Manager’s Column

From Fourth International, vol.4 No.10, October 1943, p.290.
Transcribed, marked up & formatted by Ted Crawford & David Walters in 2008 for ETOL.

Our contention that placing Fourth International on newsstands is one of the most effective methods of distribution is bolstered by the following lettersfrom agents:

Local New York: “The FI sales in the last few months have been very gratifying. One newsstand on 42nd Street, near the N.Y. Public Library, sold 50 copies in one week .. Our sales average for FIs in the last year has gone up 50%.”
St. Paul: “We’re giving a newsstand on Wabasha the FI on a consignment basis and mailing out what he returns to us. Since he sold 5, we want to pass that 5 on to you. Will you increase our bundle order beginning with the September issue by 5? As he sells more later, we’ll increase our bundle again.”
Seattle: “We have rounded up 8 more newsstands for literature, so wil1 you send us 30 additional copies of the September FI? This isn’t a permanent increase until we find out how their sales go.”

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Letters from our Seattle agent during the month show considerable other activity in addition to “rounding up 8 more newsstands”:

“Trying to get some other ideas on subs and literature sales for both the FI and paper (The Militant), I finallyy decided to go through all the Manager’s Columns of the back issues of FI for ideas gathered from other cities.”

“Enclosed is a money order for $15. Of this $9 is for another set of the bound volumes of New International and Fourth International. The other $6 is for subs ... We’ll pay our bills at the middle and end of each month now; it’s a wonderful feeling to finally get our debt brought up to date.”

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Letters from Toledo show that considerable work is being done by our agent there:

“Have received the September issue of the magazine and desire to have an additional 20 copies for contact work. Will you send these as soon as it is possible. Have read the magazine through and the articles are well worth reading, especially on The Italian Revolution which should appeal strongly to some Italian people I want to get the magazine to.

“Could you send me 20 sub blanks. I want to send letters to prospective subscribers and include the blanks.”

***

Letters received from the following countriess how sincere appreciation:

Scotland: “I think that E.R. Frank’s article on Lewis in the April FI is the best explanation of the role of the labor leaders that I have seen.”
Australia: “I find your publications highly valuable and very useful.”
Canada: “I am enclosing money for subs to The Militant and Fourth International, some copies of which I received recently. You may be sure they were appreciated. The healthy core in Britain of the Fourth International is most encouraging. The labor aristocracy in Britain is rotten, but there is strong ground on which the masses in Britain can hammer out a policy in defense of the coming revolt in Germany. They are slow to move but once they start they will not let go.

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Last updated on 27.8.2008