The Cost Of Our Charities.

paragons of excellence may safely leave them to themselves and the fate that is slowly but surely drawing down upon them . The letter of your correspondent " H . F . G . " in last Saturday's paper is a fair exposition of what I mean , as he speaks of the proposed new Fund for W est Lancashire as " another drain on the great Institutions of the English Brotherhood . " Of course all these local funds are a drain on the central Institutions , and they will continue to increase year by year as Brethren come to recognise the amount of good that may be done through them at a fraction of the cost of the original funds .

With evidences multiplying day by day throughout the country that the members of the Craft desire some form of " assisted" education , as supplementary to the more elaborate system in vogue in connection with the Boys and the Girls Schools , I wonder the managers of those Funds are so blind to the interests of the Institutions as not to attempt to meet the demand , rather than force Brethren to establish funds for themselves , to the ultimate detriment—I am convinced—of the larger Charities .

How is it the Benevolent Institution , compared with the other two Institutions , is so economical ? and is able to do so very much more for those it is established to succour?—Simply because it does not squander tens of thousands in expensive buildings which , after very short service , are condemned as useless by faddists of the day ; but it does an equal amount of good among the large number of aged Brethren and Widows as if it erected costly Almshouses and compelled every Annuitant to take up his or her residence in them .

Has it ever struck the ordinary observer that the Benevolent Institution is able to provide annuities for upwards of 470 old people , while the Girls School can only look after 267 and the Boys School 279 children ? Yet they each receive about the same amount year by year , indeed it as often happens for one or other of the Schools to be at the head of the list as for the Benevolent Institution to take the premier place .

With proper and judicious management the three Institutions should each be able to relieve its 500 , and until the Boys and Girls Schools increase their roll of pupils to that number I maintain there will be much to criticise in regard to the " cost of our Charities , " the two oldest of which ( the Girls and the Boys ) are at the present time being conducted on a far too luxurious basis , when one takes into consideration the position the pupils would have occupied had their parents lived and provided for them in the ordinary course , and , above all , considering the social position of the majority of the Brethren who are asked and induced to support them under existing conditions .

I am obliged to you for allowing me' space to express my opinions , opposed as they are to the extravagant notions of the managers of the Educational Institutions , but I hope you will be none the worse off for allowing free discussion , even though you may not agree with the remarks that are sent you . It will be a very bad day for the English Craft when you cut away the plank of your platform which opens your columns to free and independent discussion . I rejoice to think you have the courage to publish to the world the utterances of such Brethren as Yours fraternally , CRITIC .

OUTSIDE CHARITY APPEALS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIS AND BROTHER , —Beferring to your leader of the 13 fch inst . headed as above , I think it very remarkable that two Lodges who have both been No . 211 should have thought exactly the same , and have put their views into print . The St . James ' s Union Lodge , No . 180 , was originally No . 211 . Yours fraternally , WILLIAM PARSONS P . M . Sec . 180 .

Rejoining.

REJOINING .

A CORRESPONDENT addresses the following letter to the " Indian Freemason : " DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Kindly grant me a small space in your columns to invite the attention of your old and experienced Past Masters to the following : A Brother Mason recently joined the Craft , and after he had taken his second degree had to resign , owing to certain circumstances . After a short

lapse of time he applied for re-admission , with the object of taking his third degree and resuming membership ; for this he was duly proposed and seconded in open Lodge , but in the following month , when his ballot was to take place , an old Past Master stood up and objected to it , on the ground that the candidate had not produced a Grand Lodge certificate . The candidate pleaded that he was not in possession of one , as he was only a

Fellow Craft , and the Lodge had not applied for one for him , waiting till he had taken his third degree to do so ; he , however , produced a clearance certificate from the same Lodge , which he had received when leaving . Contrary to this , however , the candidate was informed that he could not rejoin this nor any other Lodge until he could produce a Grand Lodge Certificate as per Article No . 189 Book of Constitutions .

Do not you think , Bro . Editor , that it is rather hard on members who wish to rejoin their own Mother Lodge to be objected to on the aforesaid grounds ? I am of opinion that Article No . 189 alludes to Brethren joining another Lodge only , and several Lodge bye-laws that I have seen allude to the same thing , but no mention whatever is made as to members rejoining their own Mother Lodge .

Although this is a small matter , it is one of great importance , and I would suggest that every Lodge should frame a bye-law to the effect that : — "If a member wishes to rejoin his Lodge , he shall have to produce his clearance certificate ( Grand Lodge certificate not compulsory ) . " - I shall be extremely obliged if any Past Master or ^ member of the Craft will kindly throw a little more light on this subject ;

N . N . The Editor o £ our contemporary replied as follows : —The objection raised by the P . M . is inadmissible unless the Lodge applied for and supplied a Grand Lodge Certificate when the Brother was initiated , or passed , as the case may be . The Constitutions are perfectly clear upon the question of certificates . The Lodge accepting a candidate for initiation is compelled to apply for a certificate for either degree if required . Nothing beyond a clearance certificate could possibly be required in the case in point .

Reports Of Meetings

REPORTS OF MEETINGS

We shall be pleased to receive particulars of Masonic meetings for Insertion in our columns , and where desired will endeavour to send a representative to report Lodge or other proceedings .

