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Tom Monto

Proportional Representation Review -- published by the American Proportional Representation League (U.S./Canada), also pub. as part of Equity, Direct Legislation Record

Updated: Dec 11

Proportional Representation Review was the main organ of the P.R. League (U.S./Canada) from 1890s to 1960s. The quarterly magazine chronicled the advances and defeats of PR movement in the U.S., Canada and Europe from 1893 to 1962.


It started in 1890s but was at first published for only a short time, 1894-1896. (Its format at this time appears to be as articles included in the Direct Legislation Record.

The D.L. Record was in print right through.)


In early 1902, the Direct Legislation Record took a new name as The D.L. Record and P.R. Review.


P.R. Review also was published starting in 1904, as part of the Equity newspaper.


In 1914 the P.R. Review, formerly part of the Equity newspaper, began publication as a separate newspaper.

From 1932 to 1962 it was published as part of the National Municipal Review (sometimes called the National Civic Review).


The American P.R. League published the P.R. Review for all its years. The League was founded on Aug. 12, 1893 and the P.R. Review began publication as a quarterly immediately. It only had about 250 subscribers and was sustained by donations from members. It folded in 1896 after ten issues, "to be resumed at a more convenient time."


Its editor in that initial period was Stoughton Cooley, who was also secretary of the League. From 1893 to 1899 he published an annual report on all things Proportional Representation. The years 1900 and 1901 were reported in the first issue of the new P.R. Review, published as part of the Direct Legislation Review dated Dec. 1901.


In 1901 The P.R. Review was resumed under the editorship of Torontonian Robert Tyson. It was published as part of the Direct Legislation Review. The decision to publish again was arrived at at a meeting between Cooley, Robert Tyson and Eltwood Pomeroy.


(By 1901, the outlook for electoral reform had improved. In 1899 Pomeroy as leader of the Direct Legislation movement had organized the First Political and Social Conference, Buffalo, 1899. He had helped make the decision to use STV to elect the Conference's Committee on Resolutions. This STV election was one of the first in the U.S. The election had been a success and had proved an important demonstration of STV's fairness.


The Second Political and Social Conference, Detroit, 1901, then used STV in its elections and also gave prominence to discussions of STV.


The decision to publish again was arrived at at a meeting between Cooley, Robert Tyson and Eltwood Pomeroy, editor of the Direct Legislation Review, at that Second Conference.

Tyson later noted "The literary partnership of the P.R. Review and the D.L. Review has the double advantage of bringing each subject before a greater number of readers and also securing greater attention and economizing time and money." (P.R. Review Dec. 1901)


Robert Tyson had been converted to the Pro-Rep cause in 1893 by Catherine Helen Spence herself, during her visit to Canada. He had been keeping tabs on the progress of P.R. interntionally for several years, and Cooley, who was unable to carry on as editor, endorsed his choice as editor in the strongest possible terms. Tyson was editor from 1901 to 1913 (he died in 1914 at the age of 71). In 1913, he was "secretary-treasurer for Canada." (Cooley's wife suffered from tuberculosis and died in 1902 after many years of illness.) (P.R. Record, Dec. 1902))


Between 1901 and 1913, the P.R. Review was pushed as a part of the Direct Legislation Review and also as part of the Equity Series (later Equity) newspapers.


Tyson was replaced as editor by C.G. Hoag, general secretary-treasurer of the P.R. League.


In 1914 the P.R. Review, formerly part of the Equity newspaper, began publication as a separate newspaper.


C.G. Hoag gave two reasons for this change --

- some proportionalists did not want to give impression that they supported Initiative, Recall and Referendum, the three main demands of the Direct Legislation movement.

-leading proportionalists wanted to be able to use the P.R. Review as "a separate pamphlet of lightweight" for publicity and teaching purposes. (P.R. Review Dec. 1901)


C.G. Hoag expressed gratitude to the Direct Legislation movement and to the Equity newspaper in particular, for helping publicize its news and information, which materially had aided the P.R. movement in its lean years.


