James P. Cannon

Trotsky Memorial Fund

We’re on the Last Lap; Minneapolis Is in Front

(11 January 1941)


Published: Socialist Appeal, Vol. 5 No. 2, 11 January 1941, p. 2.
Source: PDF supplied by the Riazanov Library Project.
Transcription/Mark-up: Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.
Public Domain: This work is in the under the Creative Commons Common Deed. You can freely copy, distribute and display this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit the Marxists’ Internet Archive/Encyclopedia of Trotskyism On-Line as your source, include the url to this work, and note any of the transcribers, editors, translators, proofreaders etc. above.


January 1st was the time set by the Chicago Conference for completion of the Trotsky Memorial Fund. As can be seen from the score board below, the branches came mighty close to the goal on the average, and some of them went over.

In order to give the backward branches a final chance to catch up, with and outstrip the fast starters, the Political Committee has extended the deadline for one month, to February 1st. Those branches which are not under the wire by that time are down in the black book for good.

As the campaign reached its climax, a vicious competitive struggle broke out between the New York and Twin Cities locals. This was precipitated by the following telegram from New York.

“NEW YORK IS UP 44% ON MEMORIAL FUND QUOTA. INTENDS TO BEAT TWIN CITIES TO GOAL."

This was immediately responded to by the Twin Cities comrades as follows:

“WHAT A MERE 44%? YOU CAN’T BEAT MINNESOTA.”

For one week New York held the lead by .1 of 1%. However, this was a bit of a fluke, as a contribution of $100 from the Twin Cities was delayed in the mail during the holidays and was not credited to them. More than that, the New Yorkers were accused of slick work in putting in an extra dollar to gain a small lead of .l of 1%.

This week the Twin Cities comrades reached the goal and sent $1 extra for good measure, to give them a score of 100.1%. A check for $371 was received from them, with the following letter:

“Here she is. We’re 48 hours late but we have the organization and give us due credit for that .1 of 1% over the Quota and See that there’s no cheating by those New York City slickers. They might tie Minnesota after the excellent reports of N.Y. City Convention but they can’t beat us yet.

“Fraternal greetings to the N.Y. comrades and better luck next time.”

It is now up to New York. They asked for the fight. The question is: Do they intend to go through with it?

The up and coming branch at Detroit, which completed its quota 100% before the deadline, greeted the extension of the campaign for another month by pledging another $50. Under the democratic principles of dur organization other branches have full right to do likewise if they see fit.

The following are the additional payments made to the Trotsky Memorial Fund this week:

Akron

$ 7.00  

Boston

16.00

Buffalo

7.00

Cleveland

10.00

Detroit

10.00

Los Angeles

27.75

Lynn

5.00

Minneapolis and St. Paul

371.00

New Haven

2.00

New York

100.00

Philadelphia

11.00

Quakertown

5.00

Rochester

5.00

San Francisco

15.00

Williston

10.00

Individual Contribution

1.00

TOTAL

$602.73   


Branch

Quota

Amount paid

%

Boston

$ 100.00

$ 147.00

147

QUAKERTOWN

      7.00

      7.50

107

BUFFALO

    25.00

    26.15

105

DETROIT

  200.00

  210.00

105

PORTLAND

    10.00

      10.50

105

TOLEDO

    50.00

      51.00

102

LOS ANGELES

  150.00

  151.45

101

MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL

1,000.00 

1,001.00 

100.1

PITTSBURGH

    10.00

      10.00

100

ALLENTOWN

    15.00

      15.00

100

CHICAGO & INDIANA HARBOR

  200.00

  200.00

100

MILWAUKEE

      5.10

      5.10

100

READING

      5.00

      5.00

100

BALTIMORE

    10.00

      10.00

100

SAN. DIEGO

      8.50

        8.50

100

ROCKVILLE

      7.00

        7.00

100

TEXAS

      5.00

        5.00

100

NEWARK

  150.00

  150.00

100

HUTCHINSON

    10.00

      10.00

100

ST. LOUIS

      5.00

        5.00

100

AKRON

    10.00

    10.00

100

PHILADELPHIA

    30.00

    30.00

100

ROCHESTER

    15.00

    15.00

100

SAN FRANCISCO

  100.00

  100.00

100

WILLISTON

    10.00

    10.00

100

FLINT

  150.00

  138.00

  92

LYNN

  100.00

    90.00

  90

NEW HAVEN

    20.00

    13.00

  90

NEW YORK

1,000.00 

  656.00

  66

CLEVELAND

    70.00

    16.00

  14

YOUNGSTOWN

    50.00

      6.00

  12

INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

 

      3.30

 

TOTAL

$3527.60

$3121.57

88%



Last updated on 13 November 2020