At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar.

We learn with much pleasure that a Royal Arch Chapter is to be attached to the Grafton Lodge , No . 2347 , which was founded in 1800—and that the consecration takes place at Mark Masons' Hall . The Lodge itself , under the fostering care of the Earl of Fusion , Viscount Dungarvon and

other eminent brethren , has been a conspicuous success , and a like future under such auspicies is certain to be in store for the Chapter . The veteran Grand H ., E . Comp . W . W . B . Beach , is to be the Consecrating Officer , and he will be assisted bv the Grand Scribe E ., Comp . Letchworth ( as H . ) ;

Canon Brownrigg , Grand Superintendent of Bucks ( as f . ) ; the Grand Registrar , Comp . Strachan ( as N . ) , with Comp . Frank Richardson as Director of Ceremonies , and Dr . E . M . Lott as Organist .

The Earl of Euston is to he the first M . E . Z ., Viscount Dungarvan ( H . ) , and Sir Joseph Dimsdale , M . P . ( J . ) . The other founders are Comps . J . Balfour Cockburn , M . D ., G' . Sup . Guernsey ; Clifford Probyn , P . G . T . ; J . Woodall Wooclall , P . G . T . ; Charles Belton , P . Asst . G . Soj . ; Thomas Phipps

Dorman , G . St . B . ; Major C . W . Carrell , P . G . St . B . ; C . Fitzgerald Matier , P . Dep . G . D . C . ; J . Badger Clark , and G . R . Blades . The writer goes on to suggest that some means be devised

by which Lodges may be saved from harming themselves through carelesness or mistaken conceptions of their dutv , but it would , we think , be both impracticable and unwise to set in motion any scheme for bringing direct control of Grand Lodge to bear on such a matter . The besetting sin of

English Lodges is , we think , a too slavish adherence to seniority in appointing brethren to the various offices without sufficient regard to their fitness .

The Quarterly Court of Subscribers to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys was held last month at Freemasons ' Tavern , Bro . C . E . Keyser , the Treasurer in the chair . Bros . Earl Amherst and the Earl of Lathom were elected trustees of the Institution in place of the late Earl of Lathom and

Bro . Richard Eve . The report of the Board of Management on the question of a memorial to the late Bro . Eve was referred back to the Board . Bro . Keyser described the progress being made with the building of the new Schools at Bushey , and the Court elected twenty boys out of a list of

twenty-six into the School . The voting was remarkable for the very large numbers polled for several of the candidates—in one case exceeding # , 000 ; at this rate of progress we may soon see the number

running into five figures , and it is fast becoming a very formidable task to undertake the labour connected with the candidature of securing a child ' s election .

The South African Masonic Relief Fund has now reached the total of £ 10 , 000 , and will , we understand , be kept open until the end of the year to enable those lodges which ceased to meet during the summer months to join in the contributions . The main object of the promoters of the fund . 'is to assist

those loyal brethren who have lost their all during the progress of the war , and to lend a helping hand in reinstating them , as far as is possible , in their respective trades and avocations . No portion of the fund will be frittered away in casual reliefother funds existing for this jnirpo . se—the object being to help

the unfortunate amongst our brethren to help themselves . The District Grand Master of the Transvaal , R . W . Bro . George Richards is now in Cape Colony , and will be amongst the first to return to the Transvaal when the necessary permits

are issued . At present he is engaged in conjunction with the Dean of Cape Town and the other D . G . Masters of South Africa in investigating the claims and generally organising the distribution of the fund .

11110 . uKORoic RieiiAiins .

It must be particularly gratifying to Bro . Richards to witness the very satisfactory result of his efforts , for it must not be forgotten that although the movement was taken up most cordially by Grand Lodge on the recommendation of the Most Worshipful Grand Master , it was with Bro . Richards

that the idea originated of raising a separate Masonic Fund , and that the amount collected by him formed the nucleus of the present substantial sum at the disposal of the Craft in South Africa .

The West Lancashire Alpass Benevolent Institution ranks amongst the oldest and largest of the provincial Charities . Established to perpetuate the memory of a former Provincial Grand Secretary , Bro . Horace Seymour Alpass , it litis grown and prospered exceedingly . At the Annual Festival , held at Blackpool on the 29 th ultimo , it was stated that the annual

income from investments was about £ 2 ^ 8 , but this amount was largely supplemented by voluntary subscriptions , with the result that at the present time there are 8 4 widows receiving about £ 1000 per annum . To maintain this condition of things , something like £ 800 must be raised

at the Annual Festival , and the chairman on this occasionthe Lord Mayor of Liverpool , Bro . Louis S . Cohen—had the satisfaction of 'announcing that the subscriptions 'amounted to ^" 1243 .

The question ot capacity and fitness for the Master s Chair is one which is becoming of more importance to the welfare of the Order , as the numbers , and prosperity of the Craft increases . The American Tyler in its September number has some excellent remarks on this subject , which we think our readers may read with profit . " Many Lodges , we doubt

not , are such sticklers on the point of ritualism who would not elect a Master who was tiot sufficiently qualified to confer Degrees . On the other hand it is perfectly natural that there should be many lodges which have fallen into the habit of electing a Master who is popular ,

' a good fellow , ' a generally capable man , but with little ability to preside during work . Of course , every Mason knows that a Master should be a well-liked brother as well as a good ritualist ; the Master should be the strongest man in the lodge—the man who can hold the hearts of the brethren

as well as command their respect and admiration for his Degree work—but such a man is not always eligible . The strongest man in the lodge is not always easy to find . While we believe that no brother should be chosen Master merely