George H. Hallett, Jr. was its editor in its later years. Hoag and Hallett together wrote the 1926 book Proportional Representation.


In January 1955 Hallett and Wm. Redin Woodward were co-editors of the P.R. Review.

Woodward was author of Tax aspects of patents, copyrights and trademarks (1960) and other books (see Hathi trust).


Numerous articles described the the rise and fall of P.R. in Canadian cities, the adoption of P.R. in Alberta and Manitoba, the rise and fall of P.R. in U.S. cities, and the adoption of P.R. across the world.


(The Equity newspaper was not always pro-rep inclined. The 1898 issue does not mention word "proportional."


Much of the issues of the 1893-1896, 1901-1924 period is available online.


1893-1895


1896

?


"New" P.R. Review 1901-1903 (D.L. Record and P.R. Review)

published as quarterly: March; July; October; December.



December 1901: volume 8, No. 4

new banner: D.L. Record and P.R. Review

edited by Eltweed Pomeroy

(page 553/744)



(1901 -- page 569/744; P.R. Review "New series" edited by Robert Tyson

========


1902 -- 589/744; 609/744; 629/744; 649/744


1902 issues also can be found here:

(124/216 and 133/216 memorials to Alfred Cridge)

116/216 = start of March 1902 D.L. Record

134/216 start of P.R. Review March 1902

137/216 March 1902 has piece "A Sure Ballot Wanted".

starts with "The present plan of electing members of Parliament in single-member districts is open to the gravest objection...." [by Robert Tyson]

(transcription of the piece see below)


1903 -- 673/744; 693/744; 713/744; 737/744)


1903-

93/213 Jan. 1903 D.L. Record and P.R. Review

114/216 1902 annual report of the P.R. Society of Ontario (written Feb 1903)

J. Ed. Maybee, secretary, OPRS

March 1903

July 1903

October 1903

December 1903


1904


March 1904

June 1904

October 1904


1905

1906

1907

1908

1909

1910

1911

1912


1913

Equity


1914

"Independent"  Proportional Representation Review

============

Proportional Representation Review

1914-1917


==========


PR Review   Oct 1914     7/240

brief history of P.R. Review

P.R. General statement

South Africa P.R. in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Roodeport-Maraisburg 16/240

P.R. for British municipal elections 17/240

Canadian Labor elections - 19/240

(Toronto Labour Council Toronto Railway Employee's Union)

Preferential Majority Voting in Canada (Lethbridge's adoption of IRV in 1913/1914)


PR Review 1915

Jan 1915

April 1915

July 1915

October 1915



PR Review 1916


PR Review  Jan 1916


PR Review April 1916


PR Review  July 1916  117/240


121?/240      mentions a pamphlet

A pamphlet on the first P.R. election in Ashtabula, issued by the Chamber of Commerce of the city, will be sent free on application to that body

[excerpt from annual report of Ashtabula see 203/240)

[this is likely a reference to

The Ashtabula plan of municipal government.

Published in 1915 by the Ashtabula (Ohio) Chamber of Commerce (available online at Hathi trust).

(see also The Ashtabula plan - the latest step in municipal organization / by Augustus R. Hatton.

Published 1916)



121/240 John Humphreys speech to Proportionalists of Philadelphia 1916 

on PR and its impact: freedom for the voter, freedom for the candidate, leadership, "Pork" and "Spoils", PR and social reform, PR and Peace,

Liberation of thought,

Great Opportunity


133/240      formation of PRS of Canada


Ireland Lord Grey 136/240


April 2, 1916  E.N. Rhodes, deputy speaker of Canadian HofC, endorsed PR       138/240


P.R. for cities attacked in National Municipal Review

Humphreys rebutted the remarks in National Municipal Review  138/240


UFA assembled in Calgary passed resolution in favour of PR 138/240

 

139/240 list of PR League publications




PR Review    Oct. 1916     141/240


Electoral reform conference 143/240

Earl Grey


English Society endorsed P.R.   145/240


P.R. in Sweden 146/240


Quebec prov . election 148/240


Liberal Party and P.R. 148/240


Calgary discussing city P.R.   P.R. Society of Calgary invited to propose something 149/240


