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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
would if sensationalism were entirely suppressed . The chairman of the Metropolitan Royal Free Hospital , when appealed to by a deputation of gentlemen desirous of putting a stop to the abuse of hospitals , said , " Tho difficulty of limiting the numbers was , that the institution was free , and its doors aro open to all comers , and it based its grounds of support upon the fact thafc it relieved 78 , 000 persons
a-year . That although tho greater part of theso patients only had a single minute of the medical officer's time , it should be remembered that tho bulk of tho cases were probably unimportant , and would occupy littlo time , for people with littlo ailments came , ancl the more important cases wero few in number . " This may bo taken as an average specimen of tho kind of argument generally put forth by
hospital managers when asked to try somo scheme which shall bring about hospital out-patients reform . It is quite out of the question to believe that the bulk of tho patients partaking of relief at our hospitals and dispensaries are fit and proper objects of charity . In truth they are not ; at a moderate estimate fully two-thirds of them are in a position to make a payment
for the great benefits they receive . If only an effort were made to discover them , and point out the meanness of obtaining charitable relief under false pretences , they would at once do so , I am quite sure . I cannot think so meanly of the artisan class as to believe fchafc if ifc were explained to thom that tho charity was solely intended to relieve tho really indigent , they would ask for gratuitous advice and
take away a bottle of medicine without paying for it . The skilled artisan class is rapidly moving into independence and into political importance ; it has become more self-reliant ancl prepared to meet the incidence of sickness , ono of thoso contingencies of life to which wo are all alike exposed , and which it is as necessary to provide against as fire , or any other calamity common to our humanity .
The average amount of sickness is uniform , and although ifc cannot bo so exactly estimated as that of the average number of deaths at a given period of life , nevertheless a fairly accurate estimate can be made of tho amount of sickness which is likely to occur in a given number of persons of known ages , occupations , aud conditions . That calculations of sickness cannot be based on such precise laws
as those of death , are due to the simple fact that death is an absolute reality , ancl cau be weighed accordingly , while sickness is , more or less , a matter of degree and opinion . Furthermore , no ono can attempt to deceive iu the case of death , but , in the case of sickness , there may be many reasons which will induce one person to think more seriously of his own ailment than his neighbour will do . Nevertheless , with
proper supervision , it is perfectly true that tho average per centage of persons who will bo visited with illness may bo calculated upon in advance from year to year . Hence , then , we havo a moans by which tho wage earning classes , ancl thoso who cannot afford to incur a doctor ' s bill may exercise thrift ancl show themselves as above partaking of the doles of charitv , for it must bo a very small minoritv
of them who are unable to pay eight or ten shillings a rear to enrol themselves members of a Provident Dispensary . That tbe great body of artisans are well able to make provision against sickness may bo gathered from what has been repeatedly stated by ono who is looked upon as the poor man ' s friend . Lord Shaftesbury has carefully ascertained that the aggregate receipts of tho wage-earning
classes of this country amount to no less a sum than £ 1 , 000 , 000 per annum , and that of this sum at least one-quarter is expended upon beer , tobacco , and things that could easily be dispensed with . This fully shows that they cau , if they will , perform a duty to themselves and their families in providing medical relief in all ordinary cases of sickness .
It is perfectly clear , however , that something should and must be done to put a stop to tho great abuse of medical charity . The evils inseparable from the out patients' department must be mot by an appeal to the good sense and justice of thoso who so thoughtlessly run to them on every trifling illness . It should be clearly understood , also , that while the medical oflicers are quite prepared ancl
willing to do a certain amount of work out of pure benevolence , and from the same feelings thafc lead the public to give their money to support hospitals and dispensaries , that it is impolitic and contrary to common sense to call upon them to render arduous services iu the cause of charity ancl give gratuitous surgical ancl medical advice indiscriminately and to all comers . I refer to this because it is not so
generally known as it should be that those who perform all the hard work of hospitals receive no remuneration whatever for their valuable services . I sincerely trust , therefore , that " A P . M . " will not waste his energies in an endeavour to set on foot a now Masonic Dispensary , unless ifc be ono on the Provident principle . Ho may confidently afford encouragement to this system , which is a right one , founded ou the principle of mutual assurance . At the present time ,
however , most of those iu operation about London aro conducted partly on a commercial footing , and partly on thafc of mutual assurance . This arises from the fact that scarcely ono of them are yet able to pay their way and compete successfully against the free hospitals and dispensaries . Indeed , it is scarcely in human nature to suppose that either tho artisan class or "the lower class of humanity " shall voluntarily offer to pay for that which they can so easily attain for nothing .
