New Hall In Leeds.

NEW HALL IN LEEDS .

AT a meeting of the Directors of the Leeds Masonic Hall Company , Limited , on the 26 th ult ., the Assessor Bro . J . Lane Fox , of Dewsbury , presented his report and award on the design for the new buildings to be erected in Great George Street , Leeds . The Directors unanimously adopted the Assessor ' s award , which placed Nos . 4 , 5 and 10 in order

of merit . Upon the sealed envelopes being opened the successful competitors were : —1 , Mr . J . Mitchell Bottomley , of Bond Street , Leeds , and Middlesborough ; 2 , Mr . Clarence Coggin , Adelphi , London ; 3 , Mr . Arthur McKewan , Birmingham .

The estimated cost of Mr . Bottomley ' s design is about £ 6 , 000 . The style of the new building , which is to occupy the position in Great George Street , facing the Teachers ' College ( in course of construction ) and the Higher Grade School , will be Italian Renaissance , freely treated . It is to

be of brick , with terra cotta facings . The frontage will be 64 feet wide and 50 feet high , the building itself being three storeys . In the basement will be ten strong rooms , cellars , and heating chamber , the ground floor being devoted to a couple of offices , stewards' room , a committee room , a Lodge

room 44 feet by 22 feet , ladies' and gentlemen ' s cloak rooms , two staircases , a passenger lift , and other accessories . For the first floor Mr . Bottomley ' s design makes provision for two dining rooms ( one 611 feet by 30 feet , and the other 44 feet by 22 feet ) , a smoke-room , service room , & c . ; while on

the second floor are to be a Lodge room 62 feet by 30 feet , two committee rooms , two ante-rooms , and cloak rooms . The kitchen and caretaker ' s residence occupy the top floor . Special care has been taken to make the interior bright , the rooms comfortable , and the entire Hall adapted to the demands likely to be made upon it .

Exmouth Masonic Hall.

EXMOUTH MASONIC HALL .

nnHE ordinary meeting of the Exmouth Masonic Hall X Company was held on Thursday , 26 th ult ., Mr . G . F . Perriam presiding over a fair attendance . The Directors submitted their- sixth annual report and statement of accounts . From this it was shown that a balance of £ 9 8 18 s nd was available , after a dividend of five per cent , on the ordinary shares .

New Hall At Kilmarnock.

NEW HALL AT KILMARNOCK .

THE consecration of the new Masonic Hall at Kilmarnock took place on the 27 th ult . The Office-bearers of the Provincial Grand Lodge conducted the ceremony , Brother Matthew Arthur , of Carlung , Provincial Grand Master of Ayrshire presiding . Full Masonic ceremony was gone over , and was of a

most impressive character . One of the leading features was the service of praise , led by Brother Taylor and Brother Hartley on the organ . Two of the clerical Brethren present

conducted the religious service . Brother Rev . Lee Ker also delivered a brilliant oration on "The nature and objects of Masonry . " The Hall was crowded , there being Brethren present from various Lodges in the district . It was one of the greatest and most successful Masonic meetings ever held in Ayrshire .

Death During Initiation.

DEATH DURING INITIATION .

THE death of Edward Fairchild Berkley , aged nineteen , the only son of the famous millionaire family , during initiation into the Kappa Alpha Fraternity at Cornell has again aroused public indignation against the secret societies in American universities , says the New York correspondent

of the " Morning Leader . " Even the presidents and professors , continues our contemporary , are ignorant of the rites and proceedings engaged in by the members of these organisations . The initiation ceremonies are notably extravagant and perilous . Recently another Cornell student

during initiation was brought blindfold to the edge of a precipice , where the bandage was suddenly removed . So startled was the poor fellow that he fell over and was instantl y killed . Young Berkley was given a task which involved his walking through a muddy canal , in which he perished . These societies are of a Masonic character , but have been

Death During Initiation.

frequently stigmatised as the scenes of wanton cruelty and vice . The newspapers now demand their immediate and general suppression .

