INFORMANT

Why Are Subscriptions Slow?

Much Work to Be Done

"The year 1940 is certain to be the most important year yet, because Armageddon is very near.” It behooves all who love righteousness to put forth every effort to advertise The Theocracy while the privileges are still open.

A special privilege “made to order” is now ours of offering to those of good will the opportunity of having one year’s subscription for the Watchtower magazine, one bound book and a Refugees booklet on a contribution of one dollar, and the "Watchtower will come to them by mail twice monthly thereafter.

Our work during this three-month Watchtower Campaign compared with last year should be interesting to every company. The question is, Are you doing better on subscriptions, books, and booklets? You should. Have you a progressive chart or thermometer, the same as last year, showing the quota for each of the three months for the entire company, and then marking it up week by week so that the publishers can see what progress is being made on the "Watchtower Campaign? This is important and will undoubtedly help all companies to make their quotas. All publishers fully appreciate that The Watchtower is the means whereby the Lord instructs the people who love righteousness. By His grace let us attain our quota during the Il’utc/i-loicer Campaign.

Why not fix up a chart immediately, based on the quota of three Watchtower subscriptions for each of the publishers, 20 bound books, and 250 booklets? That would mean that the quota for a company of 100 publishers for the three months would be 300 new Watchtower subscriptions, 2,000 bound books, and 25,000 booklets.

Let Every Publisher Participate

If every publisher strives for the above quota during the three-month Watchtower Campaign a marvelous witness will be given in the United States. Just now we know there are 47,091 publishers, because there were that many out in March. April should find many more; May, still an increase, all in preparation for the great convention in July.

All who are physically able to do so should thoroughly cover their individual territory (and work with the company and study groups in group witnessing) presenting the Watchtower special offer from door to door. These, as well as others not able to go from door to door, due to physical infirmities, should present the offer to everyone in the territory who has shown interest in the past, by making back-calls on them. (Re-

Why Not 50,000?

The month of March, with 58,874 different persons attending Memorial services throughout the country, was the one month when we fully expected to attain to at least 50,000 field publishers.

The May 1 Watchtower, paragraph 41, presents the matter: “The responsibility of Jehovah’s witnesses is to proclaim the truth, and this they cannot avoid. The responsibility is noiv upon Jehovah’s witnesses and servants to take the kingdom message to all such and sound it studying The Watchtower is clearly and completely outlined by Brother Rutherford in the record “Instruction”, and every publisher should have one of these records and use it in his door-to-door and back-call work during this campaign. Order this record through your company. Now that the cold, rainy weather is over, use should be made of the doorstep-setup method of using the phonograph. You will find that many Watchtower subscriptions will be obtained in this way. Where the phonograph cannot be used, present the Watchtower Testimony Card; it brings the special offer to the people very plainly and briefly.

Remember “Salvation” and “Refugees”

While we should keep stressing subscriptions as the primary offer and always open our witness at the door with The Watchtower, we should be prepared to quickly present Salvation and ReJugees on a 25c contribution when the subscription is not obtained. Also, be prepared to offer three booklets on a 10c contribution, or finally ReJugees, on a contribution if possible, but free if the person cannot contribute. Don’t let the door be shut without your having properly presented the Refugees booklet.

Remembeb; Your quota is one Watchtower subscription, 7 books and S3 ReJugees monthly. If you did not reach this during April, put forth a special effort during May to make up what you were short.

Place “Refugees”

Twelve million booklets are a lot; do your share in getting them out. Leave one at every call you make, if at all possible. Have them with you wherever you go. Take them along with you on your magazine route and on your street-corner witnessing. Ask those upon whom yon are making back-calls to take a supply and be responsible for placing them with their friends and neighbors. Make the second lap of our three-month campaign count I within hearing even though they cannot induce rhe obslinate to hear and obey.”