I remain , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , JABEZ HOGC 1 Bedford-square , 10 th Sept . 1879 .
THINGS ONE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW .
To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Siuco sending my last communication I have received my Girls' School votiug paper , and have carefully gone fchroush tho lisfc of candidates for tho purpose of testing the mauner iu which tho London Masonic Charity Association has carried
Correspondence.
out its frequently expressed intention of selecting such cases for its organised support as were friendless or deserted . Of tho six cases enumerated in their circular ono is a second and last application , with 546 votes recorded at the previous election , two are third applications with 557 and 194 votes , brought forward , two avo second applications with 75 ancl 15 votes polled in April last , and ono is a new
case . Of the foregoing two can in no sense bo considered either friendless on deserted , why , then , wero they chosen for recommendation to the exclusion of a similar number of the threo other last applications which are left by tho Association unrecognised ancl unaided ? Fortunately two of them have high numbers standing to their credit , namely , 646 ancl 459 , but Ada Hodgson , No . 46 on tho list ,
must succeed at the ensuing election , or her only parent , her mother , must bear tho burden of her education and sustenance in addition to that entailed by tho maintenance of four other dependent children , until timo or circumstances release her from tho obligation . I am bound to admit that the threo last applications not recommended aro from the nrovinces : I refer to their omission as . in mv oninion . evi .
deucing a spirit of antagonism to such cases as are not recommended by London Lodges in forgetfulness of the fact that many of them are provincial only in tho Masonic identity of the father , Metropolitan as regards his initiation . The Association shonld , in order to maintain its philauthropical
character announce to the Craft its reason for this change of front , and that soon ; meanwhile subscribers desirous of assisting the cause of either of the recommending cases can fill in their proxies before transmitting them to either the Secretary of the Association , or the Secretary of the particular institution . Yours fraternally , QUERIST .
"Uniformity Of Working;" And "Which Is Correct?"
"UNIFORMITY OF WORKING ; " AND "WHICH IS CORRECT ?"
To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —As you are personally aware , my time has been so much taken up lately in tho preparation and completion of the work " Uniformity of Masonic Eitual ancl Observance , " that I havo been unable to continue my letters on the several diversities of formula ) which havo attracted my attention , and which will bo
discussed in continuation of the correspondence under the heading of " Which is Correct ? " 1 shall now soon be enabled to resume the subject , as , to my very great satisfaction , my book is before tho Masonic public , and can be obtained by them either through the Tylers of thoir several Lodges , or , in tl * o ordinary manner , of all booksellers .
1 tako this opportunity to thank most heartily those brethren who , by their kind support , have secured tho private disposal of nearly tho whole of tho first edition ( 1 , 000 copies ) , before oven tho date of publication , and even moro especially thoso of our Order who have mado tho work ns profitable to mo as I hope it may prove to themselves by advertising therein . Hitherto , as I hive boon led to understand ,
Masonic publications generally have benn onsidnred most unprofitable unclortakintrs , and tho snpp irt which would have been frequently given by those who would otherwise gladly advertise thoir wares or business in such works has boon withheld in consequence of the disinclination to have reflections cast on thom for , —as tho term goes , — " trading on Masonry . " I cannot seo that any public announcement
of a man ' s business address , ancl tho trade ho carries on , in whatever respectable publication it may appear , should subject ; him to any imputation ; nor why , because ho happens to bo a Mason , he should bo precluded from bringing himself under the notice of others connected with the Masonic body . However , as will be seen , many of my Masonic friends havo no
such scruples , and consequently they hive made my work a successful and profitable venture , for which I heartily thank them , and am quite prepared , iu return for their assent to my solicitation , to bear any reflections which may be cast on either themselves or myself as "traders on Masonry . " T present the shield of common sense against any sucii attacks , should they be
made , ancl from tho standpoint of success declare that ifc is better for myself , and I hope for tho Craft generally , thafc the book is published and being thoroughly well circulated , because of their hearty and liberal support , than that I should have failed in producing it on the score of too great a cost .
