The Girls School Election.

THE GIRLS SCHOOL ELECTION .

THE ballot papers have been issued for the half yearly election of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Girls , to take place on Thursday , 10 th October next , and contain a list of thirty-four candidates , for -whom there are seventeen available vacancies , so that exactly one half of the applicants

can be admitted . Nineteen of these candidates have made previous applications , and fifteen are new to the present list . Of the former two appeal for the fourth , six for the third , and eleven for the second time , the votes brought forward ranging from 2 , 586 , 2 , 538 , 2 , 536 , and 2 , 466 down to as low as 5 .

There are three last application cases on the list , one of whom , No . 1 , A . M . Eobinson , is a fourth appearance , with only 134 votes to her credit . Both her parents are living , and there are five children dependent on them . The father was associated wifch the Provinces of Warwickshire and

Oxfordshire , but we fear those districts have not so far shown much interest in his daughter ' s case . Let us hope they may be able to do so ere it is too late . No . 11 , Lydia Stevenson , is one of the four fortunate candidates we have just referred

to , she having 2 , 538 recorded votes in her favour , from the April election of this year . The case is accredited to East Lancashire , and is apparently adopted by that district , which may safely be left to see it through successfully next month ;

it is almost fair to imagine the failure of the candidate at the last election was the result of an error of judgment as to the probable number of votes required to carry a case . The

other "last" is No . 17 , Mabel Alice Heaps , a Cheshire girl whose mother is left with seven dependent children , for whose benefit we hope this important district will concentrate its power on the 10 th proximo .

There are no less than six cases in which neither parent is living , a condition of affairs we always regard as affording a special plea for assistance from the Educational Institutions of Freemasonry , although we are quite prepared to admit

that no general rule can be said to apply in all such cases , as some of the orphans may possess funds in their own right which , through inadvertency or wilfully , are unannounced by the friends , m the hope they may be kept intact until the

child becomes of full age , education and maintenance being meanwhile secured at the expense of the Masonic Institution . But we cannot believe such a misapplication of Charity funds is by any means common , and are rather of opinion that it

is of the rarest occurrence , although we are sufficiently well acquainted with such cases in the past as to be convinced that they do occur , of course to the detriment of others really deserving .

No . 6 , Edith Wadsworth , is one of two parentless children ; 217 votes have been recorded at the last two elections on her behalf . Her father was an initiate and Past

Master of the Lodge of Truth , No . 1458 , East Lancashire , and we have no doubt the case will receive the attention ifc deserves from fchat quarter . No . 13 , Isabel Hargreaves , one

The Girls School Election.

of two children left to the care of friends , received 2 , 586 votes last April , and may be regarded as tolerably safe for a place in the School after next month ' s contest , her case being accredited to the well organised Province of Cheshire , and

being evidently officially supported by the district executive . No . 14 , T . K . C . Canova , is not in such fortunate circumstances , as only 166 votes were recorded on her behalf last election . She is the only dependent child of a former wellknown member of the Province of Suffolk , the Brethren of

which district will hardly ignore her claims on their generosity , if it is in their power to help her . No . 15 , M . A . Eouse , is one of four parentless children of an initiate of the Arnold Lodge , No . 1981 , Surrey , on whose behalf 1 , 262 votes have

already been recorded . The father had not a particularly long Masonic career , but appears to have virtually subscribed until the time of his death ; let us hope h { p daughter may secure the scholarship sought by her friends on her behalf .

No . 23 , Ethel Dobson , and No . 33 , E . H . Taylor , are new cases , the former being one of a family of four children , the father being accredited to the Western Division of Yorkshire , and the latter an only dependent left by an old member of

the Earl Spencer Lodge , No . 1420 , London . We can only hope these nine special cases may prove successful afc the coming election , or at another early contest , for it must occasion regret to every supporter of the Schools to find a

child ultimately excluded from the benefits by the application of the age law , when once they have been passed as worthy . London Lodges supply eight of fche thirty-four candidates —a very small proportion if we consider the share they take

in providing the funds for our Institutions , but displaying a happy state of affairs in our midst , there being so small a number of candidates available from the great metropolis ; or is it that many London Brethren begin to know they have

a very difficult task before them when they attempt to carry a case against the systematic organisations of the Provinces , and so hold aloof ? We know this has been urged by some , but on the other hand recent elections have demonstrated in

the most unmistakeable manner that London can still hold its own , and carry its cases with flying colours , when the necessity arises . Cheshire , Hampshire and Sussex are each accredited

with two cases , while Somerset is jointly interested with other districts in two also . The rest are pretty evenly distributed over fche remaining counties , and there are apparently few districts that are not represented on the list ,

which may justly be described as a light one , in view of the substantial number of vacancies to be competed for , a fact that is doubtless due as much to the more stringent regulations now enforced before the admission . of a candidate , as

compared with what was done years back , as to the action of Provincial authorities , who prefer to put forward single cases with the certainty of success rather than have four or five on the roll with little or no prospect of dealing with them within a reasonable period .