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GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY . CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAY EXCURSIONS From LONDON ( Marylebone , near Baker Street and Edgware Road ) . THE Excursion announced to leave London ( Marylebone ) , for Northallerton , Darlington , Newcastlf , Berwick , Edinburgh , Glasgow , & c , at 7 . 45 a . m . on 29 th December , will leave at 7 . 45 P . M . Manchester . WILLIAM POLLITT , General Manager .

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H ^^^^ M ^^ fl SATUEDAY , 23 BD DECEMBEE 1899 .

West Yorkshire.

WEST YORKSHIRE .

ON the occasion of the half-yearly meeting of this Provincial Grand Chapter , held at Milnsbridge on the 22 nd ult , Comp . Richard Wilson P . Z . 28 9 PastG . Soj . acted as Provincial Superintendent , in the unavoidable absence of Comp . W . L . Jackson , M . P ., and , addressing the Companions ,

said : —On behalf of Provincial Grand Chapter , and the founders of the Armitage Chapter , my first duty is to welcome all the Companions who are here to-day . Some six months ago the Grand Superintendent of West Yorkshire bespoke for me a very great measure of your confidence in the position to

which I was then called , and it is my duty , as well as it is my pleasure , to acknowledge that this confidence I have received to the full , in everything I have had to do in the Province . The Grand Superintendent , when speaking to me on the subject of this meeting , stated that he knew of nothing

to note in the Province ; and I know nothing of striking importance to bring before you , but there is one fact which will be of interest to the Companions , and has somewhat struck me , and that is , that so far as the Provinces are concerned with the Arch , we in West Yorkshire stand second

to none . We have an idea that we are very lax in the matter of this degree , and that we are not making the progress we should do . That may be so , but in spite of that we have more Chapters in the Province than an ) ' other Province , with one exception . I have obtained some figures which show

that in West Yorkshire there are 45 Chapters , while in West Lancashire there are 4 6 , in East Lancashire 41 , and in Devon 30 . The number of Craft Lodges in West Yorkshire is 81 , in West Lancashire 122 , in East Lancashire 113 , with only 41 Chapters , and Devon has 50 Craft Lodges and

30 Chapters . Then again in West Yorkshire we have 4 , 142 members of the Craft , with 1 , 559 members of the Chapter ; in West Lancashire there are 8 , 125 members of the Craft , and only 1 , 44 6 members of the Chapter ; in East Lancashire 4 , 800 in the Craft , and only 1 , 100 in the Chapter ; and in

Devon there are 3 , 887 members of the Craft , and 9 69 of the Chapter . I think such a comparative statement will be of encouragement to the Companions who have spent so much time and labour to advance the interests of Royal Arch Masonry . I will briefly mention one subject engrossing to us

all , and that is the War Fund . In Leeds there has been an appeal made by the Lord Mayor , and I have no doubt that such an appeal , in one shape or another , has , and will continue to come to us in many shapes . At the same time , I think these appeals will go straight to the heart of every

Mason . If our fellow-men are called out to South Africa , to carry out orders in a quarrel which we think to be right , the least thing we , who stay at home in peace , can do , is to see that their families do not suffer ; and last , but not least , on behalf of those who have been made widows and orphans ,

because their relatives have been sent out to fight for us , we should do what we can , and nothing should be too great for us in that respect . That is the feeling of Freemasonry ; it has received the encouragement of the Prince of Wales , and appeals to all the Brethren , even to the newly initiated

Mason , so that we cannot do too much . Although it was late when I issued the circular , and many of the Brethren had already subscribed , the response has brought into my hands , up to the present , the sum of £ 260 , and I have . no doubt of getting £ 100 or £ 150 more . With respect to the

West Yorkshire.

same subject , I am glad to know that the citizens of Bradford have such esteem for and confidence in the Chairman of our Charity Committee ( Comp . W . C . Lupton ) that they have made him the Mayor of that city . The Brethren are marking that event by contributing towards the Mayor of Bradford's

fund ; and the appeals on behalf of the sister funds I am sure will deservedly meet with a liberal and a warm response . With regard to Milnsbridge and the consecration of the Armitage Chapter , I may say that so far as my knowledge of the district is concerned , it is in connection with the Luddite

Riots . I had friends living at Dalton—I cannot tell where it is , but it cannot be far away . I had friends who , in my youth , used to give instances of what occurred in the Luddite Riots . It was at Milnsbridge House , where Mr . Joseph Ratcliffe resided , that the persons who were charged with the

murder of Mr . Horsfall , while going from Huddersfield Market , were taken for examination , and they were afterwards removed to York , tried , and hanged . For his services and loyalty during that period he was made a baronet , and the successors of Sir Joseph Radcliffe now live at Rudding Park .

One of my late partners married Sir Joseph's daughter , and one of my present partners is his grandson . When Sir Joseph Ratcliffe left , his successor became Mr . Joseph Armitage , the father of our esteemed Brother and Companion Edward Armitage , who has been a subscribing member of the

Harmony Lodge , 275 , Huddersfield , for close on sixty years , and from him the Lodge and Chapter have taken their names ; and his son , Companion Alfred Armitage , is one of the founders of this Chapter . That was the connection

between the Chapter and the Armitage family , and we feel glad to take part in any ceremonies that are intended to do honour to such an illustrious Brother . I am glad to be with you to-day .

Comp . R . Sheard , in accordance with notice moved that the salary of the Prov . G . S . E . be increased to forty guineas . He stated he had made a modification in his proposition , which originally was to increase the salary of Companion Green to fifty guineas . It was twenty years since the salary

was given , and since then Comp . Green ' s duties had been considerably increased ; not only was that the case , but he understood that Comp . Green gave more than ten per cent , of his salary to the three great Charities belonging to Masonry .

In comparing the salaries paid by other Provinces he found that Comp . Green received only about one-half that paid by West Lancashire , and considerably less than in other Provinces . Comp . Green ' s position was a very responsible

one . Comp . W . Dyson , in seconding the proposition , spoke of the carefulness , promptitude and attention with which

Comp . Green had always carried out the duties of his office . The motion was supported by Comps . J . Barker , Harrop , Parke and the Acting Provincial Grand Superintendent , and carried unanimously .

Comp . Green briefly thanked the Companions , and said he hoped by deeds , not words , to prove his gratitude to them for their unanimous vote .

Comp . C . L . Mason moved that a grant of £ 2 2 s be made by Provincial Grand Chapter towards replenishing the working tools for the carpenter ' s shop connected with the

Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . He said the shop was greatly appreciated , had turned out good work , and it was the intention of the boys to make the forms for the new Masonic School .

Comp . W . Blackburn seconded the motion , and said that they had had twenty-eight boys learning carpentry , and now there were sixty-four , so that they would not only

require the tools to be replenished , but also new tools . It was stated that Comp . Chas . Stokes , of Sheffield , had sent £ 10 10 s collected at the Paradise Chapter a day or two ago , and the Mayor of Bradford £ 5 , towards the Fund .

Comp . Harrop said that it was the late Bro . T . W . Embleton who generously presented a large box of tools , about seven years ago , to help the movement originated by Bro . W . F . Smithson .

This being all the formal business before Grand Chapter , the Acting Grand Superintendent proceeded to consecrate the Armitage Chapter , No . 2261 , and afterwards installed the Principals , as follow : Walker Dyson P . Z . 290 and 1645 Z ., C . H . Crowther P . Z . 290 H ., and Herbert Shaw S . E . 290 J .

Seven of the members of the Clyde Lodge , No . 408 ( S . C . ) are known to be engaged in the war in South Africa , a record we should imagine hard to beat .