Problems In Voting.

PROBLEMS IN VOTING .

npHE approaching election for the Royal Masonic * Institution for Boys—to take place on Friday , 14 th inst ., when twenty-three vacancies will be filled from a list of thirty-seven candidates—will prove a hard nut for those who have the management of the

polling on behalf of Provincial and other Associations , by reason of the difficulty of estimating the number of votes at which it is safe or politic to stop on a lad ' s behalf , the large number of votes created in connection

with the Centenary Festival of the Institution virtually coming into reckoning for the first time on that occasion , although , as we show later on , a part made

themselves felt last October . We fully expect to see some very " wide " scores , when the result comes to be published .

Those who have had any experience of the difficulty in recent years of collecting a sufficient number of votes to make a candidate tolerably safe

will agree with us that the outlook is far from promising , for we venture to think the number of votes necessary to secure success will show a considerable rise in

comparison with the near past , but in that connection it may be pointed out that the same factor which causes the increase , that is to say , the large number of additional votes that will be issued , ought . to make it

all the easier to collect what is really required—it is the old story of supply and demand over again , and as so often occurs in connection therewith , it is almost certain the supply will , apparently , be far behind the demand .

We do not propose on this occasion to attempt any estimate of the number of votes likely to be required in order to carry a candidate for the Boys School ; we should put the figure very high , in

comparison with past elections , and yet in all probability should be far below what will prove to be really necessary , and we can imagine workers at no very

distant date asking themselves whether the benefits of the School are worth the trouble that is absolutel y necessary to expend in securing them ; in other words , whether the thousands of votes which will be wanted to

win a scholarship do not represent a value far beyond the benefits derived . This is no new problem in connection with the elections of the Masonic Institutions , but it is one

which seems to be intensified year after year , as the figures show a stead y upward tendency , only broken by the tremendous leap ahead which we anticipate will occur in connection with next month ' s returns , as compared with those of a year ago .

Last October the hi ghest successful boy polled 6 , 16 4 votes , the lowest ( 26 th on the list ) securing a place with 3 , 813 . The previous contest , in April 1808 .

showed the leader with 4 , 801 votes , while the last successful ( 27 th on the list ) had 1 , 998 . These figures show a very wide difference , and may be explained by

Problems In Voting.

reckoning that a considerable amount of the Centenary Festival contributions had been paid to the Institution , and votes issued in connection therewith , but the problem before the Craft is , how much of the ; £ 1 40 , 000

odd created votes for October last , and how much was paid in after the election was decided ? On a careful adjustment of the difference rests the only possibility

of estimating how many votes will be required for a case to be safe this month . No doubt many Brethren who are interested in the matter will look forward as we do with some amount of curiosity to the usual figures supplied by the Institution on this point .

Movable Grand Lodges.

MOVABLE GRAND LODGES .

YET another correspondent addresses us as to the desirability of holding meetings of Grand Lodge from time to time away from the metropolis , and urges points in favour of a system of movable Grand Lodges ,

many of which have been advocated by previous exponents of the idea . We may refer to the subject at an early date .

Isle Of Man Mastership.

ISLE OF MAN MASTERSHIP .

WE are p leased to learn that the Most Worshipful the Grand Master has conferred the vacant Mastership of the Isle of Man Province on His Excellency , Lord Henniker , Governor of the Isle .

The members of the Perseverance Lodge of Instruction , No . 1743 , held their first meeting on Monday last at the new quarters of the Lodge , Patterson's Hotel , Charterhouse Square , Aldersgate , E . C , which house is under the

management of Bro . S . Renant . There were about fifty Brethren present . The Lodge will meet every Monday , at 7-30 . p . m . Brethren paying it a visit will receive a hearty welcome .

We are in receipt of an enquiry this week as to how many Stewards a Worshipful Master may appoint . Our correspondent quotes instances where four , six , and even more Brethren have been invested with the collar of this office , and asks whether it is legal to thus multiply Officers .

Arrangements have been made for future meetings of the Strand Lodge of Instruction , No . 1987 , to be held at the Raglan Hotel , Aldersgate Street , E . C , of which house Bro . H . Cork is the manager . Further particulars will appear in our next issue .

Members of the County Council had better have a care before joining the L . C . C . Lodge of Freemasons . There is no saying what might happen to them . The mystery and complications of the introductory ceremony might cost a

councillor his life . At the Lodge banquet last week Mr . Nathan Robinson , who becomes I . P . M ., and hands over the office of W . M . to Mr . G . S . Elliott , replying to the toast of his health , said that he felt that he had done his work properly , and that he knew something of the Masonic ritual .