P.R. and City Government by [Calgary city commissioner] Yorath distributed in Saskatchewan


P.R. is fair rep. 152/240


1917

PR Review  Jan 1917 153/240


Hare rules for public elections


Hare rules for private elections  171/240


174/240 Milestones in the progress of the Hare system [timeline]


Political advantages of the Hare system  175/240


Death of Robert Tyson    176/240


Adoption of P.R. in Calgary 177/240


Am. P.R. League not committed to one system of P.R. but considers Hare the best 177/240


P.R. publications 179/240



PR Review April 1917  181/240


P.R. recommended for England

UFA   191/240 

P.R. Society of Canada

Ashtabula plan   193/240

Australia

P.R. Society of Massachusetts  195/240

Laurier



PR Review July 1917 197/240


BC  reported BC had passed law allowing STV in cities   199/240


Sydney B. Johnson named head of PR Society of Canada, after Hooper resigned

Ronald Hooper named head of People's Forum of Ottawa


Howard S. Ross, Canadian secretary of the Am. PR League, elected president of People's Forum of Montreal.


Jan 1917 PR Review had published rules for Hare elections

July 1917 issue had some amendments (207/240)



Jul 1917 supplement  (209/240)

Transfer of surplus ballots - the Chance method and the Exact method

Parker Smith identified the (small) scale of chance in chance method in an appendix to Humphreys 1911 book

shows that where winner has 4000 surplus votes, vote transfers may vary just by as much as 60 votes only about 1 in 2000 attempts.  (210/240)



PR Review Oct. 1917  219/240

225/240   report of use of STV in Christchurch (NZ) city election  222/240


227/240 Earl of Earl Grey passed away

"one of the most ardent and able, and perhaps the most influential, of all British proportionalists"

president of PRS, England

honorary vice-president of American PR League

honorary president of PRS of Canada



Russian Constituent Assembly to be elected by PR  228/240


U.S. New National Party and P.R. 229/240


Ashtabula second P.R. election electing seven         Boynton PR man to run 230/240


What P.R.  Accomplishes     230/240


Other than the page of Proportional Representation Review, Canadian periodicals seldom reported on the large proportion of votes that were not actually used to elect anyone under FPTP, and most periodicals did just as poor a job of reporting the high proportion of votes that were actually used to elect someone under PR-STV. (This is pretty much the same even today.)

=================================


The National Civic Review for the years 1932-1962 does not appear to be available on Hathi trust.

(UofA Libraries does have it online and in paper format. can order it brought up from the BARD.)

=========


South Australia rally

The Direct legislation record and the proportional representation review 9-10 (1902-1903).


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PR pamphlets


American PR League [USA/Canada]


1894 Address by the American PR League   (Hathitrust online)

refers to disappointments of the U.S. congressional elections of 1892 and 1894.

... [stopping gerrymandering will help but] Its complete elimination will not relieve us from misrepresentation. The evil [of FPTP] lies deeper, it is fundamental, and so long as plurality elections in single-member districts exist, the evil will remain whether or not gerrymandering exists.

...

[P.R. is what is needed and]

three forms exist: the Hare system, the Gove system and the Swiss or Free List system


Swiss or Free List system

at-large election say city-wide in city elections

each voter having as votes as seats to fill, can place them wherever desired

votes for candidate are taken as votes for parties.

largest remainder sytem to alloate seats to parties,

to fill party's seats, those candidates with most votes are declared elected. (p. 5)


... P.R. is looked upon by many as a means of securing representation of the minority but this is a misconception - the real purpose is to secure the representation of all the people and thus establish the rule of the majority." ...

"the hopeless minorities currently cooped up in political slave pens will be liberated; their votes will bear directly upon the final result, thereby offering the greatest incentive for all men to vote" ...

P.R. will establish the independence of the voter, it will give him perfect freedom in electing his representative and it will establish a true popular government because all the voters will be represented and a majority of the representatives will always be elected by a majority of the voters."

