The Girls' School Election.

THE GIRLS' SCHOOL ELECTION .

THE ballot paper for the Girls' School Election , to take place on Saturday , the 14 th proximo , discloses a state of affairs which may be described as most satisfactory . Of the twenty-eight candidates recorded thereon , as seeking to be admitted to a participation in the benefits of the Institution , no less than twenty-two can be immediately

admitted , so that there will only remain six at the close of the day ' s poll who will have to be sent away as unsuccessful . Doubtless it would be better in many ways , if these six disappointments could be prevented , and all the candidates now before the Craft could be taken on without the

trouble and anxiety of an election , but we must not forget that it is by adopting such a course in the more immediate past that the list of candidates now seeking to be admitted to the Girls' School has been reduced to so small a number , and , however much we may wish to help all who need it ,

we must not be continually increasing the number of claimants on the funds merely because a very small addition will enable us to admit all . These small additions speedil y resolve themselves into a large total , and in the end we shall find it necessary to reduce the numbers . There are

many other arguments which might be brought forward why it would not be good policy to take all the candidates on next month , but we have so often spoken on both sides of the question , that it is hardly necessary to do so again . Having decided that an election is desirable , we shall now

devote our attention to . our usual brief survey of the several cases , though , as usual , we must leave it to the friends of the various candidates to make known to the Craft any particular claims which their proteges have for

special consideration ; for ourselves , we can only form a general opinion . There are three candidates on the list about whose success there should be no doubt—we allude to the three who

are parentless—No . 12 , Ethel C . Hippey , No . 20 , Blanche B . Garner , and No . 27 , Angela G . Shervill . With these there can be no question as to urgency ; a family with neither father nor mother must at all times create sym pathy , particularly so among Masons , when the children

are the offspring of a deceased brother . We hope that every voter who is not personally interested in one or other of the remaining twenty-five cases will assure himself that these three are certain of success , before taking any other mto consideration . It would perhaps be invidious to make

any comparison as regards these three , we shall therefore take them in the order in which they stand on the list . No . 12 , E . C . Hippey , is one of four children of a late member of the Alfred Lodge , No . 340 , Oxfordshire , left to the care of friends ; she has made one previous

application , on which occasion she had 667 votes recorded on her behalf , a number whioh will , we think , have to be considerabl y exceeded next month to secure a place . Nos . 20 tod 27 are each first applications : the former , B . A .

Garner , being one of a family of six , and the latter , A . G . onervill , one of four who are left parentless . They are both London cases , and we trust will each receive sufficient support to place them in the School . Of the remaining cases eleven are second applications ,

and fourteen first . No . 11 , Maud P . Keily , heads the list so far as number of votes brought forward is concerned , her total from October last being 1762 . She is one of two children now dependent on a widowed mother , whose husband , during his lifetime , appears to have taken

considerable interest in the Charities and general welfare of the Order . Next comes No . 1 , Ethel A . Hill , who brings forward 1565 votes a 3 the result of the last poll ; she is one of three children left to the care of their mother . Her father was a member of the Westbourne Lodge , No . 733 ,

London . No . 5 , Florence Mason , daughter of a late member of the Independence Lodge , No . 721 , Cheshire , is one of five children left dependent ; she has 1388 votes brought forward , and possesses special claims for the coming eleotion from the fact that it will be tho last at which she can

take a part , in consequence of the age limit . We are pleased to find this is the only " last application " case on the present list , and must confess it had escaped our notice , or we should have included it among the cases first deserving of notice . We trust that the success of this girl

will be assured . No . 4 , Frances A . Prebble , follows , with a total of 1255 votes to the good ; here also a . good Province is accredited with the case , the father having belonged to the Corinthian Lodge , No . 1208 , Kent , doubtless sufficient support will be forthcoming to secure

a place for her among the " successful . " Kate Stokes , No . 6 , has 978 votes in hand ; she is a member of a large family left to the care of a widowed mother , who , let us hope , will ere long be relieved of the charge of this daughter . The father of No . 8 ,

Florence M . G . Willcox , is still living , and is left , we are told , with the care of her and one other child . Doubtless , there are good reasons why his daughter should be admitted to the benefits of the Institution , and it may be very hard on him to have to draw particular attention to

her case , but we again urge that , under such circumstances as his , some fuller information should be given by the authorities than is here supplied . Unfortunately , very many brethren are placed in a similar position to Brother Willcox , so far as being left with a family of motherless

children is concerned ; and we therefore think that the additional particulars we have long asked for in snch cases should be given in the ballot papers . It must not be imagined that we have any fault to find with the case of Florence Willcox in particular : it is the class of

candidates of which she is a member of which we write , and on the present occasion our remarks will equally apply to No . 3 , Ellen Hayes , who will be mentioned later on . Bro . Willcox is accredited to the Eoyal Cumberland Lodge , No . 41 , Somersetshire , and has already polled 782 votes

on behalf of this daughter . No . 9 , Isabella McLeod ( Hants and Isle of Wight ) , brings forward 541 votes , she and one other child are now dependent on the . mother , her father having died in 1881 . No . 7 , Florence M . Beavon , comes to us from abroad , her father having been a member of

the St . Andrew Lodge , No . 500 , Madras . She only secured 264 votes at the last contest , and , as one of four fatherless children , now appeals for further aid : it is to be hoped the appeal will not be in vain . No . 3 , Ellen Hayes , is another Hampshire case , and is the girl already referred to as having her father still alive . He is left with this girl and

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