Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do nofc hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of tho Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

To the Editor of the FKEEMASON ' S CIIUOJJICLE . DKAB Silt AND BUOTHKU , —It seems to mo thafc for somo timo past the Provincial Masons have had more thau their fair share of talkfchey have long enjoyed more than their fair share of benefits—in

connection with the great Charities of tho Order ; and I think it ia about time some of tho loudest of fcho Provincials should be met on their own lines . I am afraid I shall make a poor stand against tho utterances of tbo country folk , bufc " even a worm will turn , " and it ia abonfc timo thafc London—or some one on behalf of London—turned

their attention to tho subject . I am averse to a strict debit and credit account being kept in regard to subscriptions and donations paid to , and benefits received from , tho Charities , but there is such a thing as justice , and it ia most unjust for thoso who get the mosfc out of fcho Institutions to

QUID pro QUO

make the loudest complaint about their management . To be more precise in what I mean , I will refer fco one or two matters that have recently come under my notice . In your report of the Grand Master of West Yorkshire's speech , afc fche Provincial meeting recently held at Huddersfleld , I gather

thafc our distinguished Bro . Tew haa a vory good opinion of whab his Province has dono for the Boys' School ; ho has also somo strange ideas . He is reported aa having said : — " In a Province like West Yorkshire , tho passing of a formal

resolution , and only confirming ib hereafter upon the Provincial Grand Lodge ' Minntes , ' liko mauy Provinces , and taking no further action to enforce the views of this Provincial Grand Lodgo , would hardly bo compatible with our desires for the welfare of this School , considering the large amount of money contributed by the Lodges which , since 1871 , is upwards of £ 12 , 000 . "

( Tho italics are mine . ) Now , Bro . Tew—and Brethren of West Yorkshire generally—I , as a Londoner , while admitting that the £ 12 , 000 yon boast ; of is a largo amount of money to bo contributed by your Lodges , ask—What have

you had in return for it ? Perhaps a few figures will assist yon , and I accordingly give a summary of tho nnmber of West Yorkshire caaes which have been on fche funds of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , during this period , in which you boasfc of having contributed your £ 12 . 000 : —

1871 11 Boys 1872 14 1873 12 1874 13 1875 12 1876 12 1877 13

1878 16 1879 10 1880 20 1881 20 1882 21 1883 23 1884 16

1885 12 1886 16 1887 20 1888 23 1889 24

19 years 317 Boys an average of 16 } $ , or , to be less cumbered with fractions , let us say 16 | Boys per year . How far has your splendid contribution of £ 12 , 000 paid the cost of these 317 Boys ? £ 12 , 000 spread over 19 years gives au average of £ 631 lis 7 d per

year , aud this , divided between 16 j Boys , gives about £ 37 17 s 10 : { -d per child , so that West Yorkshire has maintained 317 children during tho last nineteen years , at fche Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , afc about £ 12 per head—at tbe vory lowest—loaa than thoy have cost the Institution . As the average number of beneficiaries is 10 3 this

means that each year since 1871 West Yorkshire has benefitted from fche Boys' School to the extent of about £ 200 more than its Lodges and the Province has contributed , and yet the Provincial Grand Master talks of " enforcing" the views of hia district in regard to tho future conduct of the Institution .

Well may Bro . Tew say the Provinco of West Yorkshire " desires the welfare of this School . " Who would not desire the welftiro of a concern yielding a elenr profit of ab least £ 200 on an outlay of £ 631 lis 7 d a year ? But there are also many sido issues that might be considered in this matter . I am very innch mistaken if tho

£ 12 , 000 referred to by Bro . Tow does not include tho purchase of one or moro perpetnal presentations , ao that—if I am correct—West Yorkshire has not only had upwards of 26 s in the £ 1 for its subscriptions , but Las also secured valuable rights iu tho Institution , -so long as ifc lasts , and yefc tho Provinco grumbles ! Truly it may be asked—What do fchey want for their money ? Yours faithfully . A YlCK pittSIPiifU ' ,

