The Approaching School Elections.

THE APPROACHING SCHOOL ELECTIONS .

THE balloting papers for the April election of the Schools will show plainly the inadequacy of the executive of the two Institutions to open the doors to all who are deemed worthy of tho benefits of these Institutions . Our regret afc such a state of affairs is well known , and we need scarcely refer to it to-day . "We will therefore proceed to set

forth the claims of the several candidates , and in doing so it must bo understood our remarks are based solely on the information contained in the balloting papers . Without doubt , there are special considerations in many of the cases

which render the candidate -worthy of exceptional support , but of such it is not onr province to take notice . "We leave these considerations to be sot forth by the friends of the respective candidates , feeling assured that they will receive proper attention .

First in order we take the list of the Girls' School , the next election for which is fixed for Saturday , the 1 . 2 th April . The number of the vacancies to be filled on that occasion is officially stated as eighteen . For these there are 47 applicants , sixteen of whom are

described as London candidates , thirty Provincial , and one Foreign ( Calcutta ) . Of the Provinces , Hampshire sends four candidates ; Devon and West Yorkshire three each ; West Lancashire , Monmouth , Warwick and Wilts two each , and Cambridge , Cheshire , Durham , Essex , Gloucester .

Kent , East Lancashire , Somerset , Stafford , Sussex , Sonth Wales ( Western Division ) , and East Yorkshire one each . Of the total , twenty-five have applied before , and in each case—except in that of Ellen Senior , No . 9 on the listvotes aro brought forward , ranging from 1 , 086 in the case

of No . 20 , Elizabeth Alice Harbord , and 1 , 018 in that of No . 18 , Florence E . M . Palmer , to 22 in that of No . 4 , Elizabeth Minnie Parker . In only three of these cases has more than one previous application been made , the exceptions being , Gertrude Alice Jay , who now appears for the

seventh and last time , and Edith Mary Garnet and Mabel Jane Sampson , each of whom have stood two previous elections ; the votes brought forward in these three cases being 575 , 836 and 613 respectively . One matter in connection with the first of the above-named three applicants deserves

notice , and , whatever may be the result of this election , it will doubtless be the last at which such a question can arise . Gertrude Alice Jay has already two sisters in the Institution , and from the number of votes brought forward from previous elections she also stands a chance of being

successful . If she be elected her mother certainly has reason to look upon Freemasonry—with which her late husband was connected but two years—as a most charitable institution . We hope she feels justified in claiming so much assistance from a body to which , one would think

her husband had hardly time to make himself known . These remarks also apply to Ethel F . W . Allison , No . 12 on the list , with 158 votes brought forward ; she also has two sisters in the School , and Helen Mary Basher , No . 15 , 865 votes forward , who has a brother in the Boys' School

and a sister in the Girls' School , save that in these cases the fathers have subscribed , the one 13 f and the other 14 £ years . Should either of these be successful , we think they are to be congratulated on the support their friends can

command . There are nine other instances where members of the same family are being cared for in our Schoolseight candidates with each a sister in the Girls , and one a brother in the Boys—this shows that the law limiting the

The Approaching School Elections.

benefits of our Educational Charities to one in each famil y is really a necessity . The case of Edith Corrall Williams , No . 24 on the list , appears to merit special attention , this being the last chance she has of election , and both her parents are dead . The number of votes standing in her

favour at the present time is 83 ; these we need scarcely point out to the brethren of Monmouth will not tend materially to lessen their labour if they ace determined to carry this case . The only other candidate who will be debarred in consequence of the ago limit , if unsuccessful at

this election , is Katherine Annie Peele , No . / ( Durban ) , who enters the lists with 344 votes already secured ; her mother is living , and this child is tbe only one dependent on her for support . Mabel Jane Sampson , No , 3 , with' 613 votes from her two previous applications , is one of

ten children ; both parents are living , but of their means we are unable to form any opinion . No . 11 , Beatrice Mary Clark , is one of ten children , all of whom are dependent on their mother , the father having died nearly four year's since . Her case is in the hands of the

Warwickshire brethren , and comes forward with 532 recorded votes , so that if the Province has decided to secure tho election of this candidate before starting with the other one brought forward by its members , we may look for her name among the list of those successful . The other case

from this Province is that of Minnie Howie , No . 43 , one of four children , who have lost their father , and her success may be considered as merely a matter of time . No . 17 , Edith Brown , is a Devonshire lass , and is the only one of the candidates from that Province who has taken part in

a previous election , the number of votes recorded in her favour being 28 . Both her parents are living , but they have to provide for eight children , so that we hope the True Love and Unity Lodge , of which the father is a Past Master , will use every effort to enlist as much of the

sympathy of the Province as the case fairly merits . Tho other candidates which require the special attention of our Devonshire brethren are No . 35 , Mildred Evens , and No . 39 , Edith Hicks . The father of the former died last year , leaving a widow , who has five children entirely , and one

partly dependent on her for their living , while the other has both parents alive , and is one of three depending on them for support . We may safely leave these cases to the care of the Province , knowing that it will not be from want of energy if the candidates are not eventually

successful . One of the West Lancashire applicants , No . 15 , Helen Mary Busher , has already been referred to as having a brother and sister in the Schools ; still , even now there are seven children to be provided for by the parents . Considering the number of votes brought

forward ( 865 ) , the Province would be entitled to some sympathy if it were to be decided that the new rules should debar the case from being received . The surplus votes of the Province will doubtless be expended in advancing the interests of its other candidate . Annie

Sarah Parker , No . 28 , who is one of seven child' * - *—two of whom , however , are partly provided for—both parents are living . A family of six children , in a double sense orphans , claims tho sympathy of the Gloucestershire Craftsmen , whose efforts at the last election , on behalf of Thurza Ann Veal , No . 13 , when 686 votes were recorded ,

is evidence of their determination to assist in the care of these children . Hampshire has hard work planned out , even for its zealous workers—four candidates requiring attention . Of these the first on the list is No . 30 , Emily S . H . Hill , whose mother is called upon to provide wholly for five children , and partially for one other . The other