The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-15
By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL.

Printers, 10 per cent.
Paper workers, II per cent.
Metal workers, 1115 per cent
Clothing workers, per cent.
Textile workers, per cent.
Wood workers, per cent.
Agricultural workers, 9 per cent.
Building trades, per cent.
State and private employees (Saesmen), per cent.
Public health employees, per cent.
Municipal workers, So per cent.
Miners per cent.
Chemical workers. per cent.
Food workers, per cent.
Local transportation, per cent.
Restaurant employees, per cent
River and sea transport workers, "a per cent
The struggle to build the trade union press shown
by the fact that the river and transport workers
who at the bottom of the list made heroic
effort maintain daily paper of their own, con the
Watch 1t did not succeed however, and had to be dis
continued, being replaced temporarily by weekly pub
LEGATION. But this is far advance from the slave days
of "The Volga Boatman."
In order to get circulation for trade union pubca
tions in the United States the membership here is
ally given the union publication en- masse, being paic
for out of the dues Thus Labor" the weekly labor
organ with the largest circulation in this country man.
ages keep up its list of readers since many railroad
unions subscribe for their members bloc. But LA
bor' the organ OF the railroad workers
In the Soviet Union, however, the workers subscribe
for the official organs of their industry The railroad
worker pays four kopecks copy for his Daily The
about 32H cents for "a issues, which averages little
less than three kopecks per issue The yearly subscrp
ton is about $3.50.
Thus the circulation of a Soviet labor daily is bona
fde 1t is not made up of dead heads. The papers art
not thrown away There is waste
An additional fact showing the great interest thu
Soviet workers take in their publications is revealed
the fact that papers not mailed directly to the work
ers homes Some effort be put forth get them
"Gudok," the railroad workers organ, is sent ou
mostly IN bundles to railroad shops, railway stations
roundhouses, wherever the railroad workers to b.
found on the job over the Soviet Union The bundles
taken in charge by the local agent from whom the
workers get their individual copies If the worker il
sick ncapacitaed effort made to get the paper
to his home. Otherwise he gets it on the job himself
Here in the United States the number of readers of
publication is estimated at four times the number
actual subscribers. If this percentage held true in the
Soviet Union the 415OOO copies of the "Gudok"
daily would suffice for 100000 workers in the indus
try. But on Jan. l. 1927, this year, the union hac
200 members which is another revelation showing
the Russian workers to be inveterate readers.
There 81 different railroad systems in the Soviet
Union and effort is made to give special edition
each week for every road This is done by making ove
pages of the regular edition. putting IN news
of local interest.
The circulation of the paper is also considered the
basis of the three great geographical divisions the Mos
COW, Donetz Basin and Kursk- Ukraine districts.
workers, interesting them only in their peculiar eco
nomic problems.
went over a copy of "Goduk," under the guidance O.
its editor Ivan Pirogow and it's foreign editor, Victor
Fin, in their office in the Palace of Labor in Moscow,
Thus find the first and second pages almost en-
tirey given over to general and articles. There
is much received by telegraph with leading articles
"The Financial Crisis in Japan" and "The Interna
tona Economic Conference in Switzerland These lead
ing articles short in the nature of cryptic editorials
Interpreting the foreign from the standpoint o.
the worker in the Soviet Union
There numerous Corners" or Departments ap
pearing regularly. Here is Military Corner" Other
sections given Railroad Guards rifle Clubs
Aviation Circles" One two-ine item records thai
at far distant railroad Aviation Circle has
been organized with membership of 40 and II
women.
There is a Party Life Section" where the railroad
workers educated in the activities the history
functions of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
There is Peasant Section" "Co-operatve Section
a department called Helped by Gudok" of which shall
write later another department headed Our Life
well space given to the theater, book reviews
and the movies. There is minimum of space fc
advertising.
/ shall also have mora to say later about the 10000
worker correspondents of the "Gudok" who send in
average of 600 letters daily, letters that help put life
into every section Of the paper, providing an endless
stream of material for its every page and Corner"
shall review in another article how this material is
handled in the editorial office of "Gudok"
The workers in the Soviet Union subscribe for and
read their publications. They also write for them These
facts to be remembered