Stewards' Lists.

SUMMARY .

Berks and Bucks 222 15 o Bristol 293 11 o Cheshire ... ... 115 10 o Cornsvall ... ... ... ... 47 5 o Devonshire 27 6 o Durham ... ... 121 iG o Essex 399 7 o

Notts , ... „ . 142 14 G Oxfordshire ... 90 2 0 Somersetshire ... ... ... 505 5 o Staffordshire 152 5 o Suffolk 201 1 6 Surrey 244 4 o Sussex ... ... 6 3 o o

Gloucestershire So 17 o Hants and Isle of Wight ... 350 17 o Herts 3 G 2 6 G Kent 271 8 o Lancashire , E 640 2 G „ VV 230 10 o Leicestershire and Rutland ... 350 o o Middlesex ... ... ... 213 11 o

VVarsvickshire 84 o 0 Wilts 157 S 0 Worcestershire no 5 0 Yorkshire , N . and E 49 iS o Yorkshire , W 352 5 o Channel Islands 21 S S 0 India , ... 10 10 0

LONDON ... ... ... ... „ . £ 8259 13 o THE PROVINCES ... ... ... ... 610 S 8 o Total £ 14 . 368 1 o ? ¦

Analysis Of The Returns.

ANALYSIS OF THE RETURNS .

Having fully described the Festival itself , sve naturally direct our attention to thc details of the list svhich it must have afforded our svorthy Bro . Terry so much pleasure to announce . His pleasure must have been all the greater because it is only a few sveeks since that the promise of even a moderately satisfactory result ss * as very faint , and there appeared to be a feeling abroad that , after so productis * e a year as 1 SS 3 , a very considerable

falling off in the subscriptions , not to this Institution only , but to all three of them , svould be noticeable . This feeling perhaps svas stronger in the case of the Benes'olcnt Fund , because a longer time had elapsed than usual in announcing the Chairman of thc day ; and svhen at length it became knosvn that Bro . Allcroft , Grand Treasurer , and Treasurer of the Institution , had kindly undertaken to preside , the names of brethren willing as Stesvards to

support his efforts svere received but slosvly , so slosvly indeed that it seemed quite on the cards that Bro . Terry svould hardly realise even the average return . Happily , during the last sveek or tsvo preceding thc eventful day , a strong effort svas made by all interested in thc Institution , so that a sufficient sum might be raised in order to maintain it in its present state of usefulness , and at the same time enable the executive to somesvhat slightly increase the annuitants on the Widoss's' Fund . This ss'as the full extent of

the success it svas hoped would be realised ; but thc final efforts turned out to be vastly more fruitful than could have been anticipated , so lhat Bro . Terry secured not only an average return , but one largely in excess of his previous highest announcement . When Sir H . Edsvards , Prov . G . M . of West Yorkshire , occupied thc chair at the Festival in 1881 , the list announced svas in round figures £ 14 , 160 ; but on Tuesday the sum reached £ 14 , 343 . or more

by over £ 180 than on the occasion referred to ; and as there is still a moderate number of lists svhich have not been handed in , sve feel justified in anticipating that over £ 14 , 500 svill represent thc ultimate total when the returns arc completed and the Board of Stesvards dissolved . Hosvever , we may safely leave this much of the case to be dealt svith in some future number . Wc have before us the fact that a total svas announced on

Tuesday of £ 14 , 343 9 * - Gd ., and the sum of thc figures svhich appear elscsvhcrc is £ 14 , 368 is . 6 d ., some further returns or additions having been made in the interim . Of this London contributes £ 8259 13 s ., and thc Provinces £ 6097 18 s ., thc remaining £ 10 ios . being the donation of a brother svho Has figured on more than one similar occasion , and hails from a lodge in one of our Indian presidencies . Thus to all intents and purposes our

analysis will concern the home country only . Before entering on the analysis , it may be as svell perhaps if sve point out that our recent remarks as to the unequal manner in svhich the different lodges and districts are represented on these important occasions arc amply borne out by thc result of Tuesday ' s celebration . There are many lodges both in London and thc country which make a point of sending up

Stesvards ; there are some svhich confine their annual efforts to thc support of one Institution only , giving them each a turn and turn about ; there are others svhich figure in the lists at rare intervals ; and lastly , there are not a fesv svhich sve regret to say are unmindful altogether of thc claims of our Charities on their support . It must be remembered that this is a matter of vcry great importance . It may safely be averred that all our lodges arc in

a position to contribute something , be it never so small , to our Institutions . It must be manifest , therefore , to all svho give heed to this question of finding the requisite svays and means for keeping these Institutions in a state of efficiency , that in proportion as the area over svhich the support is distributed is enlarged or restricted , so svill thc pressure on willing lodges and brethren be reduced or increased , Thus if there arc ( say ) 1500 lodges and