However, even though we did not reach our quota of 50,000 publishers in this country, we did take a very definite stride toward that end. We attained during the month of March an all-time peak of 47,091 publishers in the United States. This includes, of course, regional servants, zone servants, pioneers, special pioneers and company- publishers. When all things are considered, the weather, grippe, flu, bad roads isolating other

Magazine Bag and Phonograph Orders

AU publishers should please note that the Society is one month behind in filling orders for magazine bags, and twelve weeks behind on filling phonograph orders. We fill these orders according to the dates received. Companies should continue to send in their orders, and we will give them as early attention as we can.

brethren, making it very difficult for many of them to do much witnessing, this is very good. April, with its spring weather, saw most of these obstacles removed and we fully believe that what was not accomplished in March will in all probability be attained in April— 50,000 publishers. Each one should carefully consider this matter, and if anyone finds that for one reason or another he has not participated in the service during March and April and has not contributed toward the 50,000 publishers, now is the time to do something about it. The question for each one is, Have I borne up my end in striving to attain the quota of 50,000 publishers?

COMPANY PUBLISHERS’ FIELD REPORT

LAST YEAR THIS YEAR

Company Av.Av. Company Av.Av. Pub’rs Hrs B-C Pub'rs Hrs B-C

29,550 13.1 2.1

25,863 10.9 2.4

28,371 12.1 1.9

31,079 14.9 2.7

29.599 14.4 3.0

31.729 15.2 2.9

36,247 17.2 2.4

35,629 16.7 2.2

Despite an increase of approximately 13,000 publishers over the same montli last year, there was a drop of over 150,000 pieces of literature placed. Our bound books showed a slight increase, but our booklets fell very far short of last year. I-’or some reason the brethren are not pushing the booklets with the seriousness that they deserve. The ReJugees booklet, with its message of vital importance to every person of good will that will ever attain to life, should now be pushed with energy and zeal and made accessible to each and every creature. Those who are interested but cannot afford to contribute should be left a copy of lliis booklet free.

Our hours are slipping, compared witli last year. This was also true for the month of February. Note the comparison and let each one determine to do something about it In May.

Our back-calls are struggling upward. but very weakly. We are still far from the 12 back-calls a month recommended by Brother Rutherford in his recent letter.

Regional servants, zone servants and company servants should take these points into consideration in their planning of tlie work and in their presentation to the brethren. Every publisher should examine them with an eye toward increasing their personal Kingdom efficiency.

So the 1940 Calendar pad, for May, announces, and adds as an argument therefor the text, “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord ; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”-—Isaiah 54:13.

How appropriate all that! May is the middle month of the intensive campaign for at least 100,000 new subscribers for The Watchtower. Quoting Isaiah 54:13, as above, emphasizes that the Master Teacher of the universe, Jehovah, has a publication on earth by which He sends Biblical instruction to His people, and that publication is admittedly The Watchtower. Every subscriber and faithful reader of that magazine is convinced of (hat fact. 1’hys-ical facts today show that those who refuse Jehovah’s teaching through His chosen channel cannot get into or under His organization nor remain there, neither can those who never have the chance presented to learn of the Great Teacher by Christ Jesus. Only those who do will ever enjoy the real and enduring peace inent ioned.

In the face of this our duty and obligation is plain, to wit, to get more Watchtower subscriptions, taking advantage right now of this premium-featured three-month campaign ; this besides route work of delivering individual magazines to the homes. The paid-up subscription is preferable in every way. It assures the subscriber of his regular receipt of the magazine over six months or a year; no further financial worry during that period, but a sense of independence, as it puts the Society under obligation to him. It is like having wisely laid up for the future. It is cheaper, considering the 24 issues for the year as delivered individually on a route, besides which there's the free special pre-

Company Servant and Treasurer

Companies should use the remittance slips in sending money to the Society on their accounts. Please fill them out correctly. Always show the name of the company at the top of each form. Be sure you have an exact duplicate for your files, so you can check with the monthly statement sent you from the office. All items are to be included in the company stock account listing except those for magazines or donations to the Society. Do not cross out any items or write in anything else.