It is to be hoped that at least all the members of Grand Lodge , Masters , Past Masters , ancl Wardens , will make themselves conversant with tho contents of the work without delay , for it is my intention to raise the question of " Uniformity" at the ensuing Quarterly Communication by notico of motion in the prescribed legal manner .
A second edition will at once be'issued , and meanwhile I can , as also can you , receive the names of subscribers . The advertisement of the book will be found elsewhere in your columns . Yours faithfully and fraternally , JAMES STEVENS . 112 High-street , Clapham , 17 th Sept . 1879 ,
HOLLOWATL s Pitts . —Easy Digestion . —These admirable Pills cannot be too highly appreciated for the wholesome power they exert over all disorders of the stomach , liver , bowels , and kidneys . They instuntsincously relieve and steadily work out a . thorough cure , and in its course dispel headache , biliousness flatulence , and depression of spirits . It is wonderful to watch the daily
improvement of tlie complexion , as EFollowav ' s Pills purifv- the blond and restore plumpness to tho face , which had lost both flesh and colour . Theso [ 'ills combine every excellence desirable in a domestic remedv . The most certain and beneficial results flow from tho occasional use of this rcriil ' itiiisj medicine ; even persons in health , or when following so leularv occupation , will find it an invaluable aperient .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
would if sensationalism were entirely suppressed . The chairman of the Metropolitan Royal Free Hospital , when appealed to by a deputation of gentlemen desirous of putting a stop to the abuse of hospitals , said , " Tho difficulty of limiting the numbers was , that the institution was free , and its doors aro open to all comers , and it based its grounds of support upon the fact thafc it relieved 78 , 000 persons
a-year . That although tho greater part of theso patients only had a single minute of the medical officer's time , it should be remembered that tho bulk of tho cases were probably unimportant , and would occupy littlo time , for people with littlo ailments came , ancl the more important cases wero few in number . " This may bo taken as an average specimen of tho kind of argument generally put forth by
hospital managers when asked to try somo scheme which shall bring about hospital out-patients reform . It is quite out of the question to believe that the bulk of tho patients partaking of relief at our hospitals and dispensaries are fit and proper objects of charity . In truth they are not ; at a moderate estimate fully two-thirds of them are in a position to make a payment
for the great benefits they receive . If only an effort were made to discover them , and point out the meanness of obtaining charitable relief under false pretences , they would at once do so , I am quite sure . I cannot think so meanly of the artisan class as to believe fchafc if ifc were explained to thom that tho charity was solely intended to relieve tho really indigent , they would ask for gratuitous advice and
take away a bottle of medicine without paying for it . The skilled artisan class is rapidly moving into independence and into political importance ; it has become more self-reliant ancl prepared to meet the incidence of sickness , ono of thoso contingencies of life to which wo are all alike exposed , and which it is as necessary to provide against as fire , or any other calamity common to our humanity .