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

FRIENDSHIP CHAPTER , No . 202 . f J 111 E annual meeting was held afc tho Masonic Hall , Grauby A . Street , Devonport , on tho 14 th inst ., to instal tho Principals for tho year ensuing , viz .: —Ex-Comp . IT . Langmead Z ., ox-Comp . J . Leonard II ., and Comp . It . Carter J . Tho Installing Officers were ox-Comps . R . Lavers P . Z . 202 P . P . G . S . B ., and W . Allsford P . Z . 202

P . G . P . Soj . Tbo Assistants' Officera woro invested as follows : — Comps . D . Seudy S . E ., and Geo . Bray S . N ., Ex-Comp . H . Welch Treasurer , M . Axworthy P . Soj ., Geo . Hancock 1 st Assistant Soj ., W . G . Coombes 2 nd Assistant Soj ., aud Thomas Shears Janitor . Tho Treasurer reported a balance in favour of tho Chapter .

INKERMAN CHAPTER , No . 1222 .

rpHE annual meeting was hold afc fche Masonio Hall , Weatou-Super-- * - Mare , on Monday tho 28 th ulfc ., when Comp . W . H . Wooller was installed as M . E . Z ., Comp . G . E . Alford as H ., and Comp . G . H . Perrofcfc as J . Tho ceremony of installation was most ably performed by Comp . Colonel Long . Tho following Companions were invested wifch tho collars of offico : —Comps . H . B . Ffurington S . E ., T . Cogle

S . N ., W . M . Forty Treasurer , W . E . Perrotfc D . C , S . Sollick P . S ., F . Blackmore 1 st Assistants Sojourner , H . Butfc 2 nd Assistant Sojourner , J . James Janitor pro tern . The visiting Companions were : ~ Cornps . Colonel Long P . G . II . of Somerset , P . S . Warne- G . S . E . of Kent , F . Glover Z . 41 , J . Knight H . 41 , G . H . Bartlett J . 41 , E . F . Wade Z . 41 , Baruea 397 , W . C . Thomas 2025 .

We hear thafc Messrs . Dean and Son , have been authorised to procluce an illustrated coloured toy book depicting the scenes in Barnum's Exhibition , entitled " Barnum ' s Great Show , " which will be published immediately . Messrs . Dean have engaged the services of the well-known artist Mr . Dudley Hanly , to execute the designs for this work .

Tho principal features of " Christmas Arrows , " the extra Christmas number of " The Quiver , " is a one-volumo story by L . T . Meade , entitled " Frances Kane's fortune , " and in addition there are contributions by the Rev . P . B . Power , the Rev . W . Landels , the Rev . F . Langbridge , Ruth Mitchell , and others .

We learn thafc Messrs . Cassell and Company aro producing a " Little Folks Autograph Book , " which will bo presented with fche January number of " Little Folks Magazine " ( published on the 19 th December ) , commencing fche new volume . A new serial story by W . Clark Russell , author of " The Wreck of the Grosvenor , " will be commenced in the January number .

The Editor of " Great Thoughts " has made arrangements wifch Dr . Joseph Parker , of the City Temple , London , to contribute a serial story , entitled "The History of a Soul ; or , Robert Elsinere ' s Contrast ; , " fco commence with fche new volume , 4 th January 1890 .

"Illustrations , " Mr . Francis Georgo Heath ' s pictorial magazine , will this year have its first double Christmas number of illustrated stories , & c , in lieu of its ordinary December nnmber . Tho publishers will be Messrs . Simpkin , Marshall , Hamilton , Kent and Co .

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Bro . EDWARD DELEVANTI , Conductor ITALIAN ORCHESTRA ( Uniform ) , ! . ) ST . MARY'S Tlt-JUIiA-CAl ., * i \ tA . rJU / x "Mrfjld ,, AV . " \ jTOCALISTS . Solo instrumentalists and Bands provided for T Concert .- ; , Ads (! :. ' , d . ri I' . U'LW , AlWouic liatitilictj , < kc . l'iauolbrto , Organ , Violin , and Ai . A'rd IJ WS ' JUS , biKi-wf" ! 'W LODGES 1021 , U 012 , isu ' Mrll .