The daily worker., 1934-08-23
By NJ. ELLISON

Among the various reports made
at the February Plenum of Section
3, Cleveland, District Six, the one
on literature sales showed that Sec
ton 8, with membership of over
225, had sold a total OF $3.50 worth
of literature during the previous
six months period.
Also there was an average of
about sixty-five Party Organizers
sold, $4772 in old literature debts,
and none of the mass organizations
were selling our literature.
The causes of this poor showing
were many, chief of which were,
there was no contact between the
units and the section, (the units
having to deal directly with the
District Book Shop; no check up
to find out if units had literature
agents; no check up on accum-
ulated debts, (if a unit owed for
literature, and did not have the
money to pay for it, they sent some
other comrades downtown to get
literature on credit. This loose
ness caused some units to accum-
ulate high debts, and then not
being in a position to pay them,
the units stopped buying literature
Another important cause for
poor literature sales was that the
unit took 1t for granted that it
was the literature agent who was to
sell the literature, and not the
whole unit. This meant that lit
erature was only sold at unit
meetings. Also that none OF the
mass organizations ever saw any Of
our literature.
The first steps towards change
in this bad situation was made with
the setting up of separate litera-
ture departments in each section.
This brought the units in closer
contact with the Section, thereby
enabling them to always keep up
to-date literature on hand; making
it unnecessary to travel down town
for new stock; better check up on
bills, both old and new, and also to
involve our comrades in the mass
organizations to have literature
with them.
There being no finances, the Sec
ton Literature agent asked for
loans from the units to get Sec
ton literature department started.
This resulted in $6 coming in. Next
the District Literature Department
was asked to advance enough lit
erature on credit (holding the Sec
ton responsible for this debit to
get the Section started. This they
agreed to do. At the same time a
drive was started to collect on the
old "uncollectable" debts that had
accumulated in the Section.
The results of the first month
showed a sale of 5000 worth of
literature; liquidation of $15.96 in
old debts; an increase in the sale
OF Party Organizers from 65 to 80
copies, and most important OF all,
the establishment of literature
agents in every unit. There are 1S
dAAAOo Ill b1lC OCCblOlls
On the basis of this increase a
meeting was called of literature
agents and discussions took place
on how further to increase the
sales.
The second months (March) re-
suits were as follows: $55.18 worth
OF literature sold; q further in
crease in the sale of Party Organi-
zers to lob copies; another $1.25
collected on old debts, and every
unit buying some literature.
One bad feature was that we
had to increase. our debt to the Dis
trict literature department from a
balance of $18.43 in February to
$55.24 in March. Although we had
cash on hand to the amount of
$l0.83, this we kept for the pur-
chase Of new literature.
For the first two months with
the same membership and territory
more literature was sold than in
the previous six months, Party Or
ganizers sales increased by thirty
eight copies, and old debts was
brought down from $47.72 to $30.51.
This showed that with a little CO.
operation from the units, taking
the matter of literature seriously
results could be obtained.
AT the District Convention (April