Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

"We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

EXCESSIVE ORGANIZATION .

To the Editor of the FBEEMASON ' CHRONICLE . D . BAR SIB AND BROTHER , —I read in your journal of 18 th inst ., the extract from the " Devon and Exeter Gazette " with feelings of rogret , inasmuch as I feel sure that the paragraph ought never to have been penned or printed ; my regret is increased by reading your editorial on the same subject under the above heading . I am , and have for years beon , a member of the

Provincial Committee whose action is commented on by both the local journalist and yourself , and I should like to put your readers in possession of one or two facts which I think ought to be known , as otherwise erroneous ideas on tho subject may be circulated . The Committee in question—known as the Committee of Petitions—is constituted of fifty-seven members , one for each Lodge in the Province . Every Lodge annually elects

one o £ its members ( called its Representative ) as a member of this Committee , and it should be particularly noted that almost without exception the members so elected are selected from the oldest , most experienced , and most zealous Brethren of the Lodge they are to represent , and almost always Past Masters . These Brethren meet in Committee twice a year , and so great is the trust reposed in them by the Provincial Grand

Lodge that they are empowered to grant relief from the funds of Provincial Grand Lodge to necessitous Brethren , or their near relatives . In addition to this it is the duty of the Committee to consider the claims of the various candidates for admission into the great Charitable Institutions , and to adopt such as they consider , in their discretion , to be the most deserving . On the adoption of a candidate the whole of the voting power of the Province is

concentrated on him ( or her ) until election is attained . If this system were not adopted a Devonshire candidate would rarely , if ever , be successful . And it is , only fair to the Committee to state that their deliberations ( presided over' by the D . P . G . M . as Chairman ) are characterized by a spirit of the utmost fairness to all who may be unfortunate enough to need help . But the paragraph in the " Devon and Exeter Gazette" would have the Committee set aside its other candidates—about whom the " Gazette " of

course knows nothing— and adopt the son of the late Bro . Sanderson . Why ? Simply because the late Bro . Sanderson was a journalist , and journalists have done much for the Craft . Now , in answer to that I say that a journalist , qua journalist , should have no other privileges than any other Brother has , nor should the child of a journalist be preferred as a candidate before the child of any other Brother simply because he chances to have a journalist

for a parent . The Press is a mighty force , but to use it seems very much "tike a prostitution of its powers to adopt such a line of action as the " Devon and Exeter Gazette " has done . The Committee of Petitions has ever acted for the best , according to its lights , for the welfare of necessitous Masons , their widows and offspring in this Province , and it will , I am persuaded , continue to do so without respect of persons , and without accepting the

dictation of any journal , local or otherwise . I could add some opinions on the subject of the benefits conferred on the Craft by newspaper notices , for during the past quarter of a century ( and it is just that time since I was initiated ) I have observed much , and I fear my observations do not lead me to regard with the same satisfaction as the writer of the paragraph the large amount of publicity given of late years to matters Masonic in the columns of

the daily papers . I do not include the Masonic Press , as those papers are written by Masons for Masons , and that is quite another matter . This is too great a subject , after so lengthy a communication , to enter on now , but I may perhaps be glad at some future time to send you a few lines hereon if you can find space for them . Yours fraternally ,

A PAST PEOV . G . OFFICES OP DEVONSHIRE . 25 th September 1897 . To the Editor of the FBEEMASON ' S CHBONICLE . * DEAB SIB AND BBOTHEB , —Allow me first to thank you for having given insertion to the paragraph to which I directed your attention in the "Devon and Exeter Gazette . " I had no idea you would deem it of such importance

as to call for editorial reference , but treated from your standpoint it certainly serves to " point a moral , " although I cannot go to the extent of endorsing your view that exception should be made by the Provincial Committee in this particular case . Unfortunately this candidate does not stand alone , there are others to be considered , all with special claims on our bounty , and

it is only by strenuous exertion—excessive organization you term it—that we are able to secure the longed for benefits for some of them . It is very difficult to decide who is to be supported from among a number of candidates , but once having made a selection the best results are produced by strictly adhering to'it , even to the extent of shutting our ears to all other appeals for the time being .

Yours fraternally , A DEVONIAN MASON . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHBONICLE . DEAB SIB AND BEOTHEK , —In your last issue you have something to say in regard to the " excessive organization " of the Masons of Devonshire , in matters of Masonic benevolence . Whether it is " excessive " or otherwise

I will not attempt to determine , hut it seems to pay , Bro . Editor , and that is a great thing in these degenerate days , and for evidence of the profitable return the Devonshire Brethren get for their " excess " I may refer your readers to the report of the Committee of Petitions of tbo Province , presented to the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting on tho 22 nd , wherein it is recorded that " Devonshire was reaping £ 1 , 150 yearly , and contributing only £ 270 . " In face of such results it is no use taunting them with excess of

Correspondence.

enthusiasm , rather let the results here achieved serve as a pattern for other Provinces to follow , or for the great metropolitan centre of Freemasonry to take action upon . Yours , & o ., ON THE ROAD . Exeter , 27 th September 1897 .

PROVINCIAL CHARITY FUNDS .

To the Editor of the FBEEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIB AND BBOTHEB , —Since writing my previous letter to you I have come across a report of the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Eastern Division of South Wales , and I think it supplies another topic for consideration in connection with the question of excessive organization to which you have recently directed special attention .

The passage I refer to is to tho effect that certain Brethren were presented with the Charity Jewel , " which they are entitled to wear , Brother Clarry having acted as Steward for two of the central Institutions , while Bro . Matthews has acted as Steward for the home counties . " It is this last qualification that I question . Of course I may be acting on an entirely

wrong basis , but if the report is correct I take it that this Province of South Wales ( E . D . ) is officially presenting " the " Charity Jewel of the Craft , for services outside those laid down in the Book of Constitutions in that part which deals with the subject of Charity Jewels ( pp 142-4 of the 1884 edition ) , and that being the case , Rule 289 is being violated .

It is hardly necessary for me to explain to those who have read previous letters of mine you have been good enough to publish , that I am by no means opposed to these Provincial funds ; on the contrary , I should be very pleased to see them awarded some official recognition , as I often feel they do far more good than the older and more favoured three " central" charities , but

until the necessary sanction is given from tho governing body of the Craft , work on their behalf does not , in my opinion , qualify a Brother for the Charity jewel or clasps authorized by the Book of Constitutions , and I should like very much to find out whether a different opinion prevails at the offices of Grand Lodge , or whether there is not some mistake in the report from which I quote , and which appeared in the " South Wales Daily News . "

Yours , & c . ON THE ROAD . Bristol , 29 th September 1897 . [ We have ascertained that the Charity Jewels presented on

the occasion referred to by our correspondent were local ones , and not " the " Charity Jewel of the Craft , so that no harm has been done thus far . The question may arise , however , how far the wearing of these honorary jewels is at variance with Rule 289 of the Constitutions . —ED . F . C ]

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