Excerpt from Page 11 of "THE BEST SYSTEM - An account of the first hundred years of the ELECTORAL REFORM SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND" published to mark its centenary year, 1984. ISBN 0 903278 09 X

JOHN HUMPHREYS

Secretary PRS* 1912-46

... The [1914-18] war did not prevent an important tour by John Humpheys to Australia, New Zealand and America. The main reason for this trip was a threat to STV in Tasmania, where a change to a party list system had been proposed. Mr Humpheys' evidence to a select committee certainly influenced it to recommend preserving the STV system, and led to the filling of casual vacancies by re-counting the deceased member's papers. He addressed a large number of meetings in Tasmania and other parts of Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada, over a period of about eight months, being well reported and making a good impression. ...

* The Proportional Representation Society of Great Britain and Ireland changed its name to Electoral Reform Society of Great Britain and Ireland in 1959, as it was increasingly felt that the original name was "too liable to suggest a connection with the continental party list systems".