Renumbering Of Lodges.

thafc future Lodges , instead of being numbered fcwo thousand odd , might be known as eighteen or nineteen hundred and something ? Of course the doings of Lodgos now severed from England during tho time they wem under the rule of the home Grand Lodge are nofc removed from Grand Lodge records , why then should these numbers

be given to others , perhaps less worthy of bearing them ? Nofc only do I consider that it would be unwise to attempt a re-numbering in the future , I also feel that thoso who havo gone before mo acted wrongly in ever disturbing the numbers agreed upon at tho Union in 1813 , or the numbers originally given to subsequent Lodges afc their Constitution .

I am , Dear Sir , yours fraternally , A PROVINCIAL SCRIBE . [ The demands on our space during the past week or two have caused delay in the publication of the above and other letters ; for this we ask the indulgence of our correspondents . —ED . E . G . ]

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have nofc the reputation of our esteemed brother W . J . Hughan , or tho experience of which " A PROVINCIAL SCRIBE " can boast ; I am merely an ordinary Mason of some ten years' standing , so my opinion on this question , oven if

you give it publicity , will not , perhaps , be of much moment ; yet I cannot but think thafc you and thetjro distinguished brethren I have named are wrong , in desiring thafc the misleading numbering of our Lodges should be continued . I think it wonld be better if aU Lodges nnder the Grand Lodge of England were renumbered , say once

every seven years . We shonld then have an opportunity of judging , without trouble , of the actual strength of the Order . I cannot see that the re-numbering would be confusing , indeed I think ib is the present system thafc is confusing , inasmuch as we are taking credit for having considerably above two thousand Lodges , while fche actual

number is far short . I think ifc would be much better that our numbers shonld correspond with the actual strength rather than that we should include many which have ceased to exist , or have severed

their connection with the Grand Lodge of England , as in the case of those in South Australia . Personally I cannot see there is any excuse for delaying what must come ere long , as I suppose all are agreed that a renumbering is desirable some time or other . I am , yours fraternally , AN OLD SUBSCRIBER .

Worshipful Masters And Past Masters.

WORSHIPFUL MASTERS AND PAST MASTERS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —As becomes the Editor of a Masonic journal you every now aud then deal with the duties and performances of officials , sometimes in a practical and at other times in an abstract way . Last week , under the heading " Skill and Assiduity

in a W . M ., you had an article combining bo'h methods . In it yon refer to a previous article which appeared on 19 th October 1885 , ancl as I file the CHRONICLE , a plan I cordially recommend to my brother Masons , I was enabled to refer to that article . I am not goin » exhaustively into tho matter , nor am I going to quarrel with your

ideas . In the first place , you are pretty general in your description of the duties of Masters and Past Masters ; aud in the second , what you say are almost truisms . There is no doubt as to who and what a Master of a Lodge should be . The following is public property , and may be read auy day

"All preferment among Masons should be grounded upon real worth and personal merit , therefore no brother shall be elected Master of a Lodge or appointed to any office therein merely on acconnt of seniority of rank . " That is one of the fundamental laws of the Constitution . If Lodges will get into the seniority groove

and they do so with a perversity highly censurable , it would require a very discreet Master in all cases to carry out his duties without engendering some bitterness of feeling . Merit and ability are the passwords to office according to the highest authority , and all Lodges are as much bound to see that aspirants to office possess these

qualifications as they are fco pay Grand Lodge dues , or to perform any other duty prescribed by tbe Constitutions . So far the ground is clear , hut there is other evidence , which if not open to tho world , shonld be known to every Master Mason . Afc the installation of the W . M ., iu the presence of the whole Lodge of full Masons , the necessary

qualifications of the president for the year are set forth in precise and emphatic terms . He shonld be an experfc brother , of good report , trne and trusty , of exemplary character , courteous in manner , easy of address and firm in principle ; he should be well skilled it , the ancient charges , regulations and landmarks of the Order , and

willing to take the management of the work . Whatever may be thfact in practice , the theory is right enough . I admit that fev \ Masters att-iin to anything like the standard set up . Some approacl it , some aspire to it but never get nearer than sighting distance , while others have no knowledge of it , ancl act only in a blind TT 1 I 1 IC 7 . MIiri-1 JLlik •¦ . _ ou rtlHi-mu- ^ u __ m . » . ' , » I I ll U _ . ll % J > t \ j lit c __ __ - __ . il >'

mechanical way like an automaton . To allow such Masters—except the gifted few—further power than is absolutely necessary ti govern the Lodge would bo to set a firebrand in their midst . Ib i > here where the P . M . 's influence becomes potent . They have no lega ! status to interfere ; they are like standing counsel ready to be consulted and advise . They arc the embodiment of intelligence an .

expeuence , and aro as a rule the authority to which tho Ledge ai large looks for guidance . There is no one else to look to , iu faofc ; an . ifc must be a very poor Lodge indeed that does not possess om or more Past Masters who havo graduated in office with approximate if not with complete success . While I grant that a

Worshipful Masters And Past Masters.