"P.R. bills have already been introduced in the legislatures of Mass., Conn., Rhode Island, Colorado, Nebraska and Texas..."

=============


pamphlets unsorted:


Growing Demand for PR 1927

publication of the PR League [United Kingdom]

round-up of PR across the world in 1927

(PAA 70.158, file no. 72) [see 1927 PR chronology binder]


Electoral Gamble (about Sligo STV election?]

publication of the PR League [United Kingdom]

(PAA 70.158, file no. 72) [see 1927 PR chronology binder]


Sorted pamphlets:

American PR League pamphlets

online locations:

No. 1 Nov. 1914 Efficiency and Democracy in City Government 

#1 - Leaflet. No.1,5-6 1914-1919. - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library


American PR League pamphlet No. 1 Nov. 1914 "Efficiency and Democracy in City Government" published by Am. PR league, Haverford, Pa.


#3 - Proportional Representation League leaflet. ... no.1-11 (1914-22). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library


#19 - Leaflet. no.1,5-6 1914-1919. - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library


Am. PR League pamphlet No. 2 1913 The Representative Council Plan of City Government by C.G. Hoag 


========

Numbered Pamphlets

No. 1 Nov. 1914 Efficiency and Democracy in City Government

No. 2

No. 3 ?


No. 4 ?


No. 5 Hare System of P.R. Effective Voting Real Democracy For State legislatures, city councils ...Nov. 1919

#19 - Leaflet. no.1,5-6 1914-1919. - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library

Am. PR League Leaflet No. 5 The Hare System of PR Effective Voting Real Democracy ... (starts at 33/42)


No. 6 P.R. (P.R.) - the basis of the better democracy of Ashtabula, Kalamazoo and other English-speaking communtities [1919] [on my Mac laptop]


No. 6

Am. PR League Leaflet No. 6      PR The Basis of the better democracy of Ashtabula... ([#19] starts at 25/42)

#19 - Leaflet. no.1,5-6 1914-1919. - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library


No. 7 ?

No. 8 ?


Am. PR League pamphlet No. 9 - Address of the American Proportional Representation League. ... - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library

No. 10 ?

No. 11 ?

No. 12 ?

No. 13 ?

No. 14 ?

No. 15 ?

No. 16 ?

No. 17 ?

No. 18 ?

No. 19 ?

No. 19 ?

No. 19 ?

No. 20 ?

No. 21 ?

No. 22 ?

No. 23 ?

No. 24 ?

No. 25 ?


No. 26 Need for P.R. in Municipal elections June 1914

[1919 first use PR in trade union election in U.S., electing eight executive members of women's International Trade Union League]

p. 40   40/42


from No. 26:

This principle-one vote, and one vote only-whatever the number of councillors to be elected, is the cardinal feature in the new method of voting. The elector votes by marking the figure 1 against the name of the candidate he most desires to see elected. He need do no; more. The vote will be credited to the candidate so marked.

THE VOTE IS TRANSFERABLE.


But as the ballot is secret, the elector, when he enters the polling-booth, will not know (1) whether the candidate for whom he most desires to vote will have already received more votes than he requires in order to secure election, or

(2) whether his favourite will receive so little support as to have no chance of success...


============================================

page numbers online at Hathi trust:

PR pamphlet No. 26 PR in Municipal Elections (starts at 1/42)

Am. PR League pamphlet No. 1 Nov. 1914 Efficiency and Democracy in City Government (starts at 19/42)

Am. PR League Leaflet No. 6      PR The Basis of the better democracy of Ashtabula... (starts at 25/42)

Am. PR League Leaflet No. 5 The Hare System of PR Effective Voting Real Democracy ... (starts at 33/42)

========


list of PRS [UK] publicatlons


P.R. and British Politics by Fischer Williams 1914


P.R. a study in methods by John Humphreys 1911


Representation The Journal of the Proportional Representation Society. volumes for the years 1909-13, 2s. 3d. each; single copies ld. each. (A record of the development of the P.R. movement all over the world.) 

see


A Plea for Real Representation. Pamphlet No. 1; Revised 1913. Price ld. (A concise introduction to the question of proportional representation.) 