only 500 of them arc willing * to contribute , the demands on the resources of the latter must be three times as heavy as if the svhole number contributed . Yet it is only _ necessary for our readers to glance cursorily at half-a-dozen festival lists in order to assure themselves that something of this kind happens at each succeeding anniversary . Thus of thc first 100 lodges on the roll of Grand Lodge ,

some tsvo-fifths sent up Stewards on 1 uesday , notsvithstandmg the fact that these same tsvo-fifths svith hardly an exception sent up Stesvards to one or more of our Festivals last year , thc year before , and in successive years previously . On thc other hand , of the lodges out of the same group which werc unrepresented in 1883 , it is possible to trace only a very limited number which figured in the lists of Tuesday . This one illustration must suffice for

our purpose , but were sve to carry our inquiries further , and carefully compare the Festival lists and lodge roll together , we should have ins-ariably the same result to chronicle , namely , that certain of our lodges take little or no part in maintaining osir Charities . It svill , of course , be understood that these remarks are not intended to apply to English lodges in foreign parts . Any subscriptions they may be pleased to remit svill always be most svelcome , but with them the remittance is an act of grace

with our home lodges it should be an act of duty . Having thus conscientiously discharged the less agreeable part of our task , let us turn svithout further delay to the lists of Tuesday , and sift Ihem carefully , as sve have done on former occasions . It has been already stated that of the total announced— £ i 4 ; 343 9 - 6 d . —increased , as it has been in the interim , by sundry small amounts to £ 14 , 368 is . no less than £ 8259 13 s . was contributed by LONDON , which must be congratulated , accordingly , on the success that has attended the efforts of its representatives . This is as nearly as possible £ 1000 in

Analysis Of The Returns.

excess of the sum raised at the Boys' School Festis-al last vear , svhen the total svas £ 7257 ios . 6 d ., and it is quite possible that this good fortune may in part be ascribed to the Chairman having been a London brother . Perhaps a more reasonable explanation of the increase svill be found in the fact that Bro . Terry had succeeded in enlisting the services of more Metropolitan Stesvards . In June last these numbered 14 S ; on Tuesday there svere just 160 , of svhom some 26 svere unattached , svhile the remainine * m represented

amongst them 12 b lodges and chapters . This is considerably above the average , svhich , as a rule , may be set dosvn as nearly as possible at onethird of the total number of lodges . The heaviest individual list is that of Bro . Thomas Osven , of the Great Northern Lodge , No . 12 S 7 , who figures for £ 202 7 s . 6 d ., Bro . B . Kauffmann , of King ' s Cross Lod . 4 . Nn . ni- >

taking second honours with a total of £ iS 8 15 s . A very good third is to be found in the Merchant Navy Lodge , No . 781 , svhich , by thc hands of Bro . Thomas B . Daniell , sends up £ 172 15 s . Next in order is the list of Bro . J . W . Walker , Stesvard for the Perfect Ashlar Lodge , No . 1178 , svhose contributions make up the very satisfactory total of £ 160 2 s . Then come , and treading closely upon each other , Bro . Terry , unattached , svith

£ 145 16 s . to the good , Bro . Graveley of Lodge Temperance in the East svith £ 145 . and the rcpresentatis'C of the Wanderers Lodge , Bro . F . J . Wray , svith £ 141 iSs . 6 d . Bro . George Kenning , as Stesvard for the Aidersgate Lodge , No . 16 57 , is entered for £ 126 ; Bro . Chas . Kedgley , on behalf of thc Covent Garden Lodge , No . 1614 , handing in £ 120 15 s . ; and Comp . Blyth , as Stesvard for the Phcenix Chapter , No . 173 , £ 117 is . 6 d . Bro .

H . R . Cooper-Smith , of Lodge No . 1731 ( the Cholmeley ) , figures for £ 111 6 s . Bro . C . W . J . Baker , of the Fitzroy Lodge , has the goodly total of £ 1111 , and Bro . Warden , of the Mizpah Lodge , No . 1671 , £ 108 3 s ., while the other three-figure lists arc those of Bro . T . W . C . Bush , VV . M . of Templar Bar , No . 172 S , svith £ 106 us . 6 d . ; Bro . Lardner , acting for the West Smithfield , No . 1623 , and the Farringdon , No . 1745 , svith £ 106 ; Bros .

