UPDATE FROM MAIL PROCESSING

Record Summer WATS Response

The telecast "On the Brink of Financial Disaster" (shown Sept. 1 and 2) brought in 9,454 calls — the best response ever received for a summer holiday weekend. This broadcast brought to a close the most successful summer yet. The 10,000 mark was surpassed three times. The average for the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day was 7,607 calls per weekend, as compared to 5,387 in 1983 and 6,435 in 1982.

This fine increase is the combined result of new programs, more TV stations, improved airing times and more available phone lines for callers.

Computer-generated Postcards Introduced

Once again, technological advances have made it possible for us to innovate a new time-saving procedure in doing God's work. Heretofore, we have sent out thousands of form letters carrying short messages to our readers, such as information on what literature is currently available and other routine matters. We use about 25 different form letters regularly. With Mr. Armstrong's approval, the laser printer at Data Processing has now been programmed to print these same messages on postcards.

Postcards are easier to handle and less expensive to produce than letters, which must be folded and inserted into envelopes. They can also be sorted and mailed more quickly. While they would not be suitable for certain subject matter, such as that of a personal nature, we expect to send over 50,000 computer-printed postcards within the next year, saving hundreds of dollars.

Humorous Comments From Our Readers

Strange and funny things sometimes happen to our literature once it arrives at a reader's home. Following are a few amusing incidents shared in letters we thought you would enjoy.

I have a copy of THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN IN PROPHECY. The other day I was reading it as usual, and became so engrossed in what was being unveiled to me that I bumped my coffee cup and it spilled over and demolished the book. All the pages stuck together and the book with its information became sealed again!
J.S. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

There was an accidental destruction of The PLAIN TRUTH you sent to me earlier. I picked up the mail, put it in my back pocket and decided to give our goats some water before going into the house. The mail fell out of my pocket and before I realized it, the youngest goat was having a meal of The PLAIN TRUTH. It was shredded and all that was left were a few pages. Therefore, could you please send another April issue of the magazine?
G.S. (Berkeley, Ontario, Canada)

Thank you for replacing my PLAIN TRUTH. I will read it to the puppy from now on, never letting him take matters into his own paws again.
Mrs. D.M. (Orofino, ID)

I would like to know if I can obtain another copy of the January,1984 issue of The PLAIN TRUTH as my four-year-old boy cut most of the pictures out and it is now unreadable.
T.R. (Ionia, MI)

Will you please send me another copy of THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN IN PROPHECY. My neighbor saw it on my bookshelf and took it home to read. That was a month ago. She called the other day trying to buy the book because she was so interested in what she read and underlined almost every word. I said the book was not for sale but before I could say that she could have it, she bluntly said, "Well if I can't buy it, I'm just going to keep it anyway," and hung up!
J.J. (Nashville, TN)

— Richard Rice, Mail Processing Center