Electoral Statistics. Pamphlet No. 14. Price 3d. By J. ROOKE CORBETT, M.a. (A detailed examination of the results of General Elections since 1885.) 


Electoral Reform - what is it to be? Pamphlet No. 22; Revised 1914. Price ld. (A comparison of the second ballot, the alternative vote, and pro- portional representation.) 


The P.R. Model Election, 1912. Pamphlet No. 23. Price 1d. (A practical illustration of the working of the system on a large scale) 


[No. 24?]


Annual Report for the Year 1913-14. Pamphlet No. 25. Price 1d.


The Need of P.R. in Municipal Elections. Pamphlet No. 26. Price ld. 


Redistribution under P.R. Pamphlet No. 27. Price 1d. In the press. (A scheme of constituencies in Great Britain suitable for P.R.) 


LEAFLETS. 

(1) Some Statistics of Elections under Proportional and other Systems. 66 


(3) We want Proportional Representation NOW


============================

There is also the Equity newspaper (published in Philadelphia).

seems to have carried the PR Review during all or part of the period between 1896 and 1914.

its full title: Equity including the Direct Legislation Record, the Referendum News, and the P.R. Review. Devoted to Scientific Politics and Progressive Government, particularly to Improved, Accurate and Scientific Methods that will bring the right Political Environment for Good Government. (Jan. 1913)


Jan 1914 its masthead read:

Equity (formerly Equity Series)

devoted to Improved methods of self-government, as the Initiative, Referendum, Recall, P.R., Direct Primaries, the Preferential Ballot, the Short Ballots, etc. and the simplification and increased efficiency of Government in Municipalities, States and Nation. (Jan 15, 1914 [different from the one above])


1914 editor -- C.G. Hoag, Haverford, Pennsylvania

pub. by Am. P.R. League

offices: 20 Harford St. Toronto and Haverford, Pa.


(1915-1916 Ronald Hooper was editor [?] before he moved to Winnipeg.)


Equity Jan. 1913

Robert Tyson, of Toronto editor P.R. Review part of Equity newspaper

available are the years :

1913-1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

1919

[all are in Hathi trust]

=====

1913-1914

Elementary principles of P.R. p. 65 [75/468]

P.R. for New Irish Senate

New Zealand

Representative Council Plan in Ohio

The Japanese System Proposed in Philadelphia [sntv?]

The "Representative Council Plan" of City Charter C.G. Hoag


=============================

1914-1915? Equity

Jan 1914 "PR Review" page 43 [51/488]

covered

-events in France and Holland.

-Denmark progress report

-500 attended conference of proportionalists at London in 1914.

Earl Grey presiding.

Mrs H. Fawcett and many others there.

Belgian spokesperson says Belgium had had eight P.R. general elections "and no party objects to it now." [57/488]


59/488 application to change goal of AM. P.R. League to mention clearly "the principle of a single vote in a multi-membered district." [59/488]



=======

Equity Volume XV, No 1 was published in January 1913.

so perhaps Equity ran from 1899.


Jan 1913:


====================

Some highlights of writings found in P.R. Review


1902

137/216 Proportional Representation Record March 1902 has piece "A Sure Ballot Wanted". (by Robert Tyson)

"The present plan of electing members of Parliament in single-member districts is open to the gravest objection.

It disenfranchises nearly half the voters at every election; itgives undue power to the party organizations, including a practical monopoly of nominations. It is so uncertain and erratic in its operation as to sometimes allow a minority of the voters to elect a majority of the representatives. It encourages gerrymandering; it makes crookedness too often a factor of success; it nourishes party hatred, and it is a system utterly unworthy of a progressive people in a scientific age.

The remedy for these evils is the adoption of a reasonable and rational system of voting. That system is known as Proportional Representation."


Goes on to discuss how Tasmania used at-large STV to elect its 6 Senators and 5 Representatives to the Aus. Parliament.

and then discussed recent moves in 1901/2 toward fair voting in Canada. (see Montopedia blog "Timeline of Canada electoral reform")


============================




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