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

AMID many manifestations of sympathy the funeral took place on Saturday , at Plymouth Cemetery , of Bro . John Goad , who after a few days illness died the previous Tuesday , at the age of fifty-six . The esteem in which the deceased was held was testified by blinds being drawn in the

locality of his house , and in the large attendance at Christ Church , of which he was a sidesman . Rev . W . Howard Coates , Vicar , and Rev . R . W . G . Pound , Curate , officiated . In a touching address the Vicar spoke of the deceased as a thoroughly good man , a good husband , a good father , and a

good citizen . As a citizen he was mixed up in the affairs of the town , and whatever his hand found to do he did it with all his might . Although he held decided opinions of his own , he always showed the greatest respect for those of his

opponents . At the cemetery the service was read by the Vicar , and amongst those assembled around the grave were a number of Masons , on whose behalf Bro . J . R . Lord delivered the Masonic oration , each Mason dropping a sprig of acacia on the coffin .

WE regret to report the death of Councillor Edward James Bowmaker , J . P ., proprietor of the Victoria Temperance Hotel , at Southend-on-Sea , one of the bestknown and most respected tradesmen of that town . Born on 1 st May 1851 , he was for many years a steward on the great Atlantic liners . Between nineteen and twenty years

ago he went to Southend , and will be better known in the county as one of the caterers to the Essex Agricultural Show . When the Show was held in Southend he was the local Hon . Sec , and so well did he perform his duties that he was presented with a handsome service of plate by a Committee

of his townsmen . He was high up in the Craft , being a P . M . of Priory Lodge P . Prov . G . Treas . P . Z . and Prov . G . J . He was a member of the Corporation , chairman of the Health Committee , and a J . P . for the borough , having been appointed three months ago . Last year he was all but appointed Mayor . He leaves a widow and five children .

WE regret to announce the death ot Bro . Richard Cawsey , C . C ., which took place at the residence of his son-in-law , at Stoke , at the age of seventy-one years , on Saturday evening . The deceased had been in failing health for the past twelve months , but it was only within the past three months that his illness assumed a serious character .

The last public function in which the deceased took part was the opening of the Technical Schools , and it was then seen that Bro . Cawsey was very ill . The deceased was a member of Lodge Fidelity , No . 230 . He was installed W . M . in November 1878 , was appointed S ecretary the following year ,

and continued to act in that capacity until the time of his death . He was made Provincial Grand Junior Deacon in 1888 , and Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in the Provincial Chapter . He was a Director of the Masonic Club , Plymouth .

ON Sunday , 15 th ult ., the mortal remains of Bro . Arthur Shepherd were interred at Braddan New Cemetery , The funeral was an extraordinarily large one , fifty-three carriages joining the cortege , and there were about one hundred members of Insular Lodges in the procession ,

testifying respect for a popular young member of the Order , who had been cut off most unexpectedly . Large numbers of wreaths were sent by sympathisers . The coffin was of oak ,

with heavy brass mountings , and was borne from the hearse to the graveside by the deceased ' s fellow Officers in the Tynwald Lodge . The funeral service was impressively read by the Rev . R . B . Baron P . M . of the Elian Vannin Lodge .

AT the recent meeting of the Dramatic Mark Lodge , held at Mark Masons' Hall , Great Queen Street , in consequence of the lamented death of the W . M . the late Bro . W . A . Tinney the Lodge was draped in black , and the Brethren appeared in full Masonic mourning . The Lodge

was presided over by Bro . Charles Cruikshanks I . P . M ., supported by Bro . Harry Nicholls P . M ., and others . A vote of condolence was passed and ordered to be sent to the

family of the late Bro . Tinney , and a resolution was also unanimously accepted that a sum of money should be voted from the Lodge funds towards raising a fitting memorial to the memory of one so loved and respected by the Brethren , j