Correspondence.

The Masters ( two ) who said they detected tho cases were among those dismissed by the Honse Committee . Until tho Inquiry Committee sat , the House Committee had not heard a word of any such thing happening . It was every Assistant ' s duty , if he saw such a thing , to at once communicate with the Head Master . These

dismissed Masters never pretended that they had said a word to him , and the Head Master denied that he knew of any such oases . The first Master called , after he had made his statement , was interrogated by me . After a question or two he showed such a malignant feeling against the House Committee that the

Inqniry Committee told me I need not ask another question , and that his evidence " was unreliable , " and " should be struck out . " I did not ask another question , and the witness left the room . Now comes tho curious part of this case . This " struck out" evidence appears in full in the transcript of the shorthand

writer s notes , withont any comment to show that it wa 3 struck out , and it is clear that this " struck out" evidence was used in preparing the Report .

On the other hand , —no boys in the School , the Head Master , the Matron , the Steward , the members of the House and Andit Committees , the Secretary , the Surgeon , the Hon . Surgeon Oculist , the hairdresser and his assistants ever saw such a case .

Tbo next witness on this point was also a Master . The " vermin " case , therefore , as reported upon against the House Committee , depends npon the evidence of one dismissed Master , whioh was ordered to be strnck out , and of one other dismissed Master . Both these were examined by the House Committtee , " before their

services were dispensed with , and the then unanimous conclusion arrived at was , that ; any statement of theirs was absolutely unreliable . The Inquiry Committee agree with us as to the " unreliability " of one witness ; wo now ask the Craft to agree with us as

to the other , and we call upon our brethren to conclude that the Inquiry Committee have committed an error of judgment in lending the weight of their authority to this unfounded stigma upon our boys and the Institution .

4 th . The Inquiry Committee report ( page 21 , par . 6 ) that though many complaints were made about the bad heating of the school-room , " nothing was actually done until July 1887 . " Let the Craft compare with this assertion the following accounts ( laid before the Inquiry Committee ) of monies actually expended in improving the

heating apparatus during tho time that " nothing was done . " Up to 1884 about £ 2000 had been spent upon tho heating apparatus . In 1884 we spent £ 136 , aud in 1885 £ 468 . Iu 1886 we spent £ 300 . Again , it was known to everybody concerned that the old boiler power was weak and worn oat , and that until the

new boilers for the new School and Laundry could bo put in , tbe Bystem of warming the School , & c , oould not be perfected . This was accomplished , in 1888 , at a final expenditure of £ 374 . And yet it is asserted " that nothing was done up to 1887 . " Moreover , these amounts do not include the sum of £ 1700 expended

with the eame object in connection with the New Buildings . 5 th . As to the bad sight provalont among tha boys . Complaint was brought to the House Committee ou this subject , and immediately we heard of this tho Medical Officer was instructed to make inquiries and report to tho House Committee . This was done , and

then new lights were put in , and in some of the room 3 the lights wero lowered . The boys complained that this caused great heat to their heads . I may add , further efforts wero under consideration . But a most damaging and erroneous statement has been circulated in tho Report , which has been brought before tho notice of tho Inquiry

Committee in a letter of oar Treasurer , a fortnight ago , but to which no answer has been vouchsafed . The Report asserts ( p 14 , par . 2 ) " that tbe Hon . Surgeon Oculist told us that double the ordinary percentage of defective sight occurs among the pupils . " During tho last few days I have been obliged to consult Bro . Dr . Jabez Hogg

professionally , and I learnt that this assertion of the Committee had " astonished him . " As he allows me to refer to his evidence given to the Inquiry Committee , I will quote what he did say : — Question : —There was a larger per centage ( of short sight ) than you would expect in boys in such a school ?

Answer : —Just so ; but the shortness of sight was not a bigt'or per centage than we get in such like schools , and in Germany it is double what we get iu England . He explains the amount of bad sight prevalent as partly duo to constitutional causes , to which causes he more especially refers .

I havo now examined cases which show , 1 st , that some of the Inquiry Committee ' s conclusions are negatived by convincing proofs ; 2 nd , in other cases their conclusions have been founded npon rotten and tainted evidence , contradicted by all who could testify to facts ; 3 rd , in others assertions are contradicted by documentary

evidence : and 4 th , in another case tha authority they quote in sup . port of their conclusion directly negatives that conHnju ' on . One word as to the bathing arrangements . The Heacl Master should havo seen that tho boys hud their baths in divisions , on different night 3 , and then there would have been plenty of water fur all .

