Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

BALANCE-SHEET , 1876-77 . A BARE enumeration of figures is by no means attractive reading ; but tbe statement of account of tbia Institution for tbe past year , albeit it presents no extraordinary features in tbe way of eibber receipt or expenditure , is worth noticing in detail , if only on account of the increased munificence of tbe Craft , and tbe resultant increase of means wherewith to aid tho distressed

and aged members of our Craft and their widows . As our readers are aware , the Royal Masonic Benevolent Instition is two benevolent Institutions rolled into one . Each of these twain has its special purpose , which , in the one case , is the relief of old indigent brethren , and in the other

that of the widows of brethren , who , by the death of their husbands , or other approved cause , are found unable to maintain themselves . Hence , in stating the accounts the two are kept distinct , and we have really two balancesheets—one for the Male Fund , and the other for the

Female Fund . It would not , we imagine , be altogether unsatisfactory if a general balance-sheet , in which tbe accounts of both these funds were incorporated , were made of it . It would entail some additional labour , but it would enable many who may not understand the reason for keeping

the two funds separate , to see at once the annual receipts and expenditure of tbe Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . This , indeed , is done so far as to show the total balance at the end of the year ; yet we think it might be with advantage extended to the whole account , especially as there are

many items of expenditure which are apportioned equally between the two Funds . However , let us pass to the accounts themselves , and first as to the MALE FUND . On the 1 st April 1876 , there was a balance to the credit of the fund amounting to £ 3 , 825 7 s 2 d . The sums

received during the year from all sources reached the sum of £ 7 , 495 7 s 8 d , so that the total receipts were £ 11 , 320 14 s lOd . Of this , £ 500 represents the donation from Grand Lodge , and £ 100 that from Grand Chapter . The general body of the Craft contributed £ 6 , 056 2 s ,

namely , in the way of Lodge , Chapter , or individual donations £ 4 , 90719 s , and in respect of annual subscriptions £ 1 , 148 3 s . The interest on invested moneys amounted to £ 828 18 s lid , while the small remaining sum of £ 10 6 s 9 d was casual . Turning to the expenditure , we find that it reached the

very considerable sum of £ 7 , 799 12 s , of which , however , two items alone absorb by far the greater portion , namely , annuitants , who divide among themselves £ 4 , 851 , and the purchase of £ 2 , 000 3 per cent . Consols , on which the sum of £ 1 , 880 was expended . The remainder , amounting to

£ 1 , 068 12 s , must be described as managerial expenditure . The four principal items are the salary of the Secretary and Clerk , Collector ' s commission , stationery , & c , and postages , & c , including expenses of election . These , together , account for £ 743 16 s 3 d . The other items are

too numerous to report , but they include , among other matters , the Secretary ' s provincial expenses , medicine , "wages of Warden , Gate-keeper , and Gardener , repairs , & c ., Taxes , and Fire Insurance , together with £ 50 sratuitv

to Mrs . Lane , widow of the late Collector , and rent , & c , at Freemasons' Hall £ 18 . Thus there remained , at the end of the year , that is , on the 31 st March 1877 , a balance to the credit of the Institution amounting to A 521 2 a lOd .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

We turn now to the FEMALE FUND , with tho following result . The opening balance on the 1 st April 1876 , waa £ 1 , 341 17 s lid , and the moneys received during the year reached £ 6 , 792 19 s , making the total receipts for the Fund £ 8 , 134 16 s lid . The principal heads of receipt are Grand

Lodge Donation £ 300 , and Grand Chapter ditto £ 50 , while the Craft contributed £ 5 , 857 2 s 3 d , of which £ 4 , 84715 s 6 d is set down in respect of donations from Lodges , Chapters , and Individuals , and £ 1 , 009 6 s 9 d for annual subscriptions ; Dividends on Government Stock £ 532 8 s 3 d ,

proceeds of a legacy of £ 50 from the late Bro . W . Brooks Gates £ 45 , and a small casualty . The expenditure reached £ 5 , 560 lis 5 d , but as in the Male Fund two items alone suffice to account for the bulk of this outlay . These are the annuitants who received among them

£ 3 , 545 10 s , and the purchase of £ 1 , 000 3 percent . Consols which accounts for a further £ 940 . As these together amount to £ 4 , 585 10 s , there was expended for manage , mant the sum of £ 975 Is od . The four principal items , namely , Salary of Secretary and Clerk , Collector ' s

Commission , Stationery , & c , and Postage , & c , including expenses of election , represent an aggregate of £ 685 15 s 9 d , leaving £ 289 5 s 8 d to bedistributedunderthevariousheadsof Secretary ' s Provincial Expenses , Medicine , Matron , Repairs , Firo Insurance , and the like , and including £ 50 for gratuity to

Mrs . Lane , and £ 18 for office rent . If , then , we take the two Funds together , for the purpose of arriving at the total expenditure of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for the year , we find the figures are as follow : —Balance on 1 st April 1876 £ 5 , 167 5 s Id , Sums received , including

from Grand Lodge £ 800 , from Grand Chapter £ 150 , from Craft £ ll , 9 l 3 4 s 3 d , for interest £ 1 , 361 17 s 2 dtogether amounting to £ 14 , 288 6 s 8 d . Total Receipts £ 19 , 455 lls 9 d . Total Expenditure—including for annuities £ 8 , 496 10 s , for purchase of £ 3 , 000 stock £ 2 , 820 , and for

management £ 2 , 043 13 s 5 d- £ 13 , 360 3 s 5 d . Thus there remained on 31 st March 1877 a total balance of £ 6 , 095 8 s 4 d . Then there is the Sustentation of Building Fund Account , which opened with a balance of £ 6 18 s 7 d . The interest of the £ 1 , 000 stock set apart for this Fund raised the receipts to

£ 36 18 s 7 d , and as the expenditure only amounted to £ 9 14 s 3 d for repairs , there remained a balance of £ 27 4 s 4 d ; and if we add this to the balance , as stated above , of the Male and Female Funds , the total balance to the credit of the Institution amounts to £ 6 , 122 12 s 8 d .

As regards the permanent income on which the Institution has to rely for support , this amounts to £ 2 , 341 7 s 2 d , of which £ 950 are contributed b y Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter together , while the rest is interest on moneys invested in Government Stock , of which investments there

is to the credit of the Male Fund £ 28 , 950 Government Stock , to that of the Female Fund £ 18 , 450 , and to the Sustenta . tion of Building Fund £ 1 , 000 ; total investments , £ 48 , 400 , all Government Stock . As regards the number of beneficiaries , we may say that last year there were 130 men

and 110 widows borne on the funds of the Institution , but owing to the magnificent result of the last Festival , it was determined to place an additional 15 men and 15 women on the respective funds . Thus there are now 145 male and 125 female beneficiaries , besides thirteen widows who

are entitled to receive each a moiety of her late hhsband ' s annuity for a certain term of years , surrendering it , however , in the event of election on the fund . In order to

meet this annual expenditure , to which the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution now stands committed , there will have to be raised annually for annuities alone , no less than £ 10 , 035 , and as the management costs , apart from repairs ,