TITLE

<table><thead><tr><th rowspan="2"></th><th colspan="2">GENERAL</th><th colspan="2">L.B.C.</th></tr><tr><th>1938</th><th>1939<br>(First Quarter)</th><th>1938</th><th>1939<br>(1st Quarter)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>LENIN SELECTED WORKS. Vol. 1. 5/-d</td><td>86</td><td>110*</td><td>134</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>" 2. "</td><td>85</td><td>112*</td><td>127</td><td>26</td></tr><tr><td>" 3. "</td><td>64</td><td>6</td><td>127</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td>" 4. "</td><td>93</td><td>6</td><td>100</td><td>23</td></tr><tr><td>" 5. "</td><td>109</td><td>15</td><td>140</td><td>27</td></tr></tbody></table>

* Figures marked thus include 1 exceptional order for 100 copies.

<table><thead><tr><th>LENIN SELECTED WORKS. Vol. 1.</th><th>1st year of publication.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>" 2. "</td><td>699</td></tr><tr><td>" 9. "</td><td>655</td></tr><tr><td>" 10. "</td><td>557 & 229 (L.B.C.)</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>519 & 192 "</td></tr></tbody></table>

These figures show that with the scheme in operation sales of these two titles have not increased in total, but that roughly the same number of buyers are divided are purchasing.

EFFECTS ON BOOKSELLERS

There is a great deal of evidence that the scheme is disliked by booksellers in general, and that it has had the effect of keeping our books almost entirely out of the bourgeois. The bookseller is not prepared to stock L.W. titles at full price, knowing that members of the L.B.C. can obtain them under the scheme and that to a great extent non-members are also obtaining them through friends. The attached memo from Pat Dooley, who travels our books, emphasises this and we have had similar information from sources unconnected with the firm or the Movement.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

From the commercial point of view it would seem that a complete withdrawal of this scheme would be advisable, but this would entail loss of direct contact with the 50,000 members of the L.B.C., which we believe to be very desirable. It is therefore proposed that L. & W. take up the matter with V.G., inform him of the very disappointing results and give him the opportunity to put any points in favour of the scheme which he may have. We must, however, face the fact that it may be best to discontinue the scheme entirely from a certain date, having giving the widest possible publicity to the withdrawal. It would still be possible presumably to re-introduce them scheme in 1940 in a very strictly limited form.