POLITICAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 43, 5 October 1911, Page 5

POLITICAL.

NOTES BY THE WAY

Sir Maurice O’Rorke lias circulated ‘his University Divinity Degrees Bill, of which he will move the second reading in the Legislative Council this afternoon. The main operative clause provides: “In addition to the powers enjoyed by the Senate for conferring degrees, it shall have tiie power of conferring the degrees of Doctor and Bachelor of Divinity. The degrees may be conferred either after exami-

nation or as ad ouudem degrees.” An- *■ other clause removes the prohibition in the University Act of ISO, against the granting of degrees in theology.” The Proportional Representation and Effective Voting Bill, which the Hon. G. Fowlds has had circulated in the House of Representatives, provides for the division of the Dominion into nineteen electoral districts. The directions as to voting are as follows:—“Each voter shall have one vote only, but may vote in the alternative for as many other candidates as he pleases, not exceeding four; and his ballot-paper shall be deemed to be given to the candidate opposite whoso name is placed the ligure ‘l’; but it shall be transferable to the other candidates in succession, in the order of priority designated by the figure set opposite their respective names, in the event of its not being required to be used for the return of any prior can didate.” The voter is to place opposite the names of the candidates for whom he wishes to vote, the figures 1, 2,3, 4, in the order of his preference, but is not to place the same re opposite more than one name, is not to erase from the ballot paper the names of any candidate. Eull'details aro given as to the counting of the votes. fIJn his annual report on the fire brigades of the Dominion (of those pfaccs which are under the jurisdiction of Fire Boards) Inspector Hugo Ijays | there are installed throughout the fire districts a total number of thirty-six thermostat automatic fire alarms connected up to the fire, sta- ■ tions. Several of these automatic systems had reached a high state of efficiency and had been the means of saving an enormous amount of valuable property as the result of giving brigades timely warning of an outbreak of fire. It was to bo regretted that more of these safeguards were not installed in the large warehouses, department stores, etc. The total number of calls in the combined fire districts—viz., 741—showed an increase of 74 over those of the previous year; but this was entirely duo to the large number of false alarms received by the Auckland and Christchurch brigades, and out of the 217 false alarms received by these two brigades no less than 92 were maliciously given. There was a decrease in the number of actual fires that occurred during the year—viz., 306 as against 378 for the'ybar ending June 30th, 1910. “For years past,” continues the inspector, T have pointed cut the danger of fire caused bv the wax match commonly in use. The striking immunity from fires for a long series of years in South Australia some time ago was attributed principally to the almost exclusive use in the State during that time of the safety match; and Dr. von Schwartz, in his Fire and Explosion Risks,” states; “Statistical reports show that, in certain years. 80 per cent, of the total outbreaks of fire .were caused by matches, either dropped or trodden on, thrown down whilst still glowing, or used as playthings by, children.”—“N.Z. Times.'’