1. About the publication

After a year’s break*, Zawiliński resumed the publication of the journal owing to the kindness and efforts of A.A. Kryński, a professor of the University of Warsaw, and K. Stadtmüller, an engineer. He also relied heavily on elementary and secondary school teachers as subscribers and co-authors. If the journal was successful, the monthly could be changed into a biweekly (this was not the first time the editor had such plans). The subtitle was the same as in the previous period, i.e. “Monthly dedicated to proper use and purity of the Polish language” (“Miesięcznik poświęcony poprawności i czystości języka polskiego”). The previous publishing cycle, i.e. 10 issues per year, did not change either. In the period 1929–1931, 30 issues were released. The regularity of the publication was disrupted by financial problems, the editor’s leave for health purposes (1930, Issue 4, p. 64), the freezing winter in 1929, when “the supply of gas to the printing machines was cut off” (Issue 2, p. 3). Dispatches were affected by amendments to postal regulations (1930, Issue 5, p. 80). The journal was printed in Cracow, initially in the printing house of Gronuś and Orłowski, and then in the L. Gronuś i Ska printing house. From Issue 4 of 1929 on, the periodical was printed in Drukarnia Narodowa printing house. The editor tried to win subscribers through schools by offering, among others, a 25% discount for primary school teachers (1930, Issue 10, p. 137). The subscription fee in 1929–1931 remained unchanged. Subscribers were appealed to for making the annual payment, as “we do not have funds to pay both the accountant and the administrator” (1929, Issue 3, p. 48). To enforce payments, dispatches of Issue 6/7 were withheld for those subscribers who had not made advance payments or had paid only half of the due amount, and for the bookshops which were in arrears with payments (1929, Issue 6/7, p. 104).

On 27 November 1929, the President of the Republic of Poland awarded the editor-in-chief the Officer’s Cross of the Order of “Polonia Restituta.”

2. Policy statement

There were no changes either to the basic arrangement of the journal’s sections or the policy statement. “We do not promise novelties or anything extraordinary, but we will seek – the editor wrote – to publish more diverse contents and eagerly mediate (provide advice) in translating from foreign languages and editing correct proclamations and announcements” (1929, Issue 10, p. 137).

Zawiliński tried not to let indulge Poradnik in “deciding in matters regarding differences between local dialects, which have nothing in common with the language of literature, and instead of making it richer through proper use by outstanding writers, they rather contaminate it just like foreign words do. We regret that we did not refrain from such divagations in the latest annual bound volumes, but we will try not to go astray anymore and stay on the right path that will lead us to the accomplishment of our objectives” (1931, Issue 1, p. 3).

3. Sections of the journal

The (old) regular journal’s sections, i.e. “Papers”, “Queries and replies”, “Divagations”, “Gleanings” and “New books” were preserved. So were the following more recent ones: “Caught red-handed”, “Good point”, “Bibliography” and “From Readers”, “Weeds”, “Curiosities." In 1929, XVI sections were identified, in 1930 – XIV, and in 1931 – XI. A total of 48 papers were published (in 1929 – 15, in 1930 – 14, in 1931 – 19). In a new column entitled “An excursion to a foreign land” (“Wyprawa na obczyznę”), Jan Rzewnicki published “exaggerated” borrowings from one of the “leading Polish dailies” (1929, Issue 3, p. 8). German influences in the Polish language spoken in Silesia were dealt with in the column entitled “Linguistic warnings” (“Przestrogi językowe”) (1929, Issues 3–4).

4 Collaborators

In the first issue of 1930 – a jubilee year – the appeal to enthusiasts of the Polish language for help to accomplish the adopted objectives, expressed in the first issue of 1901, was repeated*.

The greatest number of papers (approx. 38% – 18*) were written by R. Zawiliński (who was also a co-author of another four papers), 6 papers were written by Adam A. Kryński, 5 by Jan Rzewnicki, 2 by Kazimierz Król and Józef Szafran each. The following authors: Józef Birkenmajer, Karol Irzykowski, Marian Pachucki, Władysław Pniewski, Czesław Rokicki, J. Rossowski, Alfons Szyperski, Julia Wieleżyńska, Tadeusz Wiśniowski and the person signed with intials St. Sk., and Regular subscriber wrote one paper each. The following figures were mentioned, besides Zawiliński / the editor, as co-authors: Maj. Bałaban (1), W.N. (1), Dr S. S. (1) and K. Irzykowski (1).

In order to support Poradnik and “find its new subscribers and friends”, a small group conceived an idea to establish a Club or Society of Friends of Poradnik Językowy. A preliminary organisational meeting was held on 27 October 1929 at Prof. A.A. Kryński’s. The temporary board was composed of: Adam A. Kryński, Kazimierz Król, Czesław Rokicki, Jan Rzewnicki and Jakub Szlifersztein. The board appointed a statutory committee, which – in consideration of the needs of the society – extended the framework of the Society’s activities much more than it was originally intended. The board approved the statutes presented by the committee. At the organisational meeting held on 15 December 1929, the statutes were adopted with minor amendments. So was the name: Society for Proper Use of the Polish Language*. Zawiliński deeply hoped that the initiative aimed at supporting Poradnik Językowy by “benevolent and influential friends” in Warsaw would be successful*.

The Society supported Poradnik by winning its new friends and subscribers in various social circles. It also proposed to take the journal over*. The idea to move Poradnik from Cracow to Warsaw was supported most eagerly by Jan Rzewnicki.*

Zawiliński believed, however, that the periodical would survive the difficult times. He decided to let the Society have the journal as late as in 1931. “The Board jumped at this opportunity. Having arranged everything, the Board – on the behalf of the Society – took over Poradnik Językowy to release it, since January 1932, as the Society’s publication”*. The Society undertook to cover the debt owed to the printing house*.