So much for the pa 3 t . As to the future—in my opinion , expressed to the House Committee and others—that if the Inquiry Committee did their duty they would report in favour of an expenditure approaching £ 10 , 000 to bring the Institution up to modern reqnirements . They have done so and more , inasmuch as their recommendations

will , unquestionably , in addition to this capital sum , entail an increased annual outlay of some £ 100 . The House Committee have , for a long time , considered the necessities referred to , aud are glad to find that their views h . ive been gonerally accepted by the Inqairy Committee . Yonrs faithfully and fraternally , A . P . GODSON .

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CIIRONICI , > DEAU SIR AND BROTHER , —On the 25 th ultimo you were good enough to insert—though in a " maimed " fashion—a communication from me . May I again trouble you ? " ' Old' Binckes is to go ! " everybody says this ; so , it must be true .

Yet , I ask—Why , why ; why ? Has he committed "Forgery ? " Is he worn out ? Or , has he lost interest in his work ? Hehaslabonred for us , consistently , for nearly thirty years—have we already had too much of him ? Or is it to " new blood " that we must look for success iu the future ?

Oh ! that horrid cockroach in the bread . Oh ! the dreadfully unsatisfactory condition of tho meat . Poor half-starved , over-worked boys . Head Master , —So curbed he cannot govern the unruly element .

Inhuman Houso Steward , —Likes flowers , does he ? Tho villain . Secretary , —Monarch of all he surveys . Crush him ! I would suggest , in the words of a popular author , — " All ' s a muddle . "

Yours fraternally , A LOOKER ON . [ We recognise our correspondent as a staunch supporter of the Masonic Institutions , but while we plead guilty to

the " maiming" ho refers to , he must pardon us if we exercise our prerogative and occasionally use the " curb " over his utterances . —ED . F . O . ]

The following Circular has been sent out to the members of the Gallery Lodge , No . 1928 : —

93 Chancery Lane , W . C . 15 th June 1889 . DEAK SIR AND BROTHER , —You are aware that I have undertaken the office of Steward to represent our Lodge at the forthcoming Festival which will celebrate tho completion of the ninety-first year

of tho existence of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . This Festival will be held at the Alexandra Palace , Muswell Hill , on Wednesday , 3 rd July , when Very Worshipful Brother Richard Eve ,

Past Grand Treasurer , Past Provincial Grand Senior Warden Hants and Isle of Wight , Patron of tho Institution , and of the Girls' School , and of the Bonevolent Institution , will preside , and dinner will be on tho table at six o ' clock . Ladies will dine with the brethren on the

occasion . I am anxious—very anxious—to take up to that Festival as large a total aa possible on my list , knowing from a personal experience of a quarter of a century the extreme value of the Institution , and , I may add , its extreme wants . My interest in it has never faltered

since I first became acquainted with it , and I rely upon the Brethren of the Gallery Lodge , who may not know so well as I do its merits , to take upon trust , from a Brother who has always received from them the utmost confidence , tho assurance that whatever amount thpy may please * to honour him with will be applied towards

advancing the beat interests of a charity which haa not only done much good work in the pusfc , but is destined to take a far higher pluce in the immediate futnro as an educational establishment , and as a home for the sons of Freemasons , than ever it ha 3 attained

before . I enclose for your careful perusal some particulars which are issued from the office of the Institution , and I shall be happy to receive your name aa a coutiibutoc to my Hat .

I remain , Dear Sir and Brother , Very faithfully and fraternally yours , H . MASSEY , P . M . 619 , P . M . and Treasure . " 1928

I The Provincial Graud Lodge of Somerset and the various Lodges iu the Province will go into mourning for six months in memory of the late Bro . Brigadier-General Adair P . P . G . M ., aud the late Bro . Sumner Toms P . G . J . W .

The s . s . " Herald , " which now runs twice a-week , on Tuesday and Saturday , from Blaokwall to Bonlngne , offers a pleasant and economical means of visiting the Paris Exhibition aud other attractions ou tho Cjntineut , and we anticipate it being well patronised during the present season . A call is made on each journey at Margate , and the f ' nren charged are so moderate that , for this service alone , we imagine tha accommodation of the vessel will

be taxrd to the ntnv > s . The command is entrusted to an experienced seaman , while one of the most enthusiastic brethren of the metropolis is interested iu i \\» venture , which on this account alone should recommend itsolf to the general body of the Craft . A list of tho fares and other particulars will be found among our advertisements .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . CAPT . W II . FIELD . THIS worthy brother , who was a member of Vitruvian Lodge , No . y 7 , and of the lioyal Savoy , No . 1744 , departed this life on the 31 st ultimo . At his funeral , which took

place at Brompton Cemetery , a number of Brethren and personal friends and comrades assembled to pay their last tribute of respect to a kind aud genial companion . The proceedings wero carried out with military honours .