Another Theory About Our Institutions.

generations of brethren , to whose wise care and liberal provision we were indebted for the establishment of these same Charities . Little , however , would be said about the necessity for subscriptions . Stewards , on these happy occasions , might be appointed , and we imagine they wonld

fulfil their duties with diligence and successfully ; but , compared with what it is now , the office would be a sinecure . No subscriptions being required , no canva « s wonld be necessary . Tho Institutions being richly endowed , wonld , of course , enjoy large permanent iucomes , sufficient ,

under proper management and control , to meet all possible and probable expenditure . This wonld be very gratifying , and none would rejoice more than ourselves were this picture a reality . TJnfortunately , our Charities are not in the possession of rich endowments ; in the case of one of

them , there is hardly any endowment whatever . Their permanent incomes , therefore , aro utterly inadequate to meet the demands made upon their resources . Onr three Institutions , indeed , are in the same position as many other similar institutions . They lead a hand-to-mouth life . They

have , perhaps , one or two comfortable little nest-eggs , which serve as a kind of nucleus round which to collect a sufficient amount of means . But there is no certainty they will succeed in collecting the wherewithal to defray the year ' s expenditure . There is , then , at the present

time , an absolute necessity that , with each recurring year , the plan of raising a large sum by subscription be followed . The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution is committed to an expenditure , in the way of annuities alone , of some eight thousand pounds per annum . Its permanent income ,

comprising the interest on invested moneys , and the annual subscriptions from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter , is a little in excess of two thousand pounds . Taking the Girls ' School at its present strength , the annual outlay must exceed £ 6 , 000 , the income , from investments and Grand

Lodge and Grand Chapter contributions being about onethird . In the case of the Boys' School , there are one hundred and eighty pupils , hut in the way of investments , nothing appreciable in amount . Consequently , the grants from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter are the only means

on which its Governing Body can rely . All else that is required for the maintenance and education of the pupils , and for expenses of office , must be drawn annuall y from the pockets of Craftsmen . All this while we are using the most strenuous efforts to enlarge the scope of these Institutions . We have increased the number of our male and

female annuitants . We have raised the number of pupils in the Boys' School , and , only a few months since , the General Court of the Girls wisely resolved to extend theexisting school premises , with a view to enlarging the school to over 200 pupils . While , then , the additions to reserve

funds are comparatively of little or no account , we are contracting very heavy additional obligations , and yet there are brethren unwise enough to proclaim that our Charities are not in need of funds ! Something of this kind happened , indeed , quite recently , at the Provincial Grand Lodge of

Hertfordshire . Bro . Lowthin , P . G . S . W ., proposed a modest donation to the Girls' School of twenty guineas , and the proposition was carried , but Bro . Lambert raised his voice against the motion . He is reported to have said : " Have the brethren considered the vast amount of funded property

the Institution ¦ possesses ? I understand they want to increase the size of the buildings , and increase the number of girls received , and when they have got them , they will not be able tu spend their income . " [ N . B . —The italics are ours . ] We have not the pleasure of Bro . Lambert ' s

acquaintance . We do not doubt he is a most excellent and well-intentioned brother , while it is evident that , as far a ? any influence he may be able to exercise over the minds of his Hertfordshire brethren , he is , fortunately , quite harmless . We will be at the pains of asking Bro . Lambert this

very pertinent question . He says he understands that even when the School is enlarged it will be impossible to spend its income . We may fairly assume , from the manner of this statement , that Bro . Lambert has derived any knowledge he may possess of the subject from foreign sources ,

that , in other words , his statement is not based on his own knowledge . We ask , then , has Bro . Lambert examined the published accounts of the Girls' School ? Has hi

noted whence chiefly is derived its income ? Taking the figures , as given by Bro . Clabon at the last Quarterly Court of the Institution , we find "the vast amount oi funded property " it possesses , was stated at £ 42 , 000 . W «

admit that £ 42 , 000 , if not a vast amount , is certainly a very handsome sum ; but even at 5 per cent , per annum

which is in excess of the actual interest received , the income would only reach £ 2 , 100 , or , it may be , one-third of the expenditure which tho School is bound to incur . The School is about to be enlarged at a very considerable outlay . For this purpose , a proportionate demand will

have to be made upon the invested funds , and this , of course , will reduce the permanent income ; but , says Bro . Lambert , in effect , even when the enlargement has taken place , " they will not be able to spend their income . " This , we admit , is a contingency which must not be lost sight

of , but it is grounds wholly different from Brother Lambert ' s view . If , as is stated in the report we have before us of the Prov . Grand Lodge Herts meeting , the outlay amount to £ 42 , 000 , it Avill just absorb the investments of the Institution , and they—we presume , the

Governing body is intended— " will not be able to spend their income , " because there will be no income derived from this source to spend . We say it in no unfriendly spirit , but when a brother takes upon himself the office of critic , he should be at the pains to acquire just some little knowledge of

the subject he intends criticising . Had Bro . Lambert fulfilled his duty properly , that is , had he first of all studied the published reports of the Girls' School , issued annually

and upon proper authority , he would have learnt , in five minutes , how much of the school income was permanent , and to what extent it was dependent for support on the beneficence of the Craft . We should all of us like to see

our Masonic Institutions as well furnished with endowments as are most of the Colleges at Oxford and Cambridge , very many of our public schools , and a great number of our public institutions . This , however , is , unfortunately , not the case . The buildings are ours , and in the case of

two out of the three Charities , there is , at present , a fair amount of money invested , but the bulk of the funds necessary to maintain them at their existing strength and free from debt must be raised annually from the pockets of the Craft . The sum thus raised is very considerable ,

amounting , for this year , to somewhere about £ 30 , 000 ; but we do not think the demand thus made is excessive , whether Ave take into account the service to which the money is devoted , or the body from which it is gathered . The former is in the highest degree praiseworthy , the

latter bears the strain upon its resources with genuine equanimity . It is ready , indeed , to do more , if more is needed . And this will happen if we go on increasing the number of our annuitants and scholars , as latterly we have been doing . Until , as we have pointed out ,

each institution has a permanent income large enough to cover its expenditure , these annual calls upon the goodwill of the brotherhood must be made , or we shall fail to carry out the obligations we have contracted . We have taken npon ourselves certain heavy responsibilities , and it is

imperative , for the honour of Freemasonry , that these responsibilities be fully discharged . We feel justified , under these circumstances , in urging upon Bro . Lambert and other Craftsmen who may have brought themselves to similar erroneous conclusions respecting the needs of our Charities

think well before objecting to the grant of money io one or other of them . Our Charities , Ave rejoice to say , are very liberally supported , but they are by no means liberally endowed . They will experience no difficult y in usefully appropriating any moneys that may be bestowed

upon them . Ihe demands upon their resources are incessant , as well as heavy , and having in view their probable enlargement as years roll on , these demands must become heavier in the same proportion . Any who may feel disposed to withhold their contributions on the ground that

the existing provision is already more than enough , Avill be omitting a graceful act , for reasons which will not bear examination . Let them remember , too , that great as have been the successes of the various Boards of Stewards during nhe last two or three years , aunual subscriptions are apt to

fluctuate . They may go on increasing by an arithmetical or my other progression , but they may also go on diminishing . A . few years hence the country may be less prosperous . It behoves , therefore , all good and true Masons to use every

ixertion in behalf of our Charities now and always . Then , f less prosperous times come , and the donations are less considerable , we may at least have the consolation of knowing that our old folks and our orphans will not be wholly Avithout provision .

Bro . Rev . J . H . Smith , of the Old College , Dnlwich , ' ias been appointed Honorary Chaplain to the Loriners ' Company ,