A New Law Required For Employers And Employed.

A NEW LAW REQUIRED FOR EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYED .

DORSET ancl Somerset—ns woll as tho wholn of England—having discovered that certain " skilled labour " doe . * not . keep pm-e with the times , the question has seriously arisen , " What is * the cause of this apparent retrogression ? " But before proceeding to endeavour to answer this question we mnst aver that tho Bristol labour riots , and similar upheavals ' , do not touch the root of the

disease . The fact of the matter is that , before tho Kenaissanee period , Englishmen , as a nation , did not engage to any large extent in the pursuit of what is designated skilled labour ; bnt , with the Renaissance Girth , though no longer wearing the badge of serfdom , fonnd himself nncared for by his master aud mistress , who heretofore treated him as their adopted son in the

ranks of servitude . Then began a new labour development in England ; bnt in those days tho members of skilled vocations belonged to Trade Guilds—as may be gathered from the Albury MS . relating to the Amalgamated Guild of Free , masons and . Masons , tracing the origin of the Freemasonio Guild ( or " Society" ) from the trade associations existing previously to

Edward III ., when many became partially ( and subsequentl y full y ) incorporated by charter—the belonging to an ancient corporation conferring ( other things being equal ) a respectability on its members whilst oustum so evolved became embodied into law , rec-iving modifications varying with the changing stite of scciety ; yet , withont entering into the subject as to what period Freemasonry ceased to

be Operative and became purely Symbolical and Speculative , tlu-rois no reason to doubt the description often given of tho workmen under King Solomon ; but it is peraumable thafc Solomon did little more than improve tho organisation he found in existence . Tho bodies of men we call Lodges were presided over by rrmster-workers—the Lodges themselves consisted of journeymen , and probably also of

apprentices . In Germany , perhaps , the old organisation is still more perfect than elsewhere in the west , as it has not been the practice in later times to admit int > them " non-tradosmon , " i . e . : men who have not been apprenticed to the particular trade . In the Middle ages no tradesman cor'd set up as a master in his craft and take apprentices who had not himself been an apprentice—not

being a freeman of the place in which ho wi ought ; not being snch freeman he was called a " freemaster , " and could oau-y on his trade , as such , without tho power to tike apprentices : but apprentices having wrought fr ' a specified timo were requited to travel for five years as journeymen to prfect themselves iu fheir "Craft" Vkraft means " power ; " handiem ' t : " manual power" or

" ability . " ] The journeyman on hia arrival in any place applied to the corresponding affiliated guild of his Craft in such place , where he obtained information of some Master who required his services , and having wrought under him for a given time , the employer being satisfied with him , commnnicat 1 to him tho Kcnnsdehen or word of recognition of the place ns a proof of his having wrought there ; this

Kennzeicben wm usually some objent wh ' ch would not attract general observation , suoh ns tho idea of the sculpt > r whioh induced him to carvo a biid ' s nest behind tho siatne of Holland ( the palladium of Bremen ) and a smi ' mouse on tho sculpture which surrounds the apse of the Cathedr . ' of Liibeck—and , on his return , his knowledge of these Kennzeicben was considered ns evidence of

his having wrought faithfully in ' ie place to which they referred ; but before the ceremony of his p- -sing as a free Craftsman be had to pass an examination as ' o his competency and deposit hia ifastenvork in the Guildhall which must be deemed satisfactory by the Conrt of the Guild . These journeymen in travelling from place to place received i 'sistance on thei- way ; this they

culled fechlen ( fighting ); hence our term " to fight your way . " The members of all tho companies of trades were sworn by indenture to keep secret the art of their " craft or mystery . " Their ( easts were usually held twice in the year ( Christmastide aud Midsummer ) on the festivals of St . John , who in thia way camo to be considered the protecting saint or patron of all guilds , and furnishes a key to a

present custom which is significant ; the Officers wore styled Wardens ; they had a beadle to summon tbem and a Chaplain to pray for tbem . Applying all thia to our own times we are well aware we cannot revert to the past in all respects ; bnt we think it would be well if some law (• . old be ma-le to restrain mon who have not been apprenticed to a business from taking apprentices in that businessand , on the other band , that no one should be recognized as a

journeyman who had not served a specified indenture of at least five years , and that , after fulfilling bis term of indenture , he should have the opportunity of passing a lecognized examination os " a practical workman . " A small act of Parliament could be framed to this effect , and if our young member of Parliament ; would undertake the task of introducing snch a bill his name would never be forgotten . —Dorset and Somerset Standard .