FOR EXAMPLE: If your remittance is for magazine bags, Bibles, or phonographs, that remittance should appear on the line of the company stock account. If your remittance is for magazine distributors’ account, then show what portion of the remittance is for the Watchtower magazine distributors’ account and the Consolation magazine distributors’ account. The same is true when you send in subscriptions; ’ show The Watchtower and Consolation separately on the lines provided for that purpose. This is necessary in connection with our Post Office permit. The donation line is used only for that purpose.

It would be a great help to the Society if the company servant and treasurer carefully check these remittance forms and fill them out properly and list all amounts sent to the Society under the six headings mentioned.

Please remember that remittances must accompany all renewals or new subscriptions. Companies sending in subscriptions should show the name of the company on each slip and should record these names and addresses on the Subscription Record Sheet. Before inserting slips in the envelope, be sure that you have an individual subscription slip to compare with each name on your sheet, and vice versa.

As the Kingdom interests increase throughout the land every company servant and his assistant servants should strive diligently to co-operate in line with the instructions of the Society, which will help to dispatch the work more quickly.

—Don’t Forget Subscriptions— niium for the campaign. Also, as surely as the Government mails operate he is assured of getting the magazine promptly, at the earliest delivery, direct, not second-handedly, and which relieves the Kingdom publishers of just that much delivery work. Let the Government do the work, so relieving the.tax-paying publishers of the transportation work involved, in behalf of their other field activities.

Are You a Subscriber?

The above applies not merely to the general reading public, the 100,000 in prospect during the Watchtower campaign; it also applies to the Kingdom publisher who presents to them the special campaign offer. Why be inconsistent and urge upon others something of which you do not personally avail yourself, namely, a subscription? Iio not put yourself on your own magazine-delivery route and deliver it copy by copy to yourself by extracting a copy from among the magazines you receive at a reduction for route-delivery. There may be economy in that, but it is better to be a regular subscriber at the regular rate and get your Watch-toicer direct through the mails, as soon as it is released. The magazine is worth its weight in gold, and the contribution to the Society for the subscription goes right into the Lord's organization, and is not misspent, Let your own personal subscription boost the Society’s Watchtower list. Every financially able Kingdom publisher who campaigns for more Watchtower subscribers should be a subscriber himself. There is a feeling of assurance and wisdom and satisfaction about it. Ask any regular active subscriber. He knows!

Phonograph Spring Repair

Some brethren have complained that the Society has sent them the wrong kind of mainspring for their phonograph motors. All phonographs made by the Society from No. 2001 up to the present number use the same size and type of mainspring. The difficulty is that the party who removes the broken spring fails to reclaim the center-sleeve from the broken spring. Brethren repairing phonographs should please note this and take the center-sleeve out of the old, broken spring before throwing it away. Then you will have no trouble in using the springs we supply.

Magazine Route

You Can Have One in Your Territory!

The magazine route work must be done on a country-wide scale if we are to adequately care for the goodwill interest. All brethren who are fully awake to the “times and seasons” will see that this part of .the Kingdom work is vigorously carried on in their territory assignment.

It is not because the brethren do not see the many merits of tlie magazine route work that they fail to put this into operation. It is mainly due to the fact that they have a hard time “starting”. Let each one “start” by making a full list of all the names and addresses of the persons of good will in their assignment. Put these names in such territorial order that they can be called upon with the least amount

Frequent Calls Get Results

Brother Rutherford’s letter of January 20 and the results of the January bound-book campaign strongly emphasize the importance of arranging for and making back-calls. It is the people who have already shown a kindly interest in the Kingdom message' to whom the publishers are under obligation to call back on them with additional information, and thus obey the Lord's admonition to ‘feed the other sheep’. All people on your magazine routes are excellent prospects for back-calls, and the publishers should take advantage of every opportunity to call on them with the phonograph recordings. It is by repeatedly and regularly calling on the people that we aid them in keenly realizing the grave importance of their taking a definite stand On the side of the Theocratic Government. We know it is a matter of life or death to them and that the Lord has chosen us of all peoples of earth to bring forth Uis life-giving provisions. Let us therefore do our part by frequently calling on all interested persons in our territory with the magazines,

Pioneers! Pioneers!