The average amount of sickness is uniform , and although ifc cannot bo so exactly estimated as that of the average number of deaths at a given period of life , nevertheless a fairly accurate estimate can be made of tho amount of sickness which is likely to occur in a given number of persons of known ages , occupations , aud conditions . That calculations of sickness cannot be based on such precise laws
as those of death , are due to the simple fact that death is an absolute reality , ancl cau be weighed accordingly , while sickness is , more or less , a matter of degree and opinion . Furthermore , no ono can attempt to deceive iu the case of death , but , in the case of sickness , there may be many reasons which will induce one person to think more seriously of his own ailment than his neighbour will do . Nevertheless , with
proper supervision , it is perfectly true that tho average per centage of persons who will bo visited with illness may bo calculated upon in advance from year to year . Hence , then , we havo a moans by which tho wage earning classes , ancl thoso who cannot afford to incur a doctor ' s bill may exercise thrift ancl show themselves as above partaking of the doles of charitv , for it must bo a very small minoritv
of them who are unable to pay eight or ten shillings a rear to enrol themselves members of a Provident Dispensary . That tbe great body of artisans are well able to make provision against sickness may bo gathered from what has been repeatedly stated by ono who is looked upon as the poor man ' s friend . Lord Shaftesbury has carefully ascertained that the aggregate receipts of tho wage-earning
classes of this country amount to no less a sum than £ 1 , 000 , 000 per annum , and that of this sum at least one-quarter is expended upon beer , tobacco , and things that could easily be dispensed with . This fully shows that they cau , if they will , perform a duty to themselves and their families in providing medical relief in all ordinary cases of sickness .
It is perfectly clear , however , that something should and must be done to put a stop to tho great abuse of medical charity . The evils inseparable from the out patients' department must be mot by an appeal to the good sense and justice of thoso who so thoughtlessly run to them on every trifling illness . It should be clearly understood , also , that while the medical oflicers are quite prepared ancl
willing to do a certain amount of work out of pure benevolence , and from the same feelings thafc lead the public to give their money to support hospitals and dispensaries , that it is impolitic and contrary to common sense to call upon them to render arduous services iu the cause of charity ancl give gratuitous surgical ancl medical advice indiscriminately and to all comers . I refer to this because it is not so
generally known as it should be that those who perform all the hard work of hospitals receive no remuneration whatever for their valuable services . I sincerely trust , therefore , that " A P . M . " will not waste his energies in an endeavour to set on foot a now Masonic Dispensary , unless ifc be ono on the Provident principle . Ho may confidently afford encouragement to this system , which is a right one , founded ou the principle of mutual assurance . At the present time ,
however , most of those iu operation about London aro conducted partly on a commercial footing , and partly on thafc of mutual assurance . This arises from the fact that scarcely ono of them are yet able to pay their way and compete successfully against the free hospitals and dispensaries . Indeed , it is scarcely in human nature to suppose that either tho artisan class or "the lower class of humanity " shall voluntarily offer to pay for that which they can so easily attain for nothing .
I remain , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , JABEZ HOGC 1 Bedford-square , 10 th Sept . 1879 .
THINGS ONE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW .
To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Siuco sending my last communication I have received my Girls' School votiug paper , and have carefully gone fchroush tho lisfc of candidates for tho purpose of testing the mauner iu which tho London Masonic Charity Association has carried
Correspondence.
out its frequently expressed intention of selecting such cases for its organised support as were friendless or deserted . Of tho six cases enumerated in their circular ono is a second and last application , with 546 votes recorded at the previous election , two are third applications with 557 and 194 votes , brought forward , two avo second applications with 75 ancl 15 votes polled in April last , and ono is a new
case . Of the foregoing two can in no sense bo considered either friendless on deserted , why , then , wero they chosen for recommendation to the exclusion of a similar number of the threo other last applications which are left by tho Association unrecognised ancl unaided ? Fortunately two of them have high numbers standing to their credit , namely , 646 ancl 459 , but Ada Hodgson , No . 46 on tho list ,
must succeed at the ensuing election , or her only parent , her mother , must bear tho burden of her education and sustenance in addition to that entailed by tho maintenance of four other dependent children , until timo or circumstances release her from tho obligation . I am bound to admit that the threo last applications not recommended aro from the nrovinces : I refer to their omission as . in mv oninion . evi .
deucing a spirit of antagonism to such cases as are not recommended by London Lodges in forgetfulness of the fact that many of them are provincial only in tho Masonic identity of the father , Metropolitan as regards his initiation . The Association shonld , in order to maintain its philauthropical
character announce to the Craft its reason for this change of front , and that soon ; meanwhile subscribers desirous of assisting the cause of either of the recommending cases can fill in their proxies before transmitting them to either the Secretary of the Association , or the Secretary of the particular institution . Yours fraternally , QUERIST .
