The Growth Of The Craft.

THE GROWTH OF THE CRAFT .

HP HE Quarterly return just issued by Grand Lodge * showing the number of Lodges for which Warrants have been granted by the Most Worshipful Grand Master of England gives evidence of a growth in the

Craft unprecedented , at least during the past six years , as a glance at the following summary will demonstrate . We here give the - numbers qf the new Warrants granted each quarter , dividing them into London ,

Provincial , and outside sections , and it will be seen that the total for the quarter just ended—24—is larger than in any other during the period under notice , the nearest approach being in the first quarter of 18 97 , when twenty-one new Lodges were Warranted :

Quarter Nos . L . P . O . Total 18 94— 1 2493—2503 182 11 2 2504—2518 4 5 6 15 3 2519—2530 26 4 12 4 2531—2538 125 8 1895—1 2539—2548 244 10 2 2549—2565 6 10 1 17

3 2566—2581 4 5 7 16 4 2582—2590 15 3 9 1896—1 2591—2602 36 3 12 2 2603—2615 5 5 3 13 3 2616—2624 3 1 5 9 4 2625—2634 325 10 1897—1 26 35—2655 3 7 11 21 2 2656—2667 5 5 2 12

3 2 bbb—2 b 77 154 10 4 2678—2685 152 8 1898—1 2686—2704 9 82 ig 2 2705—2716 462 12 3 2717—2726 253 10 4 2727—273 5 342 9 1 S 99—1 2736—2747 92 1 12 2 2748—2760 292 13 3 2761—278 4 8 4 12 24

The exceptional nature of the increase of the last three months has not been acquired at the expense of its immediate predecessors , for it will be seen the total increase in the number of Lodges this year already

totals up to forty-nine , although there is yet another quarterly return to be made , as compared with 50 , 51 , 44 , 52 and 4 6 , in each of the five preceding years

respectively . Everything tends to point to a steady growth of the Craft , and seems to afford ample evidence of prosperity in our midst .

Taking the whole period of 5 f years under notice we find a total increase of 292 Lodges , of which 82 meet in the London district , 119 in the Provinces ,

and 91 in the Colonies or outside districts , and an examination of these totals will provide ample material for interesting and instructive study .

Some few years back we were accustomed to be told week after week that there was no more room or

necessity for additional Lodges in the metropolis , and yet we are now able to record an addition of 82 to the London Register in less than six years , while we know

The Growth Of The Craft.

there are very many Brethren in our midst who consider there is yet ample room for other Lodges to be established , and a wide field open to them for good and useful work . The same may be said of the Provinces ,

the addition of 119 Lodges throughout the country being none too many , in view of the every growing and increasing needs for the extension of Masonic knowledge and principles , while the increase of 91 Lodges in the

colonies points to a wide extension of our work , that must be most gratifying and satisfactory to all who are interested in the progress of the Craft , and equally so to those who can recognise in this increase the progress of our outside possessions .

The figures we are able to give this week also go far to confirm our remarks of last week , as to the necessity for encouraging Masonic reforms of a

progressive character , for it seems quite out of place for an Order increasing as English Freemasonry is doing to stand still year after year in matters of internal management .

Let us consider the position of London alone in this direction . No less than eighty-two Lodges have been added to its roll during the past six years , with absolutely nothing even attempted in the way of

providing additional honours for its leading Brethren , Growing as Masonry is in the great metropolis it is surely time some drastic measure of reform was proposed in order to provide the honour of the purple

for its prominent members , on the same lines as exists in the Provinces , and it is also pretty generally conceded that additional honours should be created for the Provinces , so as to keep pace with the continued growth of the Craft in our midst .

Grand Lodges Next Week.

GRAND LODGES NEXT WEEK .

IF we are to believe the old adage—happy is the *¦ country that has no history—we may congratulate the members of the Craft on the position of English Freemasonry at the present time , for , beyond the marked evidence of steady- growth to which we have

just referred there is absolutely nothing going on in our midst of a history making character . The forecast we published last week in regard to the Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lodge is likely to be carried out to the letter—all the work that is to be

transacted will probably be completed within a quarter of an hour , and as the whole of it may be described as of a gratifying nature the Brethren should go away perfectly contented with their lot .

The same may equally be said in regard to the Quarterly Communication of Mark Grand Lodge , to be held on Tuesday—there is nothing but the most

formal business to be disposed of , and we may therefore say with equal truth in this connection , as with the Craft Grand Lodp-e—all ' s well .