Oswald in the doorway: the blog of the Oswald Innocence Campaign, by Ralph Cinque

Jerry Organ is a close associate of Professor John McAdams and writes for him. Jerry wrote this piece on the Texas Book Depository:

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/organ4.htm

Jerry wrote that the TSBD was "charged with fulfilling book orders from schools all over the Southwest."

So, the customers were schools, and they were ordering textbooks for classes. So, how could it involve small orders of a few books, which could be wrapped in paper and tied with string?

They even called it a "wrapping station." They they had a "wrapping table" at the "wrapping station" where they wrapped books. The implication is that they just set the bare books down on some paper and wrapped them up and then tied it up, kind-of like a butcher does with a slab of meat. But, how many books could be prepared like that? Three? Four? At what point are you going to stop and admit that you need a box for the books? 

But, how could textbook orders to schools involve such small orders? We've all gone to school. We know how big classes are, usually. Doesn't every student get a book? And isn't it possible that a large school has got at least several classes for the 1st grade or the 2nd grade or whatever? So, if they decided on a certain textbook for a certain class, then it would apply to all the classrooms, right? So, just think of how many units they would need. So, how could this be legit if it involved wrapping a few books- no more than an order-filler could carry in his hands since he didn't have a cart- and tying them up with string? Shouldn't it have involved, for the most part, shipping whole boxes of books and multiple boxes of books? 

The truth is that you might wrap one book in paper, and maybe two. But, beyond that, wouldn't you get a box? You know the books are going to move around, and they have sharp edges. They are going to tear the paper. Do you want it reaching your customers that way? Beat up all to hell? 

And how come we never hear a word about how parcels got labeled? Did they have a labeling machine? Did the order-fillers have all the addresses and give them to Troy West? And what about postage? Don't tell me they waited on line at the post office and had each one processed. So, did they have a Pitney Bowes postage meter? How come we don't see it or hear about it? How come it wasn't addressed?  And how come we don't see a pile of finished outgoing parcels ready to go? They worked that morning. Didn't they? Orders got filled. So, where are the finished products? And how did they get to the post office? Did the Post Office pick them up? Or did they drive them there? What?

And how could one mailer wrapping and tying small orders, this guy:

wrap and tie enough small parcels to generate enough profit to support a business that employed 75 employees? And that wasn't all of their expenses. They were renting that building. So, they had rent to pay. And imagine the cost to heat and cool that building through the cold winters and the blistering hot summers. And there were other costs: supplies, equipment, vehicles, telephone, And all that had to be generated by this guy wrapping and tying small parcels of books. 

And how did they organize the fulfillment? Let's say Buell Frazier was given a title: Dick and Jane visit Grandma, and he had to get 3 copies of it for Dawson Elementary School. Did they have a big chart somewhere that showed where every book was in this mess?

Tell me, if it was your company, and your money on the line, would you run the operation this way?  How long could anyone stay in business running the operation this way? 

The TSBD was a CIA front company which, under the guise of distributing school books, engaged in clandestine espionage activities including spying on individuals and organizations looking for Communist infiltrations, gun-running, and other things. They had funding, alright, but it wasn't from poor Troy West working his fingers to the bone.  Read: The Spider's Web: The TSBD and the Dallas conspiracy by William Weston. 

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/6017-spiders-web/