, Calumet, and Connecticut State, are taking the campaign in good stride. Other branches will have to put a little steam behind their local campaigns in order to complete their quotas on schedule. The scoreboard shows subscriptions obtained through February 15:
| SCOREBOARD | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
City |
Quota |
Subs |
Per Cent |
|
Minneapolis |
50 |
60 |
120 |
|
Pittsburgh |
10 |
11 |
110 |
|
St. Paul |
20 |
22 |
110 |
|
Milwaukee |
15 |
14 |
94 |
|
Boston |
20 |
15 |
75 |
|
Flint |
30 |
21 |
70 |
|
Reading |
10 |
7 |
70 |
|
Cleveland |
15 |
10 |
66 |
|
Calumet |
5 |
3 |
60 |
|
Connecticut State |
10 |
6 |
60 |
|
Chicago |
80 |
40 |
50 |
|
San Diego |
10 |
5 |
50 |
|
San Francisco |
40 |
19 |
48 |
|
Akron |
20 |
9 |
45 |
|
Oakland |
15 |
6 |
40 |
|
Portland |
5 |
2 |
40 |
|
St. Louis |
5 |
2 |
40 |
|
New York Local |
200 |
76 |
38 |
|
Toledo |
30 |
11 |
36 |
|
Youngstown |
30 |
9 |
30 |
|
Newark |
40 |
9 |
28 |
|
Detroit |
70 |
11 |
27 |
|
Philadelphia |
40 |
19 |
27 |
|
Buffalo |
40 |
10 |
25 |
|
Los Angeles |
120 |
27 |
23 |
|
Rochester |
5 |
1 |
20 |
|
Seattle |
30 |
3 |
10 |
|
Allentown |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Bayonne |
15 |
0 |
0 |
|
Tacoma |
10 |
0 |
0 |
|
Texas |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
General |
― |
45 |
― |
Dick Carlson tells us about the method that put Minneapolis in the lead:
“We had these 30 subs two weeks but I delayed sending them to you in hope that a few more would come in. I think that the main reason for our achieving our quota so soon was that the campaign was constantly brought to the attention of the branch. Every meeting we had a report and a discussion on the progress of the campaign. A chart was posted in the front of the meeting hall showing the number of subs each person had to his credit. At the top of the chart was our slogan, ‘EVERY TROTSKYIST A SUB-GETTER’ – the importance of this slogan should not be overlooked. Names of certain contacts were assigned the comrades at each meeting. Two sub blanks and a letter concerning the importance of the campaign were sent to every member of the branch.
“I see:” he continues, “that many of the branches have divided themselves into two teams for the campaign. Good idea. The division of the Minneapolis Branch was quite simple. The Carlsons in the branch challenged the non-Carlsons. So far the Carlsons have 28 subs and the non-Carlsons have 32.”
* * * *
Pittsburgh is “quite proud of completing our goal so soon,” writes Justine Lang, “and now we can go ahead and over-subscribe our goal”
* * * *
“We are now over the top with 22 FI subs” states Winifred Nelson, Campaign Director of the St. Paul Branch. “We are doing quite well in this campaign, and if we can continue the pace, we may double our quota!“ Comrade Nelson is St. Paul’s Pace-Setter with 5½ subs to her credit. Second is Paul Shell with 2½ subs to his credit.
* * * *
Mary Steele reports for Newark:
“We are sure now that our quota will be met. Comrade Joe Harris is in charge of the campaign. He is the spark plug of our campaign and is doing a fine job.”
* * * *
Clara Kaye of Seattle says:
“We’re going to start putting the pressure on now and expect to achieve our quota of 30.”
* * * *
“I realize we have a long way to go to get 40 subs;” says R. Riley of Buffalo, “but feel confident that we will net 40 before the deadline of March 15 is reached.”
* * * *
As a fitting conclusion to this month’s column we cite the following letter from J.G.B. of Canada:
“Received the January issue of FI and have read the appeal for more subscribers. I would rather miss a meal than the FI and want to help to maintain it in the present size or bigger. I am sending $10 for my renewal and two new subscribers The balance is a donation. Best wishes for a successful sub campaign.”
* * * *
Virginia Barrett, FI Agent for Milwaukee, says:
“We are now positive of going over our quota of 15 subs. We have 14 and we feel confident of at least 6 more in the month left before the drive is over. At the present time we have two Pace-Setters, Sam Taylor and Robert Henderson, with four subs each.”
* * * *
Other agents assure us that their quotas will be fulfilled. Beverley Wise of Oakland states:
“We are making a real effort to try to make our quota, and we think we will.”
Miriam Braverman of Youngstown writes:
“We are now putting steam on our FI campaign and expect to certainly make our quota by the end of the campaign.”
“The Chicago members are getting up steam behind the drive,” writes Leon Forth. “We are out for our goal. Frank F. is leading the race with four subs.”
* * * *
San Francisco too will fulfil its quota, according to F. Lester.
“We have divided the branch into teams and thereby have injected a little competitive spirit into our FI campaign. “We are doing our darndest to fulfill our quota.”
Main FI Index | Main Newspaper Index
Encyclopedia of Trotskyism | Marxists’ Internet Archive
This work is in the Public Domain under the Creative Commons Common Deed. You can freely copy, distribute and display this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit the Encyclopedia of Trotskyism On-Line as your source, include the url to this work, and note any of the transcribers, editors & proofreaders above.
Last updated on 13.2.2009