The General Committee Of The Boys' School.

THE GENERAL COMMITTEE OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

WE cannot say we are altogether surprised at the result of Saturday's meeting . The report of the House Committee as to the extension of the School came under consideration , and tho General Committee have postponed offering any opinion upon its merits till their next

monthly meeting . Our readers may take this either as evidence of hesitation to contract a greater amount of obligation , or as showing a determination not to commit themselves to any scheme , however well considered , till a way

was seen to carry it fully and permanently into execution . We incline to accept the latter alternative , and are of opinion that the Committee are exercising a wise discretion in not committing themselves to any plan of operations , till

they are tolerably well assured of its success . But we are hurrying onward too fast . We have not yet placed before our readers the suggestions of the House Committee . Having done this , we will again consider the action of the General Committee .

The report which was submitted for the consideration admitted virtually , and , indeed , in precise terms , that an enlargement of the School must be made sooner or later . The number of applicants at each successive election is far

in excess of the number of vacancies . The School is numerically stronger now than at any previous period of its history , there being , we believe , no less than one hundred and eighty-four boys on the establishment , all of whom

are clothed , fed and liberally educated out of the resources of the Institution . But Freemasonry is increasing annually in point of numbers , and the question now exercisin g the minds of all genuine Craftsmenis—Whatshall be done under

the circumstances ? Shall the School be limited to its present strength , or shall it be increased ? The latter opinion , as we have seen , finds favour with the majority , and a determined attempt is being made to solve the difficulty in a broad and liberal fashion . The House Committee at

their different meetings have had submitted to them a variety of plans , all more or less calculated to meet the requirements of the case , and the one they have thought proper to recommend has certainly the merit of

comprehensiveness . This contemplates the erection on the site of the present laundry and drying ground of a new and spacious hall , one hundred feet in length by fifty feet in breadth and extending from Bast to West , access to which would

be obtained through the present western or kitchen corridor by means of a covered way leading from the School and class rooms in the main building . One special advantage in connection with this arrangement would be the

propinquity to the Hall of the present kitchen , which , with the adjoining scullery annexed , would prove amply sufficient for the needful cooking and supplies . A new scullery-room would be obtained by re-arranging the present store-room

and offices . It is a further part of this scheme to erect , in addition , an entirely new block of buildings , measuring one hundred and ten feefc by fifty-five , and having three floors , such block to start in a line from the east end of the new

Dining Hall , and extend northwards . On the ground floor there would be four commodious class-rooms , with Assistant Masters' sitting-room , lavatory , cap-room and other requisite premises , with convenient exit to closets , & c , & c . On

the second and third floors there would be six dormitories , each large enough to accommodate twenty boys , and assistant masters' bed-rooms , together with the assistant matron ' s and servants' rooms , isolated and accessible by a

The General Committee Of The Boys' School.

separate staircase . So much as regards tne new premises , The question of annual maintenance has not been over , looked , and it is estimated that when the building is ready , then , if all the one hundred and twenty boys wero added to the strength of tho School , the annual cost would be

about £ 12 , 000 , while the average special expenditure per annum would amount to about £ 1 , 000 . The Committee , however , are of opinion that it would not be necessary to take in the whole of the proposed addition at once , but that an increase of sixty would suffice for the

increasing wants of the present generation . Moreover , they point out that it would be in the highest degree inexpedient to elect all eligible candidates who might present themselves , and so make admission to the benefits of the Institution too easy . The cost of this enlargement is set

down at £ 22 , 000 , which , with due allowance for fittings and the like , would probably reach £ 25 , 000 . Accommodation for an addition of seventy boys , instead of ono hundred and twenty , it is reckoned , would cost only £ 3 , 000 . The Committee close their report by stating that ( 1 ) they

recognise fully the legitimacy of the demands for further accommodation , and ( 2 ) they have ascertained the feasibility of carrying out such extension ; but ( 3 ) the issue—shall such extension be proceeded with ?—they leave entirely in the hands of the Fraternity .

We imagine onr readers will admit that the foregoing plan is , as we have stated , sufficiently comprehensive . At the same time the General Committee were justified in not accepting it on the instant . Objection was taken b y Bro . Snow to the cost of the enlargement , on the ground that

an outlay of £ 200 per boy for mere building purposes would be excessive . Considering the few data before us , it would be extremely unwise to enter upon the discussion of a point of so much importance . It may be Bro . Snow ' s objection was well taken , but at all events , the estimate is not widely

different from that already approved in the case of the Girls' School . There is almost an exact proportion between an outlay of about £ 10 , 000 for providing accommodation for some fifty girls , and one of about £ 25 , 000 for erecting premises large enough to accommodate a hundred and twenty

boys . However , we need not pause to consider this now . The General Committee will arrive at no decision for the present . The whole subject has been postponed till the next monthly meeting , and even in the event of its being decided then , there is still a final court of reference in the

Quarterly General Court . And when the plan of action , if any , has been determined , the issue—shall such extension be proceeded with ?—rests entirely with the Fraternity , While then we are most anxious the question shonld be considered from every imaginable point of view , while we

fully recognise the necessity for making some further provision for the education and maintenance of our boys , we do not for one moment imagine the authorities will rashl y commit themselves to any scheme , until they have first satisfied themselves they will have the co-operation of the

whole Craft . Unlike our other Institutions , the Boys ' School has no , or , at all events , but a very modest amount of invested property , amounting only to £ 5 , 000 . Moreover , it is only recently the Institution has been enabled to relieve itself of the balance of debt remainin g from the cost

of the present premises . No enlargement , therefore , is possible , unless the Craft is prepared to furnish the necessary ways and means . That these ways and means will be

forthcoming under the circumstances we clo not doubt . Have we not been told , if the Boys' School needed funds they had nothing to do but to appeal to the Craft for what they wanted ?