Marshall , President of the Board and unattached , and F . Carr , of Loyalty , No . 1607 , each svith £ 105 ; Bro . Linn , of the Corinthian , No . 13 S 2 , svith £ 103 3 s . ; and Bro . F . Hilton , W . M . of Peckham Lodge , No . 1475 , svith £ 100 . Other lodges arc also svell represented ; but undoubtedly thc most conspicuous feature in thc London totalis the personal donation of £ 210 by Bro . J . Derby Allcroft , Grand Treasurer , svho , as sve have already mentioned ,

very kindly volunteered his services as Chairman svhen so many others of our leading brethren had found it impossible to accept the position . It is to be regretted that , at thc last moment , illness prevented Bro . Allcroft from carrying out his purpose , and doubtless , had he been in thc chair , he would have derived considerable satisfaction from the result ; but svhether he svas present or absent , his name svill always be associated svith thc Benevolent

L estiva ! of thc present year , and to him svill alsvays belong a conspicuous share in thc triumph then achieved . It may be as svell to add that of the lodges sve have just enumerated , Mizpah , No . 1 * 171 , Fitzroy , No . 5 69 , and the Aldersgate , No . 1657 , werc among thc thrce-ligurc contributories at the Boys' School in June last . Nos . 12 S 7 and 165 7 sverc in the same category at the last festival of thc Girls' School , and Merchant Navy , No . 7 S 1 , and thc G , rcat Northern , No . 1287 , at that of the Benevolent in 1 SS 3 .

THE PROVINCES , As sve have said , contribute amongst them £ 6097 iSs ., or within a fraction of £ 7000 , but svhercas only six of them svere unrepresented at Bro . Binckes ' s successful Festival in June last , there sverc absent on Tuesday just double that number , while tsvo out of thc three groups of lodges—Bedfordshire , Channel Islands , and Isle of Man—svhich are svithout a provincial

organisation , sverc likesvisc , as usual , conspicuous by their absence , the Channel Islands , thanks to an opportune visit paid them last year by Bro . Terry , figuring for a very gratifying total . Why the five Bedfordshire lodges , svhich sve believe sve are correct in saying have not contributed more than £ 100 , if so much , in the course of the last nine or ten years , should so persistently ignore the existence of our Charitable Institutions

is a problem sve arc incompetent lo solve . We feel some difficulty—or rather delicacy—in suggesting that our brethren of the Bedford , Bigglessvade , Dunstable , Leighton Buzzard , and Luton Lodges are less lirmly persuaded than their brother Craftsmen of the benefits conferred b y our Charities , or arc less deeply imbued svith the kindly spirit of Freemasonry . Their occasional absence from these lists , like thc occasional absence of other

provinces cr districts , svould attract but comparatively little notice ; but their custom is to be continually , if not continuously , absent , and sve do not knosv or at least sve have never heard , that the lodges svhich belong to this county are less favourably circumstanced than many contributing lodges svhich meet in other parts of thc country . Perhaps they arc a little shy of helping , svhen the svork is done so svell svithout them . If this be the explanation , sve svould

suggest that no time should be lost in disabusing them of such an idea . Their assistance svill be most svelcome , as it certainly is most sorely needed , if only that some of our more active lodges may enjoy a brief respite from their honourable labours . As lo the absentee provinces , they arc Cambridgeshire , 4 lodges ; Cumberland and Westmorland , 20 lodges ; Derbyshire , 20 lodges ; Herefordshire , 4 lodges ; Lincolnshire , 21 lodges ;

Monmouthshire , 8 lodges ; Norfolk , 16 lodges ; Norths and Hunts , 10 lodees ; shire , a lodges ; Norlolk , 10 lodges ; Norths and Hunts , 10 lodges ; Northumberland , 21 lodges ; North VVales and Salop , 28 lodges ; South Wales ( Western Division ) 9 lodges ; and Jersey , 7 lodges . These svith the 5 Bedfordshire and 3 Isle of Man lodges make up a total of 176 , svhich have had no part in the success of Tuesday . Hosvever , in the majority of them , sve do not need to go very far for an explanation . Both Northumberland and Cumberland and Westmorland contributed largely to the Boys' School

in June last , the sum raised by the former being over £ 1222 , and by the latter £ 1050 . Cambridgeshire figured at thc last Girls' Festival and Herefordshire svas represented at that of the Boys' School . Derbyshire distributed close on £ 360 among our three Charities in 1883 and over £ 190 in 1882 . Lincolnshire , sve regret to say , did nothing last year , so that its presence on Tuesday ' s list might reasonably have been expected . Monmouthshire

acquitted itself svell in May last . North Wales and Salop , like Norfolk , appears to have rested somesvhat during 18 S 3 , and svith the exception of certain minor amounts , sve must go back to 1882 in order to connect them svith totals that are at all svorthy of their strength and influence . South Wales ( West Division ) did svell for thc Boys' last year and equally svell for the Benevolent in 1882 , svhile Jersey , under its respected chief , Col . de Carteret

played a svorthy part at the Boys hestival in June last . Let us hope that the majority , if not all , of these provinces , svill be found in the lists announced by Bros . Hedges and Binckes in May and June respectively . As to the contributing Provinces , there arc no such large amounts as svere subscribed in June last , svhen Kent , the Chairman ' s Province , and East Lancashire , svere entered each for upsvards of £ 2000 , West Yorkshire for £ 1500 , and Northumberland and Cumberland and Westmorland for , as