Our Manchester representative , Brother Edward Roberts P . M ., delivered a lecture ou Wednesday last , 1 st February , at a meeting of the Past Grands' Association , iu connection with the National Independent Order of Oddfellows , of which Order he is it Paat Provincial Grand Master . The meeting was held at the Prince ' s Hoiel , Albert Square , aud the subject of the lecture was " Wit and

Humour . " There was a very uood attendance of membera and visitors , who thoroughly enjoyed the very many illustrations which the lecturer introdnued . Oue of the visitors-, by way of showing hia appreciation of the lecture , invited Brother Roberts to visit the Openslmv District , on Thursday , 23 rd Match , and repeat the lecture , prouiisii . g tii .-it there should be a good audience to welcome hm on Chat occasion .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for "Review should be addressed to tha Editor of the "Freemason's Chronicle , Belvidere Works , Hermes Hill , Pentonville , London , "N " . — : o : — " Tho Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar and Pooket Book for 1893 . " London : GEORGE KENNING & Co ., 16 and lPa Great Queen Street , W . C .

IT is always with pleasure we look through this comprehensive Masonic book of reference ; tbe Grand Lodge Calendar gives aU particulars about tbe recognised degrees of Masonry , but after that the Cosmopolitan steps in , and without violating any rules gives full information of the outside degrees , snch as Mark Masonry , Knights

Templar , tho Ancient and Accepted Rite , the Royal Order of Sootland , the Rosicrucian Society , fcho Gra-id Lo Iges of Scotland aud Ireland , and a vast amount of foreign information . It will thus be seen that the Calendar is a most useful adjunct to the outside degrees , and we heartily commend it to our readers .

New Music.

NEW MUSIC .

A . 11 Music intended for review should be addressed to the Editor of The "Freemason ' s Chronicle , Belvidere Works , Hermes Hill , Pentonville , London , TS . — : o : — " Yours Fraternally . " Masonic Song . Words by William Allan , music by Thomas Hutchinson . London : W . MOKLEY AND Co .,

127 Regent Street , W . IT was only last week we were saying how few of the songs devoted to the Craffc reach ns ; now , however , we have one whioh should obtain a most hearty welcome amongst our brethren . "Yours

Fraternally " is a capital song , tbo words of William Allan are most appropriate , while the music by Bro . Thomas Hafcobinson W . M . 2039 haa that amount of "go" in it thafc is sure to satisfy all who hear it . The small charge , 6 d , for the song should cause ifc fco have a widespread circulation .

Masonic Sonnets.—No. 35.

MASONIC SONNETS . —No . 35 .

Bv Buo . CHAS . P . FORSHAW , LL . D ., 295 , 1214 , 2417 ( E . G . ) , 761 ( S . C . ) — : o : —

Jit Htcmoriant . WOK . BRO . ARTHUR BRIGGS . J . P .

Our hearts to day are full of bitter grief—Another sunbeam from our lives haa passed ; But woll we know we shall obtain Relief , Where Truth and Love must over dwell at lust . The Greatest Light of all thou now dost see ; By far more brilliant than thon saw ' st before ; For , lo , its dazzling flame now burns for thee ,

O ' er all the ways of Heaven's Eternal shore . It is , 0 Brother—for thou ' rt still our Brother—The ne ' er extiuguishable Master ' s Light , Which beams by far more bright than any other , For ifc was lit by Oue who knows no Night . And we shall hope to gaze upon its glare By acting here , as thou didst— " On the Square . " Winder Honse , Bradford . 30 th January 1893 .

Sonnet .

SONNET .

Br BRO . J . GAUNT , B . A . — : o : — To BRO . CHARLES F . FORSHAW , LL . D .

That genial bard . Still write thy sonnets , sweet , And give us glimpses of Masonic lore ; Pour forth the germs of thy Masonic store Thy countless readers' hearts with joy to greet . May each fair daughter of Mnemosyne Come to thy aid and elevate thy song ; Aud , in especial , the sweet Euterpe ,

Thy swelling strains of minstrelsy prolong . Write on , sweet bard , pnd to us freely give Thy gems Masonic—thoy will ever live In countless generations yet unborn . Write on ; thy pen by poet ' s fancy led ; Thy thoughts will live when thou art with the dead , Awaiting welcome to a Brighter Morn . Dewsbury .