The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-19
Workers on the Railroads
In the Soviet Union Are
Being HELPED by Cudok' p
"Helped bY Gudok. "
BY J. LOUIS ENGDAHL


"Heped by Gudol."
That is the name of of the most popular sec
tons of "Gudok" CWhste), the daily newspaper of the
Soviet Unions organized railroad workers.
Sometimes it helps in a big way. Sometimes its
services may insignificant But the fact that it
always stands ready to help, much to its nearly
half million subscribers. 1t helps get new readers.
Thus a worker correspondent from an isolated rail
road station wrote in that they had well. Water
had to be brought from another station, at great in
convenience.
The letter is published. The facts were brought to
the attention of the railroad management 1t asked
why we'll available. No is accepted, of
Every railroad station should have its we'll with
pure available. The railroad management is not
allowed moments peace until another letter comes
finally from the worker correspondent in the far away
railroad station that:
"The new we'll has been constructed"
The little railroad town will never forget that it was
Helped by Gudol"
On another occasion a worker correspondent wrote
in about the bad conditions prevailing in the local rail
road hospital "Gudok" carried out Investigation Of
its that resulted in the publication of the charges
and bringing them to the attention of the railroad
agement special commission ordered to investi-
gate. The hospital management, however, had nst-
uted big cleanup before the commission arrived But
the hospitals doctors made effort deny the truth
of the charges that had been made. "Gudok Had Help
ed" in a bigger way Comfortable hospital conditions
for sick and injured workers had been
was also interesting. Bricks needed to build a
new station. 1t found that the builders were i'm
porting bricks from another city, at considerable eX
pense when there good supply hand locally.
There ensued intense discussion to the cost Of
production the price and the quality of the respective
bricks, with the result that the homegrown product
out both as to price and quality. The question
of probable graft did not enter into the discussion
there basis for it. Thru the raising of this
question, however, source of waste eliminated,
and labors task of construction in the Soviet Union
speeds up result Of this and many other like i'm
provements
The railroad workers daily, "Gudok" is only able to
carry this work because of the loyalty and energy
Of It's thousands Of worker correspondents
Six hundred letters pour in daily from these worker
correspondents An efficient staff, trained to its task
several times larger than the entire editorial staff of
2 DAILY WORKER, takes of these letters
lyon the comrades who open the letters must be well
arad, since the letters must be carefully sorted to
contents: () The important letters, sent in by
correspondents whose already listed and who
therefore be depended upon to send in something
worth while and (2) letters from writer's those
who are sending in contribution for the first time.
-Four comrades assigned carefully read the let
tiers in the first division Two readers suffice for the
second section.
Some letters go to special instructors who reply
questions that asked give instruction by mail
"How to Write" For this purpose many circular
letters, leaflets and pamphlets have been prepared If
the questions asked Of general interest they
inserted in the paper with the replies. They show what
the workers thinking about. Sometimes a review
of many questions, that cannot be published because
of lack of space, is published analysis of the
minds Of the railroad workers that particular
nent. They show what the workers are thinking Of
their hours, wages conditions and unemployment, if
there is unemployment
1t is giant task to pick the correspondence out of
600 letters daily that is fit for publication. Upon
rival every letter gets its Identification card Even the
hour of its arrival is recorded AS the contribution
passes from section Of the worker correspondents
department to the next its fate is duly recorded The
aim is to let contributor know what became of
his letter, and if it is not published let him know
why. All letters answered, if it is only with a
form letter
The practice is to reply quickly to those who have
sent in contributions for the first time. "Old Timers
are allowed to wait little, giving way to the new
Corners card index is kept showing the records OF
the various worker correspondents
"Gudok" is proud Of its $50 worker CORE
spondents All workers the railroads get
replies regularly and speedily to their letters. Every
effort is eXerted to encourage them in this activity
When suitable their letters and articles published in
first place At present they constitute rather low
percentage Of the correspondents altho they constitute
II per cent of the railroad workers.
received full set of the index cards, the form let
ters the leaflets with general information and other
literature that is used to maintain the army of Gudok
worker correspondents the battle line in continuous
fighting trim The ideas contained in of this
he used to better organize and develop the worker
correspondents in the United States at the
present time But is only after the revolution that
1t viii be possible in this country, to achieve the per-
fecon in workers journalism that has been reached ir
Russia at the present time
It is not sufficient that the worker correspondents
the "udOk" should be stimulated