Master of a Lodge is armed with great powers , fchey are limited by responsibilities and subject fco fche controlling influence of tho Past Masters . A prudent M . __< . *•, liko a wiso counsellor , will rule without seeming to do so ; he will rather let privileges come to

him than seek them , and when he is suddenly called upon to act he will have in reserve that power whioh commands , and is sure fco have , the snpport of the Past Masters . If a Master is nofc prudent , if in his strength he acts like a tyrant , the best hope of delivery in in the P . M . ' s .

Thus it follows from my argument thafc a Master shonld firsfc be well chosen , that he shonld act up to the obligations he voluntarily accepts , that during his year of office he is the head of tho executive , and is really learning how to govern . At fche end of the year he has completed his probation and takes his place amongst real rulers—his

predecessors in office . Wero time and space at my disposal I might dwell upon the fact thafc fche Master of ft Lodge must ; primarily submit his qualification to a Board of Installed Masters ; ifc is they who must crown the choice of fche Lodge . Were they fco be as strict in examination as they might be many a candidate would be plucked .

They know , however , thafc knowlo Igo is power , and that thab is in a peculiar degree their strength . They practically rule the Lodge and also the W . M . for fche time being . I cannot conceive it possible for a W . M . to act so arbitrarily a * , to placa himself beyond the Consti .

tntion and the well-understood authority of the Pasfc Masters . Offence against the former would be fatal to the career of any Mister . Offence against the latter would be destructive of respect and position .

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , WATCHMAN .

Earn Something.

EARN SOMETHING .

NOW , while you are young , go to work . Ifc is a very , vervgood thing to earn a little monev for yourself . Ifc is good for women , who may have the necessities of life supplied for them , to find some way to make a little money which may be their very own ; nofc simply to buy bonnets with , if they already have enough ; nofc just to be finer , but to be able to indulge themselves in those little

¦ tm <» nities of life which are impossible fco people who have nofc fche command of at least a small purse . You do not know what a person who lives , as many women do , on the friendly bounty of relatives would really be if sho could do as she chose . It is an unfortunate fact thafc almost anything we wish to offer another requires some

expenditure , and thafc people who get credit for being so good-natured often earn their reputation with a few spare dollars which fchey do nofc miss . Aunt Kitty , who buys tickets for pleasant amusements , makes Christmas presents , and never forgets a birthday , has no more natural kindliness than Aunt Jane , who has nothing to give , but

is always hoping that some one will give her something . Long years of th ! s have changed her disposition ; but as girls she and her sister Kitty were equally kind and generous . Only , you see , when the sudden blow that comes to so many fell upon them , and there was nothing left , Aunt Kitty went to learn the millinery business , and

worked at it until she had a few customers of her own , then a workroom , and now a large establishment , with plate-glass windows , and plenty of savings . Aunt Jane , on the contrary , felt ashamed to woi * k . Uncle Felix said she might ; live with him , aud she accepted . Poor relations have seldom a very good time of it , but Jane is still

too proud to be her sister ' s cashier . They are middle-aged women now , but Jane is ashamed of the shop—ashamed of her sister , but she takes her presents . Sho can do nothing for any one , and has sunk into a cipher ; whereas , ai cashier for Kitty she would be au important person . Naturally , she expected to marry ; but a

helpless young woman , living where she is nob much wanted , seldom makes a good match . Neither of the young women were pretty , but Kitty looks happy and prosperous to-day , while Jane looks " forlorn . " She has nofc to work hard , but she has rusted , having done so very little for herself or any one else . It is nofc always so . The

woman who feels thafc earning something would degrade her , nofc unfrequently settles into a wretched drudge . All the talk about gentility , all the feeling of shame there is about receiving payment for work , does nofc alter the fact that auy one with a few shillings of her very own is twice as happy aa any one who has none ,

and ten times more important . If it were only having more or less of the portable property of this world for yourself , ifc would be bad enough to be without money of your own ; bnfc when you consider that the want of money will cause you to crush out much of your kindliness and generosity , and make you helpless where yoa need

to be strong , I do not believe you will let pride weigh down the balance . Go into the shop , the work-room , or the kitchen ; teach if yon can , enter a profession if yon are fit for it ; do anything honest ,

i-ather than become a genteel pauper ; and , my word for it , yon will iever spoil your matrimonial prospects by such independence . Sensible men know thafc women who are abla to help themselves will be help-meets to their husbands .

The following dinners have taken place at the Freemasons' Tavern during the week ending Saturday llth July : —

Tuesday—Society of Chemical Industry . Wednesday—Volunteer burgeons Charing Cross Hospital , United Lodge . Thursday—. osicrncians .

FUNERALS .-Bros . W . K . L . & O . A . HUTTOH " , Como Makers and Undertakers , 17 Newcastle Street , Strand , W . C . and 7 Heme Villas , Forest Hill , Boad Peokham Bye , S . E .