"Uniformity Of Working;" And "Which Is Correct?"
"UNIFORMITY OF WORKING ; " AND "WHICH IS CORRECT ?"
To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —As you are personally aware , my time has been so much taken up lately in tho preparation and completion of the work " Uniformity of Masonic Eitual ancl Observance , " that I havo been unable to continue my letters on the several diversities of formula ) which havo attracted my attention , and which will bo
discussed in continuation of the correspondence under the heading of " Which is Correct ? " 1 shall now soon be enabled to resume the subject , as , to my very great satisfaction , my book is before tho Masonic public , and can be obtained by them either through the Tylers of thoir several Lodges , or , in tl * o ordinary manner , of all booksellers .
1 tako this opportunity to thank most heartily those brethren who , by their kind support , have secured tho private disposal of nearly tho whole of tho first edition ( 1 , 000 copies ) , before oven tho date of publication , and even moro especially thoso of our Order who have mado tho work ns profitable to mo as I hope it may prove to themselves by advertising therein . Hitherto , as I hive boon led to understand ,
Masonic publications generally have benn onsidnred most unprofitable unclortakintrs , and tho snpp irt which would have been frequently given by those who would otherwise gladly advertise thoir wares or business in such works has boon withheld in consequence of the disinclination to have reflections cast on thom for , —as tho term goes , — " trading on Masonry . " I cannot seo that any public announcement
of a man ' s business address , ancl tho trade ho carries on , in whatever respectable publication it may appear , should subject ; him to any imputation ; nor why , because ho happens to bo a Mason , he should bo precluded from bringing himself under the notice of others connected with the Masonic body . However , as will be seen , many of my Masonic friends havo no
such scruples , and consequently they hive made my work a successful and profitable venture , for which I heartily thank them , and am quite prepared , iu return for their assent to my solicitation , to bear any reflections which may be cast on either themselves or myself as "traders on Masonry . " T present the shield of common sense against any sucii attacks , should they be
made , ancl from tho standpoint of success declare that ifc is better for myself , and I hope for tho Craft generally , thafc the book is published and being thoroughly well circulated , because of their hearty and liberal support , than that I should have failed in producing it on the score of too great a cost .
It is to be hoped that at least all the members of Grand Lodge , Masters , Past Masters , ancl Wardens , will make themselves conversant with tho contents of the work without delay , for it is my intention to raise the question of " Uniformity" at the ensuing Quarterly Communication by notico of motion in the prescribed legal manner .
A second edition will at once be'issued , and meanwhile I can , as also can you , receive the names of subscribers . The advertisement of the book will be found elsewhere in your columns . Yours faithfully and fraternally , JAMES STEVENS . 112 High-street , Clapham , 17 th Sept . 1879 ,
HOLLOWATL s Pitts . —Easy Digestion . —These admirable Pills cannot be too highly appreciated for the wholesome power they exert over all disorders of the stomach , liver , bowels , and kidneys . They instuntsincously relieve and steadily work out a . thorough cure , and in its course dispel headache , biliousness flatulence , and depression of spirits . It is wonderful to watch the daily
improvement of tlie complexion , as EFollowav ' s Pills purifv- the blond and restore plumpness to tho face , which had lost both flesh and colour . Theso [ 'ills combine every excellence desirable in a domestic remedv . The most certain and beneficial results flow from tho occasional use of this rcriil ' itiiisj medicine ; even persons in health , or when following so leularv occupation , will find it an invaluable aperient .