PRAMPOLINI, Camillo (1859-1930). Born at Reggio Emilia, Italy, 27 April, 1859 to a middle-class family of Liberal traditions; educated in law at Rome and Bologna Universities; graduated at Bologna 1881 with a dissertation on labor law; 1882 began writing for internationalist journals in Reggio and taking part in election campaigns; initially a revolutionary, soon became committed to the spread of producers co-operatives and a network of autonomous, legal workers’ institutions; founded weekly La Giustizia in Reggio January 1886, and edited this important labor publication for many years; became chief organiser and inspirer of Reggio labor movement; elected deputy 1890, and remained one until 1926, apart from 1904-1921-1924 parliaments; as deputy, concerned himself with social legislation and support for co-operatives; was one of the deputies who overturned voting urns in the Chamber 30 June, 1899, to prevent vote on Pelloux’s public order provisions; 1892 was also briefly editor of main national Socialist journal, Lotta di classe, but soon returned to Reggio; 1899 Socialists won control of town and provincial councils in Reggio, which enabled Prampolini, who sat on both, to support both producer and consumer co-operatives with public work schemes, tax concessions, and subsidies; 1901 founded the Chamber of Labor, which acted also as an employment exchange; 1904-9, and again 1921-22, was president of provincial Savings Bank; by 1920 there were over 200 co-operatives in the province, and 45.000 members in unions affiliated to the Chamber of Labor; the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) won 65 percent of the vote in the 1919 parliamentary elections in the province, and won control of thirty-eight communes out of forty-five in the 1920 local elections; but Fascist squads destroyed the whole network of co-operatives and leagues 1921-22; escaped assassination attempt 14 March, 1921; October 1922 elected the president of the constituent assembly of the reformist party, the Unitarian Socialist Party (PSU), and became one of its main leaders; reelected deputy 1924; La Giustizia was closed down October 1925, and he moved to Milan.

By MARTIN CLARK