BY GREG McCARTAN
Socialist workers are stepping up their efforts around the world to reach out with revolutionary literature to workers and young people. The target week to sell subscriptions to the Militant coincided with the start of a campaign to expand sales of books and pamphlets distributed by Pathfinder. Tens of thousands of books have been made available to Pathfinder bookstores at special sale prices, and socialists have put campaigning to get out into politics with this literature at the center of their activities in coming weeks and months.

Initial reports received this week indicate that this two- pronged campaign with the paper and the books is producing rich political discussions and increased sales, as members of the Young Socialists and Socialist Workers Party joined in protest actions, set up street-corner literature tables, talked with fellow unionists on the job, and worked with local Pathfinder bookstores to get special sales under way.

The first results of the April 5-12 target week are in, with 163 new readers signed up for the Militant this week, 74 more than the previous week and the highest number since the drive started four weeks ago. We now stand at 35 percent of the drive, still well behind where we need to be in order to meet the goal on time and in full.

One indication that socialists intend to build on this week's effort is that Pathfinder received orders from 20 Pathfinder bookstores for the special sale, for a total of some 12,000 books. The YS chapter in Spokane ordered 178 books, including one set of Communist International in Lenin's Time and one set of Writings of Trotsky.

Coming out of the Young Socialists convention held in Atlanta at the end of March, socialist workers in Minnesota organized to bring the big sale of Pathfinder books to their co-workers. Michael Pennock reports that "in the first eight days of April eight Pathfinder books have been sold on the job to industrial union members - three each to IAM and USWA members and one each to OCAW and UAW members.

"In the first four days of the nine-day target period, supporters in the Twin Cities have already sold more introductory Militant subscriptions than during any other full week of the drive. A team to Carleton College and Mankato State University in southeastern Minnesota sold seven Militant and one Perspectiva Mundial subscriptions, a copy of New International, and a dozen Pathfinder books and pamphlets."

Ellen Berman reports: "The target week got off to a great start in the San Francisco Bay area. Literature sales have been brisk, with a total of 40 Pathfinder titles sold the first three days of the target week. Socialists attended a building event for an April 13 farm workers march in Watsonville, and sold six subscriptions to the Militant. Another Militant subscription was sold to a high school student at a rally for Mumia Abu-Jamal, and several more at an all-day conference on Cuba. Two Militant subscriptions were sold by socialists to co-workers, one in the OCAW, another in the UTU."

Supporters of the Militant from Detroit, Erie, Cleveland, Morgantown, and Pittsburgh participated in the April 5 anti- Klan demonstrations in Pittsburgh, reports Edwin Fruit. "We set up two literature tables with Pathfinder books and the Militant, and a socialist open house was held at the Pathfinder Bookstore following the protests. Over 40 people attended, many coming to a socialist event for the first time. Between the table there and the rally, over 20 Pathfinder titles were sold - the best-seller being the Education for Socialists bulletin Countermobilization: A Strategy to Fight Racist and Fascist Attacks. Forty single copies of the Militant, and two Militant and one Perspectiva Mundial subscriptions were sold. Five high school students at the open house signed up for more information."

UNITE member Joan Paltrineri writes: "Workers involved in a union recognition fight at the Case Farms poultry plant in Morganton, North Carolina, bought three subscriptions to Perspectiva Mundial and ordered 14 Pathfinder books after looking over a `super saver' order form of books that are being offered at a steep discount. One worker who is a Militant subscriber discussed the recent articles by the special Militant reporting team to Albania and Yugoslavia. He told the socialists selling the Militant that in his view the `imperialists would have to kill the workers of Albania in order to establish capitalism there.' "

Before going out, the sales team took time to highlight with a yellow marker all the Spanish titles in the Pathfinder catalog that are available during the special sale. The team reviewed the titles with workers while selling subscriptions. One leader of the contract fight took advantage of the sale to buy a copy of La revolución traicionada (The Revolution Betrayed) by Leon Trotsky, and Obras escogidas de Lenin, a 12-volume set of writings by the Russian Bolshevik leader.

Janet Roth, from Auckland, New Zealand, sent the following information: "One of the ways we've kept on target for Militant subscriptions is through consistent phoning of people who bought a single copy of the Militant and asked us to call them about a subscription once they had read it.

For example, the first week of the drive we spent four days at Auckland University, selling 42 single copies but no subscriptions. Through calling people back we got six subscriptions, and one person bought a copy of New International."

Steelworker Betsey Farley writes: "Pathfinder distributors in Birmingham brought a lot of books back for the super saver sale from the Young Socialists convention. We marked down selected titles to 50 percent off. At a Young Socialists literature table on the UAB campus the next day, students purchased a copy of The Final Speeches by Malcolm X, along with two subscriptions to the Militant and several single copies. One student who bought a book and a subscription said he would like to join the YS.

Socialists at a table a few days later sold a copy of Women's Evolution by Evelyn Reed. Several students said they would come back next week for a discussion on women's liberation and socialism sponsored by the YS at a coffee house near the campus.

Socialists in New York sold 20 Pathfinder titles at the 1997 Socialist Scholars Conference, reports Ruth Nebbia.

Socialists who are members of UNITE and work at Lord West, a garment shop, circulated a list of Pathfinder titles on sale at special prices to their co-workers. Seven signed up to get Spanish-language books when they get paid at the end of the week.  
 
 
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