Finkelstein stated:
It is true that the WTS. would give away magazines to those who claimed they were impoverished, particularly in Russell's era,
but it also has to be realized that most of the publications produced by the WTS. had a profiting number figure placed on each item ($),
for example the books and bibles which were sold for decades at the many Kingdom Halls.
I am not with the JWs, and there were no "Kingdom Halls" in the days of Russell. Since most of the publications of Russell were fully given away by volunteers, I cannot agree with the statement, at least concerning Russell, that most of his publication had a profiting number figure place on each item. Unlike the JWs' "publishers", the "volunteers" simply gave away publications without even a request for a donation. This work was supported (1) from voluntary contributions of those associated with the WTS, (2) from funds obtained through compainies such as the "United States Investment Company", or (3) from Russell's original funds that came from the sale of his earlier clothing business. To repeat, there generally was no sell of literature being done by the volunteers who distributed literature in the days of Russell; they simply distributed the literature without soliciting any kind of donation, etc.
For instance, in Russell's last year (1916), the British branch alone reported for 1915, " The free distribution of Volunteer matter, free SCENARIOS and B. S. M. amounts to nearly eleven million copies." And this was reported as being lowered than that distributed in 1914. Note that this was only for British branch, it does not incude the US, Canada, France, Germany, etc.
http://www.mostholyfaith.com/bible/reprints/Z1916JAN.asp#Z8:1
I would have to disagree with any thought that the WTS in Russell's day was realizing a great profit by distributing millions of pieces of literature without any charge whatsoever.