As a result of the letter dated March 11 and addressed “To All PUBLISHERS OF IDE THEOCRACY” many have written for further information about pioneer service, and we are pleased to state that during March and April over 300 pioneers were enrolled. Another letter was sent all companies under date of April 32, and by the time this Informant is received this letter will have been considered by all companies at least twice.

While the 300 newly enrolled pioneers will be quite an aid, they will by no means be sufficient to properly care for the needs of the various companies and the unassigned isolated territory. So each company will receive with this Informant one copy of Application for Pioneer Service and letter outlining the requirements of pioneers. Have someone discuss these at one of your service meetings, preferably a pioneer associated with the company. If one. in the company desires to use this application, turn it over to him and write us for any additional copies required.

of effort and time. The very next time you go witnessing, call on these interested ones with either The Watchtower or Consolation and briefly explain to them the purpose and object of your call. Leave a copy of the magazine with them, on contribution or free, arranging to deliver the next issue. You cannot expect people to ask you to bring the magazine to them. You must take the initiative and just bring it to them. They will take it. Get your magazines now and see how many persons you can “bring" it to regularly.

Without a doubt the magazine route work is a big avenue for arranging back-calls and model studies and getting more publishers in the Kingdom work, which work is increasing by leaps and bounds. It is of the utmost importance that the people of good will in your territory regularly receive the Watchtower and Consolation magazines. This is your personal responsibility, and you should “start'’ this now, if you have not already done so. literature, and phonograph recordings.

The ultimate purpose of back-calls is to get the people of good will sufficiently interested to want to study tlie Kingdom message and make it their own and become publishers.

In all your back-calls and model studies begin to bring to the attention of the people the importance of attending either the Columbus convention or the nearest convention city. And, of course, begin planning now to attend yourself.

Reports show that we are not placing as many of the Refugees booklet as has been expected. We must all put forth more diligent efforts to place a Refugees booklet witli each person to whom we witness, even if necessary to leave a copy free where interest is manifested. Also, get all the persons who attend model studies and upon whom you make back-calls to put out these booklets. Leave a few copies with them and request they distribute them among their neighbors, friends, and relatives. A copy of Refugees should be in as many homes in America as possible.

Please Watch Your Ordering

The cheapest way to ship literature is by freight, either truck or rail; but in order to take full advantage of the freight rate 100 pounds must be shipped." Quite a few of the large companies and some pioneers send orders in every week for 30, 40, or 50 pounds, which means that the Society sends it by mail or express because it costs a little less this way than 100 pounds of freight would cost.

For example: A company ordered 47 pounds of literature. By express the cost would be $2.87; by mail, $2.61; by freight, $2.72. The Society shipped it by mail and paid $2.61; but the Society could have shipped to this large company 53 pounds more of books and booklets for the $2.72 instead of 47 pounds for $2.61.

Co-operation

If tlie company servants could set a date, such as the first and fifteenth of every month, if necessary, on which orders are mailed to the Society, then you could almost always order 100 pounds, especially If you combine pioneer orders with company orders.

It would be well for companies to announce a few days in advance of when the next order is going to the Society, so that company publishers wanting any special.Items can order them through the stockkeeper, and the pioneers living in the company territory could also turn in their orders to be shipped along with the company order.

Where pioneers group their orders together to make up 100 pounds, it will be sent to one address under the same bill of lading and then the literature will be distributed by the stockkeeper or the pioneer to the pioneers ordering. Companies that are too small to order 100-pound shipments should order what literature they need, and it will be shipped the cheapest way. Company servants, stockkeepers and pioneers, please cooperate in ordering and give your orders careful thought before sending them in. Fill out the order blanks properly, please, and you will be able to save the Society money and considerable time.

NEW PUBLICATIONS:

Enemies: Bohemian, Japanese, Tamil. Jehovah: Hollandish.

REPRINTS IN STOCK: Deliverance: English.