The Approaching School Elections.

THE APPROACHING SCHOOL ELECTIONS .

THE ballot paper for the Boys election contains , as we stated last week , the particulars of seventy-seven candidates , who will compete for the sixteen vacancies which are announced . Of this number fifty-four are

accredited to the Provinces , eighteen to London , and five to Foreign stations , viz .: —West Indies , Nova Scotia , Singapore , West Coast of Africa and South Africa . The first four on the list come forward for the seventh time

and unless successful this October will each be debarred , by age , from again competing . No . 1 , Alfred Thomas Cole , one of five children dependent on their mother , has hitherto been very unsuccessful in securing votes , 42 being the total standing to his credit , and this after taking a part in

six previous elections . No . 2 , Percy Charles Wilkinson , has fared better , there being a total of 1289 votes now standing in his name ; both his parents are living , and they have two other children to maintain . No . 3 , Emanuel Wait , one of six relying on a widowed mother , stands very little

chance , with his 541 votes in hand , unless his friends can secure more help than they have got together on previous occasions ; while No . 4 , Lovell Hope Ridpeth , who has but 234 votes in hand , may be said to fare even worse . He is the only child dependent on his parents ,

both of whom are alive , but the father is paralyzed . The other " last application " cases are eight in number : — George Shadwell Parker , No . 7 on the list , who brings forward 1255 votes from four previous attempts , is the only child dependent on a widowed mother ; we may

assume that , in all probability , this case will occupy a place on the list of " successful . " No . 9 , Edmund Purcell Spalding—fifth application , 765 votes already polled—is

one of six children who are dependent on their parents , both of whom are alive ; the father is an old member of the Province of Suffolk , and we trust his long connection with tbe Craft will stand him in stead now that he is

compelled to appeal to its charity . William Tracy , No . 15 , has already stood two elections , and brings forward 135 votes as the result thereof ; his is a London case ; the mother , who is the only parent living , having eight

children to support . No . 1 G , William Henry Bazley , who has also taken part in two previous elections , and is a London candidate , has 400 votes to his credit ; his mother has five children to provide for . No . 34 , Arthur Barker , has already stood at one election , but on that

occasion no votes wore polled for him ; we have no doubt but that this is in reality a good omen for the lad , as we may assume thereby that his father ' s Province—West Yorkshire—has the case in hand , and they surely will not allow a family of four children , who are left

parentless , to appeal to them in vain . No . 44 , A . E . Scrope Shrapnell , wbo has a brother already in the School , is a Wiltshire lad ; his mother still has four children to provide for . At the April election she secured 158 votes on behalf of this lad . The other two on the list of " last

applications" are Nos . 54 and 56 , Frederick Frankland Godfrey and William Heniy Healey—the one accredited to Kent , the other to West Yorkshire . Both of these lads are parentless , and in each case there are seven children left to the charity of their friends . Should we ever cease

to appeal on behalf of the Charities while such cases as these are brought forward ? Having thus dismissed the twelve candidates who have out this one chance , we will proceed with the less important

The Approaching School Elections.

ones—so far as time is concerned . Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has five cases , in addition to No . 7 , to which we have already referred ; No . 17 , George Frederick Gauntlett , has at two attempts had 377 votes polled for him ; he is one of four children now dependent on their mother . No . 27 ,

Herbert Mastern Fellows , brings forward 49 votes as the result of his two previous attempts ; his mother has two children , in addition to this lad , to maintain . No 28 , George William Steinhauer , is one of eight children left parentless ; he has only stood one election , on which

occasion five votes were announced as recorded in his favour . No . 46 , Walter Herbert Woollens , has 84 votes forward from April last ; he and three other children rely on their mother . No . 63 , Albert Edward Sparks , is a first application' case , and closes tho list of Hampshire

candidates . The brethren of that Province appear to have numerous claims on their charity , and although they may devote all their energies to secure the return of their several candidates , it seems almost impossible that , unaided , they can succeed with even a minority of them . West

Yorkshire has altogether five candidates for the " Boys ; " two of whom ( Nos . 34 and 56 ) have been referred to among the "last applications ; " the other three are Nos . 47 , George Mey , 49 , John Roebuck JVfurgairoyd ,

and 53 , William Thomas Pike—all first applications . In each case the father is dead , and the mothers have five , four , and five children respectively to maintain . Devonshire and Lincolnshire have each four accredited to them .

Of the latter , one—Alfred T ; omas Cole—figures among the final applications ; the others are No . 10 , William Black , who brings forward two votes from three previous attempts ; No . 13 , Philipson Marshall , who has secured 101 votes in a like period ; and No . 40 , Robert

Williamson Pratt , who appears for the second time without a vote having been recorded in his favour . We can hardly understand the position in which the brethren of Lincolnshire leave the candidates which put up from their district , unless it is that their system of

organisation is incomplete . Surely , it would be better to make a firm stand on behalf of one candidate than to put three or four to the expense of issuing circulars , cards , and the other accessories of a Charity election ! Still , we suppose the brethren of Lincolnshire are capable

of shaping a course of their own ; it is very certain that they have some very good men among their number , who will not allow cases of distress to go unsupported , if by any means in their power they can aid them . The Devonshire candidates arc Nos . 22 , 31 , 37 , and 71 . No .

22 , Herbert Norrish , who has figured at the two last elections , has 819 votes to his credit ; his mother is the only parent living , and she has five children to provide for . No . 31 , Edwin Ernest Hawke , has not secured any votes , although he was a candidate at the election of

April last . His widowed mother has five children to maintain , and would , we shonld imagine , greatly appreciate the liberality of the Craft if the election of her son could be secured . No . 37 , William R . Deacon Foot , second application , comes forward similarly circumstanced as

regards votes ; he and ono other child are dependent on their mother . No . 71 , Sydney Earle Loveridge , one of four children left fatherless , is a first application case , and will , no doubt , receive attention iu duo course . The fact

of no votes being polled , except for the candidate supported by the Provincial Committee , is ample proof of the thoroughness of the system under which the Devonshire Craftsmen manage their votes . North and East Yorkshire and Kent each have two candidates beyond their