The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-10-15
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A Connecticut Yankee
By JORGE


When we strike off into Connecticut we
feel that we are taking leave of this world,
like that German guy who tried to take trip
to the moon on some kind of rock shebang.
For the way they run the Daily Worker ac-
count in Connecticut is like unto no other
that ever was on land or sea.
We are uncertain whether to blame the ID
o. who left there recently, or the promising
young Californian who took his place: 30 IN
the absence of mitigating circumstances on
the part of either, we blame both. We always
strive to be impartial.
The burden of proof likely rests on the past
D. O., as under his saturnine eye, the weirdest
method of mishandling the Daily Worker busl-
ness arose and became an established lnstl-
tuition.
1t was something like this He had sue
ceeded in running up an account for 5000,
and the evil that he did lived after him. 1t
was transferred" onto another account OF
comrade who had done his best up to that
time, but had yet only managed to owe US
S24.35. So the 5000 was marked down
"Charge to account of R. S. King"
Ever since that unhappy day, the phrase
"Charge to account of R. S. King" has be-
come what Professor Pavlovs book Qnterna-
tional Publishers, Sc, if you have it, calls, if
we remember rightly, an unconditional re-
fex."
It is attached Internationally, at least, on
every report sent in from the Daily Worker
Agent of District Is. 1t is there whether the
report shows that money is due from the
Agent to the Daily, or due from the Daily to
the Agent. And because the Agent has
agreement with himself as to which way the
debt is owing, the regular thing is that the
Daily owes him money. And thereby hangs a
tale.
IT, L L--A
or something affected the head of our Bush
ness Office, in a moment of mental unbal-
ance, it proposed, we are told, that if the
Agent would bring in $50 each week, $40
should be his reward. But what actually hap
pens can be shown by a sample report dated
Aug. 80:
Debit: Commission on $3.50 subs, $1.05;
District percentage on 81 donation to Daily
Worker 10 cents; Commission on month
sub renewal sent direct to you Aug. 8
by Albert N. Ansonia, Conn.,, rs cents;
Wages, 10: Total, $11.90.
"Credt: collected these bills: Hartford
Communist Party account, 81; n Kozlenko.
New Britain, 81 cents; Louis Gourson, New
Britain, Sd; Ben Pastor, Hartford, 80 cents;
d. Fitch, Donation, 81. Total, 81.
"Recaptulation: Debit, $11.90, minus
Credit, 81, equals $3.50. Taking off Aug.
% balance of $1.9s due Daily Worker, leaves
balance due me, 1892"
Now let's analyze this: Firstly the aCredit"
adds up $7.44 and not ST. But that's a mere
trifle. What is interesting to note is that
there's no $50 worth of business. But that
$40 wages" stands there like the Rock Of
Gibraltar through thick and thin, whether the
balance of trade is, as on Aug. %, "due Daily
Worker" or whether by its fluctuations there
is "balance due me-" .-ss-.
More let tho world xuifnoce fho+ No ro,t@e~
whether somebody sends "subs direct" to the
Daily Worker or not that Commission Is a
fixed charge the North Star could be no more
fixed
Also, though the Daily sends bundles to a
local agent, who sells them, this remarkably
enterprsing comrade ambles around at the
proper moment, collects for them and sends
us letter with the invariable note, affixed
just as automatically as "fraternally yours
charge to the account of R. s. King" The
rub coming in by way of the fact that although
we may charge it, we can never collect it.
One thing may be said, that subscriptions
have grown from SO on April 1, to 211 on
Sept. 1. But whether subs or bundles, any
papers we send into Connecticut enters that
bourne from whence no traveller returns, with
the net result that the Daily Worker was, on
Sept TO- just $172.67 in the hole and slipping
deeper every day.
Mark Twain once wrote book on "a Con-
necticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" in
which the stupendous exploits of said Yankee
caused the Knights of the Table Round to
gasp with wonder Well not attempt to draw
a comparison. Comparisons are always faulty
and sometimes odious
But we merely offer the present Bill of Par
ticulars to the rank and file comrades of our
Party in Connecticut, with the plea that they
do something to live down the reputation that
everybody in the state gets rich by selling the
rest of the world wooden nutmegs.