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The Masonic Charities In 1888.

THE MASONIC CHARITIES IN 1888 .

THE year which has just closed has been an eventful one in connection with the central Charities of English Freemasonry—it has produced a splendid success , and , at the same time , what we may describe as a series of failures . The income of the three

Institutions during the twelve months amounted to £ 82 , 914 , a sum which is £ 21 , 855 more than the highest total of any previous year , and yet we are

torced to describe the returns as disappointing—disappointing to the friends of the three Institutions alike , for in each case the figures are short of what they were expected to be . In connection with two of the Charities the totals display a heavy falling off as

compared with previous returns ; in the other—the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Girls—there is a splendid increase , but not nearly so much as many supposed would be the case after the announcements which were made in connection with its Centenary

. Festival . However , the Craft has very much to be proud of in connection with that celebration , which was the means of placing the Girls' School first in the returns of 1888 , with an amount but little short of fifty thousand pounds .

The actual sum received by . the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Girls during the year 1888 was £ 49 , 259 4 s 4 d , made up as shown elsewhere in our present issue . Too much cannot be said in praise of

this splendid return , and yet *—we hope we shall not be misunderstood in thus complaining—it is not what has long been expected would be the total for the year .

It will be remembered that the result of the Centenary Festival—held in June last—was announced as an addition of £ 50 , 500 to the coffers of the Institution , besides which there were the usual items of permanent income to be taken into account , together

with the special £ 2000 voted by Grand Lodge in connection with Her Majesty ' s Jubilee Celebration . Takingthese matters into consideration £ 55 , 000 would not have been an extravagant estimate of the year ' s

income , and even then nothing would have been reckoned on account of Annual Subscriptions , which should make a further substantial increase . We find then that the returns are some £ 6000 short of what

mignt tairly nave been expected , and the question naturally arises—Why should this be ? We believe that a large portion of this apparent deficiency could be traced in the receipts of 1887 , as several of the

amounts which were included in the Centenary Festival returns were paid into the Institution during the preceding year , the object of the donors being to secure votes as early as possible when once they had f \ onirlciA l . n arirmnvf -flio flQii + Qnomr TinnlAnn + !¦ .. '« 11 l „ UKV ^ IV / VI »« ^ jjuiu vuv . \ j \ j uvvtjul . j . blllM J . U

. uu . ., JJCOU . ICO IS probable that the large amount promised at the One Hundredth Anniversary has not yet been all paid in , so that what at first blush mav appear a heavv

deficiency is nothing to create actual alarm or distrust , and no doubt the Institution will ultimately enjoy the full benefit of the splendid gathering which took place at the Albert Hall , under the presidency of the Most Worshipful the Grand Master .

beconcl on the list comes the Eoyal Masonic Benevolent Institution , with a return of £ 21 , 361 15 s Id , as compared with £ 28 , 968 4 s 4 d the previous year—a falling off of £ 7606 9 s 3 d . This will be a sore disn . Tv

pointment to many , even though the total we now have to deal with shows a substantial increase of upwards of £ 3000 as compared with , the returns of

The Masonic Charities In 1888.

1886 . During 1887 the Benevolent Institution was particularly fortunate , and it is perhaps expecting too

much to even hope that its increased income that year , of nearly £ 10 , 800 , as compared with 1886 , could be maintained ; but there are many among us who are ant to hone asrainst hoDe . and who are at once

despondent when a falling off occurs , and to such the returns of 1888 will appear particularly discouraging . We cannot say that we are surprised at this heavy falling off as comnared with the total of the preceding ? — —¦ - t

o r o year , because we look upon such a return as was shown in 1887 as an exceptional one . We rather regard the increase of £ 3000 over 1886 as evidence of

a steady progress—a progress , too , m tace ol severe opposition , for it must be borne in mind that the exceptional success of the Girls' School Festival must have had a most damaging effect on the receipts of the

other two Institutions , and such being the case , it is cheering to be able to point out a clear case of advanced prosperity , such as we consider the 1888 income of the Benevolent Institution presents .

Last on the list comes the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , with a total for the year of £ 12 , 293 2 s 5 d , an amount £ 3368 13 s 8 d below its total of the previous year . This is disappointing , it is true : but , on the

other hand , the falling off is so small as compared with what has been generally expected as to lead us to regard the return more in the form of a triumph . It is not necessary for us to recapitulate the many reasons

we nave previously assigned lor the lack ol support given to this Institution during 1888 ; there are the facts that its Festival occurred within a few days of that of the Sister Institution , and that its friends had to secure their support at the same time as the energetic band of 1500 Stewards wero working for the

Gms Centenary . These should be sufficient to account for anything , and , as we have previously said , the surprise should rather be that so much has been done in face of such obstacles . We regard the three Institutions of Freemasonry much in the same light as

we regard other mundane affairs—they are all subject to the caprices of fashion . At one time it is fashionable to support one of the Charities ; at another the star of a different one appears to be in the ascendant ,

and later on the most neglected of the three comes to the front , while the others show a corresponding falling off . Just now the Girls' School takes the first place ,

but who shall say which is to be the favourite of the present year , or to which shall be awarded the first place when the returns of 1889 come to be made up ?

As usual , we conclude our remarks under this head with a reference to the work of the Board of Benevolence , the total expenditure of which , during 1888 ,

amounted to £ 11 , 468 , an increase of nearly one thousand pounds over its grants of 1887 . This magnificent display of generosity has one great drawback —it has been made at the expense of a heavy withdrawal oi sieu iunci

mve s , ana , as we nave previously pointed out , something will have to be done ere long to keep the expenditure of the Board more nearly within the limits of its income , or the income will have to be increased so as to keep pace with the

outlay . Wo wish we could add to this most gratifying return a mere outline of the good work which has been performed throughout the country by Masonic Funds beyond those already referred to , but such is

impossible , aud we are at present only able to point to the £ 82 , 914 contributed to the three Institutions , and the £ 11 , 468 spent by the Board of Benevolence , and which give a total of £ 94 , 382 as the tribute of Freemasonry—under four heads only—to the cause

of charity during 1888 . Our best wish is that this sum may never be decreased , so long as there remains the necessity for its expenditure in the relief of

misfortune and distress among our brethren and their families , but rather that it may go on increasing year by year until such an amount is received as will