reform which would probably affect their vested interests in the
Legislature. Mr. Coombe had not been an easy convert to proportional
representation. He had attended my first lecture at Gawler, but saw
difficulties in the way of accepting the Hare system as propounded by
me. His experiments were interesting. Assuming a constituency of 100
electors with 10 members, he filled in 60 Conservative and 40 Liberal
voting papers. The proportion of members to each party should be six
Conservatives and four Liberals, and when he found that by no amount of
manipulation could this result be altered he became a convert to
effective voting. His able advocacy of the reform is too well known to
need further reference; but I should like now to thank those members,
including Mr. K. W. Duncan, who have in turn led the crusade for
righteous representation in both Houses of Parliament, for of them may
it truly be said that the interests of the people as a whole were their
first consideration. Before I left for America I saw the growing power
and strength of the Labour Party. I rejoiced that a new star had arisen
in the political firmament. I looked to it as a party that would
support every cause that tended towards righteousness. I expected it,
as a reform party, to take up effective voting, because effective
voting was a reform. I hoped that a party whose motto was "Trust the
people" would have adopted a reform by means of which alone it would be
possible for the people to gain control over its Legislature and its
Government. Alas! for human hopes that depend on parties for their
realization! As time after time I have seen defections from the ranks
of proportionalists, and people have said to me:--"Give it up, Miss
Spence. Why trouble longer? Human nature is too bad," I have answered,
"No; these politicians are but the ephemeral creations of a day or a
month, or a year; this reform is for all time, and must prevail, and I
will never give it up."

During my many visits to Melbourne and Sydney I had been much impressed
with the influence and the power for good of the local branches of the
world-famed National Council of Women. I had long hoped for the
establishment of a branch in South Australia, and was delighted to fall
in with a suggestion made by the Countess of Aberdeen
(Vice-President-at-large of the International Council), through Lady
Cockburn, that a council should be formed in South Australia. The
inaugural meeting in September, 1