CBAFT : MBTEOPOLITAN

TRANQUILLITY LODGE , No . 185 . A T the meeting on Monday , 15 th inst ., it was resolved , on the motion of fS _ Bro . P . Ornstein J . W ., seconded by Bro . J . Eisenmann P . M .: "That the sum of £ 10 10 s be voted from the Lodge funds to the Indian Famine Fund . " It was also resolved , on the motion of Bro . Isaac Lazarus P . M ., seconded by Bro . D . S . Woolf : " That the sum of £ 10 10 s be voted from the Lodge funds towards H . R . H . the Prince of Wales Hospital Fund . "

A matter of some communal interest , says the " Jewish Chronicle , " arose on the discussion of a letter received from the Secretary of the Boyal Masonic Institution for Boys . It is in contemplation to re-model the laws of that Institution , so as to provide for the reception of Jewish children , at

the same time affording facilities for boarding out , as as to enable them to observe their faith . At the request of the Lodge , Bros . P . Ornstien J . W . and D . Hills P . M . and Secretary , were appointed to represent the Lodge at a meeting of the managers of the Institution referred to , which is to be convened shortly to deal with the matter .

NEW CONCORD LODGE , No . 813 . THE installation meeting of this Lodge was held on Thursday of last week , at the Guildhall Tavern , Gresham Street , when Bro . John Ingram Moar was installed by his predecessor in office Bro . H . D . Blake , and was cordially greeted on his elevation to the chair of the Lodge . In due course the new Worshipful Master invested the following as the

assistant Officers for the year : —Bro . G . Simpson S . W ., R . Clarke J . W ., H . J . Gabb P . M . Treasurer , A . J . Potter P . M . Secretary , J . J . Lewen S . D ., W . Johnson J . D ., T . W . Couch I . G ., E . Johnson Organist , C . Weeden P . M . D . C , J . Alleway A . D . C ., T . Petchell , W . A . Hammond , and J . Howard Stewards .

At the conclusion of the business the Brethren , nearly one hundred in number , sat clown to a banquet , after which the Loyal and Masonic toasts were honoured . In the course of the after proceedings Bro . H . D . Blake was invested with the Past Master ' s jewel of the Lodge , the Worshipful Master , in making the presentation , referring in eulogistic terms to the way in which his predecessor had carried out the work of the Lodge during the busy year that had just been brought to a conclusion .

DUKE OF FIFE LODGE , No . 2345 . THE annual festival fell on St . Patrick ' s Day , and the members assembled in goodly numbers , and with a determination to hail the eighth Master with heartiness and deepest respect . True , the eve was not a jocund one , but the enthusiasm of the Brethren made all go merry as a marriage bell .

Among those present were Bros . Charlie Woods W . M ., John Mitchell P . M . S . W . W . M .-elect , T . Morris J . W ., John Langdon I . P . M ., A . Robertson S . D ., G . F . Winny J . D ., Henry Mitchell I . G ., W . Baldwin A . DrC , Hearsey , Shannaw and Fitch Stewards , all the Past Masters of the Lodge , viz ., Bros . S .

Cochrane P . G . T ., W . W . Westley D . C , J . W . Folkard Secretary , E . Beaven , and A . Harvey ; also Bros . Taylor , Kidman , Machin P . M ., Robert Steele P . M . Treasurer , Brinkman , Stanley , J . Wyer P . M . P . P . G . D . C . Kent , Roberts , Beckwith , Gregory , C . W . Shannaw , F . W . Sinclair , Harrould , Geo . Everett P . M . P . G . Treasurer England .

Visitors - . —Bros . Page W . M . 1613 , Lipscomb W . M . 507 , Gessing I . G . 1056 , G . B . Wood J . D . 2417 , Danby P . M . 1056 , D . Barnes D . C . 2540 , H . J . Mitchell 1056 , J . Briggs Dixon D . C 2513 , S . Sinclair 1608 , Drinlaw 91 , R . Sinclair 91 , Norden Std . 879 , Edwards 186 , Butt J . D . 753 , Bathurst I . G . 410 , Bond P . M . 1314 P . P . G . D . C . Kent , Shuttle 1329 , A . Caink P . M . 1056 , Henry Lynn , M . L . S . B ., P . M . 217 S . W . 2611 , Brown 1604 , Billing 2241 , Boswell P . M . 2417 , and Crow 201 .

The Lodge was opened and the minutes were read and confirmed . Bro . Brinkman was then duly passed . The W . M . vacated the chair , and Bro . Stanley was raised byBro . Westley P . M . most impressively . The W . M . resumed the chair , and installed Bro . John Mitchell , with due solemnity .

Bro . Mitchell invested the following Officers : —Bros . Woods I . P . M ., Morris S . W ., Robertson J . W ., Steele P . M . Treasurer , Folkard P . M . Secretary , Westley P . M . D . C , Winny S . D ., Mitchell J . D ., Fitch , Machin P . M ., and Taylor Stewards , O . Patrick P . M Tyler . Bros . Baldwin I . G ., and C . W . Shannaw A . D . C ., being delayed in attendance , were not invested .

Ballot was taken for Messrs . Mitchell ( son of W . M . ) , and Harrould , and proving in their favour , they were impressively initiated ; the W . M . being visibly affected at being able to initiate a second son into the mysteries . Bro . Kidman presented the report of the Audit Committee , which showed the financial position of the Lodge to be sound . Bro . Westley proposed that a Past Master ' s jewel should be presented to Bro . Charlie Woods , and this was carried unanimously .

Other Masonic business being transacted , the Lodge was closed , and the Brethren afterwards enjoyed a sumptuous repast , under the presidency of the W . M .

In proposing the Queen and the Craft , the W . M . drew . attention to the long and illustrious reign of Her Majesty . Such a reign never had been known in the history of the world , for everything that goes to " make history " has been met with in the past sixty years . The W . M . proposed H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , ICG ., M . W . G . M ., saying that wherever any good was to be done there would the Grand Master be found .

The Grand Officers next claimed attention , and the W . M . alluded to what they did ; ho also mentioned the Grand Officers of the Lodge , especially alluding to his close connection with , and indebtedness to Bro . S . Cochrane P . G . Treasurer . Bro . S . Cochrane replied , referring to his experience as a Grand Officer ,