BY BROCK SATTER AND JON ERWAY
NEWARK, New Jersey - The good news is: local goals for the
New International Fund, rising slightly last week, now meet the
international $115,000 goal.
The challenging news is: only 4 percent of the goal has been collected. After the second week, we should be at 25 percent to be on target.
Working people who read the Militant are hoping to see dollar figures besides every single city on the chart by next week.
What is needed now is to begin collecting and sending in payments for the fund in every area - and to accelerate collection of pledges in the areas that have already begun to do so - to bring in the funds that are required to produce New International in English, Nouvelle Internationale in French, Nueva Internacional in Spanish, and Ny International in Swedish.
Detroit fund director Frank Gorton reports that "consistent, weekly work at collecting contributions" has enabled New International supporters in that city to send $905 as of this week, topping this week's chart. "We have $650 more to send to you," Gorton continued. We have $4,810 pledged so far."
Such a weekly campaign footing has allowed supporters of the Marxist magazine to reach out more broadly for contributions. Gorton reports that those supporters who belong to the Steelworkers union in Detroit have adopted a goal of collecting $75 from their co- workers. And a "call-around" of interested workers and youth resulted in a new $50 pledge and a promised purchase of issue no. 11 of New International, "U.S. Imperialism Has Lost the Cold War."
In Sydney, Australia, supporters of the fund are planning to have an event to combine the opening of a new Pathfinder bookshop and to celebrate the publishing of New International no. 11 on October 31. Supporters have mailed out a fund letter and leaflet advertising the event this week.
In Des Moines, Iowa, fund director Maggie Trowe reports that two unionists who work at the Swift meatpacking plant in nearby Marshalltown plan to collect $20 in contributions from co-workers. "In our area we've already received pledges equal to our goal of $2,500," Trowe said, "and we haven't even talked to every one we know yet, so we should be able to go way over that."
Des Moines supporters of the fund are also holding a special fund-raising event October 9. Socialist Workers Party leader Doug Jenness will speak on "The Deepening Dilemma for World Capitalism and New Opportunities for the Working Class." Fund-raisers in other cities are planning meetings in October to give a big boost to the New International Fund campaign and have an evening of political discussion among working-class fighters.
Please make checks out to: New International Fund.