The Forthcoming Elections.

THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS .

rpHE Annual General Meeting of the Koyal Masonic J- Benevolent Institution is to be held at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen Street , on Friday next , the 19 th inst ., when , as is the usual custom , the ordinary business of the Institution will be transacted ,

after which the Governors and Subscribers will proceed to the election of candidates for the benefits of this noble Charity . The lists this year are exceptionally heavy , while the vacancies in comparison are few , thus many an aged brother or widow will

have to wait another year before they can hope to be successful . Looking at the ballot papers we see that there are no less than sixty candidates for the fifteen vacancies in the Male Fundwhile Mtv-five widows are

com-, peting for the ten vacancies in their department . Thus we have a total of 115 candidates for 25 vacancies , including the three " deferred " annuities , available on the death of some of those already in receipt of the grants given by the Institution . These

figures show that a large majority of the candidates will have to go away disappointed , but we trust the more deserving will be returned among the successful . The ballot papers certainly show a peculiar state of affairs . From a glance at the list of applicants

for the Male branch of the Institution we find that there is one candidate applying for the eleventh time , one for the tenth , one for tho ninth , one for the seventh , two for the sixth , two for the fifth , five for the fourth , seven for the third , seven for tho second ,

and thirty-three for thc first time . It would seem that the unfortunate brothers who have applied so many times for the benefits of the Institution will never get elected , inasmuch as the one applying for the eleventh time has only now got 9 G votes to his credit , while other

candidates stand very much in the same position . We would again ask where are tlie Craftsmen who helped to get the names of these brethren on the list of candidates ? Have they deserted their case , or do they think that having once got the name on the list

they have done their duty . If they are under tho latter impression we would say that it is not worthy of a true Mason to raise a distressed brother's hopes , and allow him year after year to seek election , and never to give a helping hand . We trust that the

election of Friday next will remove some of the black spots from the ballot papers , and that when the 1894 sheet is published it will be free from such announcements as the " eleventh application . " Turning to the widow's list we find even a worse

state of aftairs , for here we have one candidate applying for the thirteenth time , and she has only 353 votes to her credit . Besides this there are two candidates seeking election for the tenth time , two

for the ninth , three for the eighth , two for the seventh , five for the sixth , twelve for the fifth , three for the fourth , eight for the second , and seventeen

The Forthcoming Elections.

for the first . We trust that some of those who have been waiting so long will this year reap the reward they so richly deserve . It is not our intention to attempt anything like a review of the merits of the several candidates for the annuities of the Boval Masonic Benevolent

Institution . There is not much , if anything , to choose between them , inasmuch as they all seem deserving of the fullest consideration and the greatest amount of support it is possible to give . Nearly all can boast

of long association with Masonry , some of them having exceptionally long records of Masonic service , and the chief regret of any one who really attempts to analyse their particular merits must be that it is

not possible to admit all to the benefits of the Institution . This , we are sorry to say , cannot be done , but we hope the time is not far distant when we shall have ballot papers before us that have not so'many

applicants names on them , and have more vacancies to offer . So far as we can see the other business to be transacted on Friday next is of the ordinary description , consisting as it does of the election of a

Treasurer and a notice of motion standing in the name of Bro . W . Maxfield . Mead W . M . 1805 . The motion is as follows : — " To alter Rule No . 13 , lines 3 and 4 , by leaving out words ' of which number three

Men and tliree Widows and insert m place tnereoi one half ( if even or if not an even number one half of the next higher or next lower number as the Committee may decide ) shall be allotted by rotation to those Candidates eligible as Annuitants who shall have

been longest on the list of applicants and subject to such allotment the Annuitants shall be elected as hereinafter provided . Two Men and two Widows next longest on the list of applicants and two Men and two Widows who shall have polled the next

highest number of votes to the successful Candidates by ballot shall be placed on deferred list but . ' " This hardly calls for comment from us , so that we may safely close our remarks this week by merely drawing our readers , attention to the fact that the poll opens at one o ' clock , or immediately the general business is over , and will close precisely at three o'clock .

Improper Material.

IMPROPER MATERIAL .

THE Masonic Fraternity claims that by ita rulea and regulations tlio character of applicants for the rights and privileges of Masonry musfc be fully investigated before their approval . Membership in Masonry is of far higher import than in profane associations .

The relations between Masons are based on very especial requirements . The single idea cf fellow-associates , which concludes the piwequigifces for admission into gjneral societies , is nofc recognised in Freemasonry . The Fraternit y of Freemasons demands thafc the character