Description
[Multiple Contributors]. The Western Socialist: Journal of Scientific Socialism in the Western Hemisphere ; [Exceptionally scarce, non-consecutive, run of 76 issues published between the years, 1939 – 1974]. Winnipeg, Manitoba & Boston, Massachusetts: The Socialist Party of Canada | The Workers Socialist Party of the United States (later, World Socialist Party of the United States), 1939-1974. First Edition, First Printings. Uniformly paginated, each issue comprising of 22 pages (+/- 1, or, 2 leaves). 8vo’s, uniformly measuring 6″ x 9″, with issues dated 1939-1942, measuring slightly larger at 12″ x 9″. Illustrated, twice-stapled, self-wrappers. An unrivalled offering of seventy-six (76) issues of this most remarkable, and elusive Socialist periodical founded in Winnipeg in the early part of the last century; offering an indispensable record of the activities of early Canadian and American Socialists, replete with commentary, news and updates of the International Socialist movement, and the state of Socialism in Canada (notably in British Columbia, and the Prairies), and the United States, with headings such as: “Socialism in Saskatchewan”, “Workers and Wealth”, “Huxley on Eugenics”, “Korea and the Cold War”, “The Ballot and Socialism”, “The Marxist View of Man”, “CCF – Conservative Fabians”, “Hitler the Marxist?”, et al. Much critique of capitalism, and, most unusually, of the emerging, largely Canadian, CCF movement, a selection of Socialist literature (complete with a price-list), world news, humour, and a consistent appeal for their membership to engage politically. Indeed, a “Declaration of Principles” is printed to the rear cover of all issues with the stated object of: “The establishment of a system of society based upon the common ownership and democratic control of the means and instruments for producing and distributing wealth by and in the interest of society as a whole.”
The Western Socialist was a monthly (later to be bi-monthly) periodical founded in Winnipeg in 1903, published by the Socialist Party of Canada. Beginning in 1939, they amalgamated operations with their sister organization in the United States, the World Socialist Party of the United States, to jointly produce the periodical with its present name (An “Official Notice” within most issues notes “the Western Socialist is published jointly by the Socialist Party of Canada and the Worker’s Socialist Party of the United States.”). Thereafter, publication was based out of Boston, Massachusetts. This arrangement was to last until the late 1970’s, whereupon, publication reverted back to the Canadian branch. Overall, the periodical was actively published for 77 years before finally ceasing operations in the 1980’s. Despite a significant print-run, Canadian and American institutional holdings of this most important periodical remain quite scarce. Indeed, we could only locate but two instances of Canadian institutional holdings of this periodical at time of cataloguing. Not in Peel, BAC/LAC, University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, et al. (#4458) $3,995.00
Altogether, our offering comprises of the following issues:
1939 – 1942 (Bound Together as One Volume):
1. Vol. 6, No. 55 (October, 1939);
2. Vol. 6, No. 56 (November, 1939);
3. Vol. 6, No. 57 (December, 1939);
4. Vol. 7, No. 58 (January, 1940);
5. Vol. 7, No. 59 (March, 1940);
6. Vol. 7, No. 60 (April, 1940);
7. Vol. 7, No. 61 (May, 1940);
8. Vol. 7, No. 62 (June, 1940);
9. Vol. 7, No. 63 (July-August, 1940);
10. Vol. 7, No. 64 (Sept. – Oct., 1940);
11. Vol. 7, No. 65 (Nov. – Dec., 1940);
12. Vol. 8, No. 66 (Jan. – Feb., 1941);
13. Vol. 8, No. 67 (March – April, 1941);
14. Vol. 8, No. 68 (May – June, 1941);
15. Vol. 8, No. 69 (July – August, 1941);
16. Vol. 8, No. 70 (Nov. – December, 1941);
17. Vol. 9, No. 71 (Jan. – Feb., 1942);
18. Vol. 9, No. 72 (March – April, 1942);
19. Vol. 9, No. 73 (May – June, 1942);
20. Vol. 9, No. 74 (July – August, 1942);
21. Vol. 9, No. 75 (Sept. – Oct., 1942);
22. Vol. 9, No. 76 (Nov. – Dec., 1942);
1947:
23. Vol. 14, No. 129 (August, 1947);
24. Vol. 14, No. 131 (October, 1947);
1948:
25. Vol. 15, No. 143 (November, 1948);
1950:
26. Vol. 17, No. 154 (June – July, 1950);
27. Vol. 17, No. 155 (August-September, 1950);
28. Vol. 17, No. 156 (October – November, 1950);
1951:
29. Vol. 18, No. 63 (November – December, 1951);
1952:
30. Vol. 19, No. 165 (May – June), 1952);
31. Vol. 19, No. 166 (July – August, 1952);
32. Vol. 19, No. 187 (September – October, 1952);
33. Vol. 19, No. 168 (November – December, 1952);
1953:
34. Vol. 20, No. 170 (March-April, 1953);
35. Vol. 20, No. 171 (May-June, 1953);
36. Vol. 20, No. 172 (July-August, 1953);
37. Vol. 20, No. 173 (September – October, 1953);
1954 – 1957 (Bound Together as One Volume):
38. Vol. 21, No. 175 (January – Feb, 1954);
39. Vol. 21, No. 176 (March – April, 1954);
40. Vol. 21, No. 177 (May – June, 1954);
41. Vol. 21, No. 178 (July – August, 1954);
42. Vol. 21, No. 179 (September – October, 1954);
43. Vol. 22, No. 183 (May-June, 1955);
44. Vol. 22, No. 182 (March – April, 1955);
45. Vol. 21, No. 180 (November – December, 1954);
46. Vol. 22, No. 181 (January – February, 1955);
47. Vol. 22, No. 184 (July – August, 1955);
48. Vol. 22, No. 185 (September – October, 1955);
49. Vol. 22, No. 186 (November – December, 1955);
50. Vol. 23, No. 187 (January – February, 1956;
51. Vol. 23, No. 188 (March-April, 1956);
52. Vol. 23, No. 189 (May-June, 1956);
53. Vol. 23, No. 190 (July-August, 1956);
54. Vol. 23, No. 191 (September – October, 1956);
55. Vol. 23, No. 192 (November – December, 1956);
56. Vol. 24, No. 193 (January – February, 1957;
57. Vol. 24, No. 194 (March – April, 1957);
58. Vol. 24, No. 195 (May-June, 1957);
59. Vol. 24, No. 196 (July – August, 1957);
60. Vol. 24, No. 197 (September – October, 1957);
61. Vol. 24, No. 198 (November – December, 1957);
1961:
62. Vol. 28 No. 224 (No. 6, 1961);
63. Vol. 30, No. 233 (No. 6, 1961);
1963:
64. Vol. 30, No. 236 (No. 3, 1963);
65. Vol. 31, No. 237 (No. 6, 1963);
1964:
66. Vol. 40, No. 295 (No. 1, 1964);
1973:
67. Vol. 41, No. 301 (No. 5, 1973);
1974:
68. Special 300th Issue of the Western Socialist: Vol. 41, No. 4 (1974);
69. Vol. 41, No. 301 (No. 5, 1974);
70. Vol. 41, No. 302 (No. 6, 1974);
71. Vol. 42, No. 303 (No. 1, 1975);
72. Vol. 42, No. 304 (No. 2, 1975);
73. Vol. 42, No. 305 (No. 3, 1975);
74. Vol. 42, No. 306 (No. 4, 1975);
75. Vol. 42, No. 307 (No. 5, 1975);
76. Vol. 42, No. 308 (No. 6, 1975)
