A Dearth Of Candidates.

A DEARTH OF CANDIDATES .

IN some of the old-fashioned , steady-going Lodges , where the advent of an initiate is a matter of rare occurrence , the prospect of a dearth of candidates during

the coming season is of little or no concern ; but there are Lodges , less firmly established , where the members have been relying on new blood , or new blood's money to put their finances in a better condition . To such as these ,

a scarcity of candidates may prove disastrous so far as the Lodge itself is concerned , but undoubtedly of ultimate benefit to Freemasonry at large . The desire at the present day , even if has not always been the aim of

mankind , is to get everything as cheaply as possible , and not only is this desire predominant so far as commercial affairs are concerned , it is also apparent in less mercenary

transactions . Men go to the cheapest market for their merchandise , their luxuries , their comforts and their

entertainment ; and although it may be somewhat out of place , they frequently go to the cheapest market for their Freemasonry . Knowing this , it is not surprising that among the most popular Lodges of the present day we

find many of the cheapest . If we look into the inner life of some of these cheap Lodges we shall find their affairs are carried on in such a manner as to put their expenditure far above their natural income , that is the income

derived from subscriptions alone . As a consequence , these Lodges have to rely on fees for initiation or joining in order to maintain their position , and in such cases any falling off in the supply of candidates immediately makes

itself felt . Signs are not wanting , say many of those who profess to know something of the subject , to induce the belief that the supply of eligible candidates for Freemasonry will be somewhat short during the coming season ,

and among the reasons given for this view of affairs is the badness of trade , the reaction which is to be expected after the ^ great additions which have been made to our ranks during the past few years , the effect of so many summer

Lodges having been recently established , and , last , though certainly not least , the growing idea in the minds of those least worthy of being admitted to our ranks , that the benefits derived from being a Freemason produce no sufficient return

for the expenditure necessary to ensure admission to it in a respectable manner . Without attempting to endorse all or any of these arguments we may devote attention to them seriatim , as each will afford food for discussion at the

present time . There is not much doubt that the state of trade has an influence on the quantity of candidates for Freemasonry ; and it is probable that in times of prosperity its ranks

may be recruited to a much greater extent than at others when trade is bad throughout the country . But we fear that any benefit which may be apparent at the time of an exceptionally large increase is more than counterbalanced

by the falling off in the quality of those admitted , and that it may be found when matters have faiirly settled down to their level , that the great increase , so far from being a benefit , only leads to troubleanxiety an d discomfort . Some

, of the most prominent Lodges of six or night years back can endorse this view , and if their rulers had their time to come over again they would rather prefer to keep quietly and steadil

y going along than to advance by the leaps and bounds which they previously looked upon as being evidence of great prosperity . In times of depression it Fs

A Dearth Of Candidates.

only the most reliable who can afford the luxuries of this life , and as we may include Freemasonry in this category , our argument is that in hard times the quality of candidates is likely to be improved . Of course there will

always be some—a comparatively few , we believe—who will endeavour to join Freemasonry from mercenary or other unworthy motives , but this class is certainly not more numerous in bad times than at others , and

therefore our surmise is not affected by them . On the other hand , in days of universal prosperity candidates spring up , mushroom fashion , and flourish for a time . Having , however , no firm basis on which to exist , they die off ; they

sever their connection with the Craft , and leave the Lodge in which they were initiated worse off than before they joined it , from the fact that accommodation had been provided for them , and at their secession no candidates were

forthcoming to fill the vacancies caused by such retirements . Lodges which flourish for a time only find it much more difficult to resume their old places than those which have

never gone from their original lines experience in keeping them ; as a consequence , therefore , we feel that excessive increase in numbers can seldom be regarded as an unmixed blessing .

That a reaction must follow the very large additions to the Masonic Order during the past few years is to be expected , but to what extent this reaction will affect Freemasonry it is difficult to determine . Previous to the installation of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales as Grand Master of Enedand—the date from which we must

reckon the most recent period of advancement—the number of Lodges on the Register of the Grand Lodge of England was 1585 , now it is 2111 , or an increase of 37 | per cent , during the last 10 f years . This great addition to

the roll of Lodges must have called for a very large increase in the number of candidates , and while we do not for a moment imagine the supply of young men is , or ever

will be , exhausted , there can be no question that other sections of the community have been drawn upon—if not to the fullest extent—at least out of proportion to their numbers .

numbers . This must have an effect on the supply of candidates in the future , but possibly the reaction will be so gradual as to be all but imperceptible , while in a few years it will have been entirely outgrown .

The establishment of summer Lodges around London and other large centres has given a new feature to Freemasonry , by placing it among the amusements or recreations of certain classes of the community . Some men will

join Lodges which meet at convenient intervals at places a few miles away from their every-day haunts much more readily than they will others which assemble a few yards from spots to which they are chained by the requirements

of business ; as by so doing they secure double benefits , They not only derive pleasure from the practice of Freemasonry , they enjoy the periodical outings , and these , to men who are engaged in busy offices , are very

acceptable . These summer Lodges , too , absorb a large number of the candidates who otherwise would present themselves at the commencement of the winter season ; consequently , instead of there being a batch of candidates ready at the

resumption of labour , we find the six or seven months ' holiday enjoyed by the winter Lodges has been used as a time of harvest by the summer ones . Under existing conditions it becomes necessary to calculate only on the present time in estimating the probable supply of candidates