Provincial Grand Lodge Of Suffolk.

death , six by erasure , and fifty-one withdrawn . After meeting all liabilities the Province had a balance of £ 32 lis 8 d to the good . Various grants were then made from the funds of Provincial Grand Lodge , sums of ten

guineas being voted to each of the three Masonic Institutions , five guineas to the Waveney Memorial Fund , and five guineas to the Binckes' Testimonial Fund . The brethren then proceeded to St . Matthew ' s Church , where a special

service was held , the offertory at the conclusion being m aid of the East Suffolk Hospital . Provincial Grand Lodge having been resumed , the report of tho Suffolk Masonic Charity Association was submitted . This showed that the contributions from the Province to the Masonic Charities for the last three years had amounted to £ 1974 , being an

average of £ 94 per Lodge . During the past year four Stewards had represented the Province at the respective Festivals , and together they had taken up a total of £ 695 13 s , an increase of £ 70 over the amount of the

previous year . There were at the present time four brethren and nine widows from the Province receiving annuities

from tho Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , five

children were in the Girls' School and one was in the Boys' School . Notwithstanding the liberality of the brethren , say the Committee , the Province is receiving a larger amount from the Charities each year than it

subscribes to them , and on this account it is earnestly hoped the brethren will not relax in their efforts for the future The amended bye-laws were then adopted , the Provincial Grand Master suggesting it should be compulsory for each

Lodge Secretary to send a copy of his summons to the head of the Province , the Deputy and the Provincial Grand Secretary , so that they might know exactly what

was going on in the district . Lord Henniker then made a forcible address to the brethren , and votes of thanks having been accorded to those who had assisted in the day ' s work Provincial Lodge was closed . A banquet followed

at the Public Hall , after which the usual toast list was gone through .

Masonic Reading.

MASONIC READING .

THERE are many very valuable Masonic newspapers published all over the world . There is much printed and sent broadcast regarding Masonry , in book form . There are a number of histories of the Fraternity . There are voluminous Proceedings of Masonic Grand Bodies . The

world is full of books on the subject of Masonry , yet there is very little known of the true essence of the Craft-teachings . The fact is , there is very little Masonic literature that is read . A Mason thinks because he is a Mason he

must have some history of the Fraternity in his library , just as he thinks he must have some diploma or Masonic chart framed or hung over the mantle in the front parlour . The book adorns the shelf just as the picture adorns the

wall , a matter of ornament merely , not to be consulted for information . And then some Masonic widow or orphan comes around with "Addison ' s Knights Templar , " u Mackey ' s Cyclopaedia , " or some other good work , and

out of sympathy and , may be , a real desire to help a worthy sister , or , what is more likely , just to get rid of the agent , he buys the book , never opens it , except to read the title page , puts it away and forgets it . There are various reasons for all this . The first and

greatest reason perhaps is the brother does not feel that deep interest in the Masonic Fraternity that he thought he did . For , after all , the number of really interested Masons in the vast army of five hundred and ninety-six thousand

that the United States contains , to say nothing of the rest of the world , is very small . They are ignorant of what Masonry has been , what it is to-day , in organization , teaching , and benefit . Many join Masonry out of mere curiosity ,

and when that curiosity is gratified by the degrees they take , they have all they want of Masonry , never attend Lodge meetings , never read a Masonic book , and never take a Masonic journal . Others join because it has pleasant

social advantages , and they enjoy the Lodge , take delight in helping to confer the third degree , without realizing what the great , underlying , fundamental principle of the drama is . They never read , only to be posted about the

ritual of the degrees , so that the few who remain , whose interest is sufficient to lead them to search the records and read the current literature , must support the publications themselves .

Masonic Reading.

The complaint comes from all over the world , that Masons do not read , that they do nofc support the publications of the Craft . From India , from

New Zealand , from Canada , from our own country , everywhere the same cry goes up . This , of course , ought not to be so . Every Mason should be an intelligent Mason , and if he fails to avail himself of the many

opportunities for gaining knowledge , he is culpably negligent . But there is also another side of the question . Brethren ought not to be expected to read everything that is found in Masonic periodicals , for there is much printed

that is the merest trash . There should be , on the part of those who publish Masonic newspapers , an effort to have the tone of the paper very high . Low , scurrilous articles ought to be excluded . Only the pure and beautiful should

be published . Masonry is a system of beautiful symbols ,

and ] around it should be gathered everything that will bring out clearly and distinctly every hidden glory , and nothing that will tarnish or destroy . There should be variety , not strained monotony . There should be freedom ,

not stilted stoicism . All should be just such as would appeal to the nobler , higher , purer instincts of the man . Long , prosy articles on some exploded theory , thafc may be

very beautiful to stand off and look at , are a burden , and make a magazine heavy and never read . There has been very much of this in Masonry , too much , and ifc has been a direct injury to all Masonic publications .

. Many of the periodicals , as they are published to-day , are unworthy of the names they bear . They are nothing but the scrapings , the peeling , while the fruit has been thrown away . There is a great deal of genuine talent in

Masonry , and the very best of it should be employed on the literature . The trash should be weeded out , and only the true stuff should be preserved . Then the publication

ought to be presented in an attractive form , good type , clear and plain , good paper , and the whole workmanship should exhibit a master workman . Let those who essay to

write be careful to give only tbeir best thoughts , carefully prepared , and those who print , do ifc in a workmanlike manner , and it may be some of the trouble will be removed . There are some Masonic public itions in the world whose very appearance would create a feeling of disgust rafcher than

admiration . The type , the paper , the whole get up is so careless and uninviting that you would expect to find tbe matter inside equally distasteful . This corrected , and then the matter carefully prepared , so that one may

" pick something out of everything he reads , " and the cry of want of support will be lessened , and the ignorance of the Craft will be supplanted by knowledge , and the tenets

of the Craft will be understood and more widely practised , and the grand mission of our noble Institution made secure beyond a peradventure . —N . Y . Dispatch .

The Prov . Grand Lodge of Leicestershire and Rutland will be holden . under the auspices of No . 2081 , The Lodge of the Golden Fleece , at Freemasons' Hall , Halford Street , Leicester , on Tuesday , the 19 th inst ., for the transaction of the usual business : when and where all Past and Present

Prov . Grand Officers , together with the Worshipfnl Masters , Past Masters , and Acting Wardens of the several Lodges of the Province , are summoned to attend , and all Master Masons are invited to be present .

The rapid growth of Freemasonry during the last few years has had the effect of producing a great change in fche accommodation provided for Masonic assemblies . At the present time a large number of the best restaurants and

hotels made a special feature of the quarters they provide for Lodge meetings , some of them even fitting up the most elaborate Masonic Halls . Very convenient quarters are available at the Victoria Mansions Restaurant , Victoria

Street , Westminster , and Lodges seeking accommodation would do well to inspect the features of this establishment . The entrance from Victoria Street leads to the Masonic apartments without the necessity of passing through the

restaurant , and the whole of the rooms set apart for Masonry are so arranged that the utmost privacy is secured . Tho banqueting hall will accommodate upwards of one hundred guests , and as regards the service , we think it only

necessary to refer to the Lodges whicb already make their home at this establishment , and we believe they are thoroughly satisfied wifch fche arrangements made on their behalf by Bro . H . Cloots , the proprietor .