Analysis Of The R.M.B.I. Subscription List.

on sundry occasion .. ; Herefordshire ( -. Lodges)—a very frequent absentee , we regret to say ; "Lincolnshire ( 21 Lodges ) , present at fifteen out of the last twenty-two Festivals ; Northamptonshire and Hunts ( 10 Lodges ) , Northumberland ( 21 . jodi . es ) , a liberal contributor to the

Boys' School : Notts ( 13 Lodges ); Somersetshire ( 22 Lodges ) , present , however , at nineteen out of twenty-two Festivals , and possessing a strong voting power in consequence ; Warwickshire ( 30 Lodges ) , also represented at nineteen out of tho said twenty-two Festivals , with

subscriptions amounting to over £ 5 , 000 ; Channel Islands ( 5 Lodges ) , no Provincial organisation ; Jersey ( 7 Lodges ) ; and the Isle of Man ( 3 Lodges ) . One District abroad , namely , Malta including North Africa , also sent up

a Steward , Bro . Broadley , of the Ancient Carthage Lodge , No . 1717 , Tunis . Thus , of the thousand Lodges—there or thereabouts—in the Provinces , only 153 were unrepresented , and the majority of these have done their duty satisfactorily on othor occasions . '

Let us run through the contributing Provinces , which aro as follow : —Berks and Bucks ( 21 Lodges , of which 11 meet in Berks , and 10 in Bucks ) . The former county sent up nine Stewards , representing five Lodges and a Chapter , and tho latter one Steward for No . 591 , Abingdon . The

total sum given is £ 243 14 s , of which all but £ 2 16 s is derived from Berks , two of whose Stewards' lists are apparently outstanding . It has only once been an absentee since 1 st January 1875 , the aggregate of its contributions being now £ 4 , 266 . Ono Lodge does duty for the Province

of Cheshire with a roll of thirty-eight Lodges , the amount of the list being £ 45 . This Province also has only missed ono Festival in the period already noted , and though its subscriptions may not appear to be on a scalo

commensurate with tho number of its Lodges , it must be borne in mind that it has an Educational Institute of its own , which for many years past has been doing admirable service in assisting the children of deceased and indigent

brethren . Cornwall with twenty-eight Lodges is represented by tho Cornnbian , No . 450 , Hayle , the amount being £ 178 10 s . This is a very fair list , especially when we note that in 1876 it gave over £ 453 to the Boys ' School ; in 1878 £ 570 to the Benevolent ; and in 1879 £ 378

to the Girls' School . Cumberland and Westmoreland ( 19 Lodges ) has a most active worker in the person of its Prov . G . Secretary , Brother G . J . McKay , whose list this time is £ 105 , which with an addition of £ 10 10 s from Brother Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , Lodge No . 1073 ,

Keswick , makes up a total of £ 115 10 s . In 18 / 8 it gave £ 150 to the Boys' School , and last year to the same Institution £ 210 , -while in 1880 it raised over £ 375 for tho R . M . I . G . Thus the brethren in the Lake country are to be congratulated on tho sufficiency of their charitable labours .

Derbyshire , which has the Marquis of Hartington , M . P ., for its chief , and nineteen Lodges on its roll , figured at the Festival of Tnesday to the extent of £ 53 lis , the senior of the two Buxton Lodges—No . 1235 •contributing that amount by the hands of two Stewards .

It has been regularly represented at the Boys Festivals since 1875 , having given to that Institution over £ 1 , 000 , while it has only missed one of the precedingseven Festivals of the Benevolent , and three of those held in . aid of onr Girls . A solitary Devon Lodge ,

tho junior Torquay Lodge , No . 1402 , gives £ 5 5 s . It has , however , quite recently started a Charitable organisation of its own , and moreover has missed but three of the twenty-one Festivals of 1875-81 , its contributions in that period exceeding £ 2 , 660 . Dorsetshire ( 13 Lodges )

contributes as a Province £ 36 15 s , but though this may appear to be a small amount , our tables , published last year , show subscriptions to the Boys' School to the extent of £ 1 , 810 , to the Benevolent £ 1 , 054 , ancl to the Girls ' £ 515 , or together £ 3 , 379 , a very satisfactory picture ,

having regard to its limited number of Lodges . Durham ( 27 Lodges ) is entered for £ 63 , and last year it gave £ 174 . But it bestows the bnlk of its favour on the Schools , the Boys' having been presented with £ 1 , 956 , of which £ 728 was contributed last year , when its

Provincial Grand Master , the Marquis of Londonderry , took the chair at Brighton ; and the Girls' with , over £ 814 . A brief respite after last year's exertions will be readily conceded , therefore , to a Province which has done so well .

Wc next transfer onr attentions from the North to the Home County of Essex with its nineteen Lodges , two of which by the medium of three Stewards send up between

Analysis Of The R.M.B.I. Subscription List.

them tlie neat little snm of £ 93 10 s . This is the seventh consecutive year it has figured at the Festivals of the Benevolent . It has had Stewards at all seven of the Boys ' School since 1875 , and has been only twice an absentee in the same period at tho Girls' Anniversaries . The

aggregate of its subscriptions as published by us is now only a little short of £ 2 , 100 . Gloucestershire , with its modest array of fourteen Lodges , contributed so largely to the Festivals of last year , having raised £ 1 , 000 for the Girls' in support of its newly-installed chief , Sir M .

Hicks-Bench , Bart ., M . P ., to say nothing of £ 283 10 s to the Boys' School and £ 263 lis to the Benevolent , or together £ 1 , 547 , so that our readers will exhibit no surprise that at this Festival it should have been represented only by two Lodges and a Chapter , whose joint

lists , including a sum of twenty guineas for Bro . Baron De Ferrieres , M . P ., amount to £ 110 5 s . However , this helps to raise tho total of its contributions since 1875 to the three Institutions to over £ 4 , 800 , being an average of little short of £ 343 per Lodge , which , all will allow , is a goodly record , of which the Province may well be proud .

Hants and the Isle of Wight , with thirty-six Lodges , contributes £ 272 10 s , being the total of the lists sent up by five of its Lodge ? . During 1875-81 it gave to tho Boys £ 1 , 971 , to the Girls £ 583 , and to the Benevolent £ 1 , 276 , making together £ 3 , 830 ; so that it figures now

for £ 4 , 100 . It has only missed two out of the last twenty-two Festivals , nor is this to be wondered at , having regard to the fact that its worthy Chief , Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., is one of the most zealous as well as popular members of the Craft .

To " Little " Herts , with a muster of only eleven Lodges all told , belongs the honour of having raised the largest total in the Provinces , even the Lancashires and West Yorkshire having to yield to it on this occasion . No less than eight of its Lodges sent up Stewards , the Cecil ,

No . 449 , Hitchin , having two representatives , while tho Gladsmuir Chapter is represented , as well as tho Gladsmuir Lodge , No . 1385 , Barnet . Tbe Watford Lodge , No . 104 , heads the list with a handsome contribution , per Bro . J . E . Dawson , of £ 157 10 s . Bro . Terry , acting as the

representative of the Cranbourne Lodge , No . 1580 , Hatfield , is entered for a solid £ 115 10 s . The Cecil , No . 449 , Hitchin , gives in all £ 74 8 s , of which £ 16 ls is on Bro . Silcock ' s list , and £ 58 7 s on Bro . Dr . George Mickley ' s . Gladsmuir Lodge , per Bro . C . Grey P . M ., figures for £ 30 ,

and the Gladsmuir Chapter , per Comp . W . J . Crutch , for £ 40 3 s . The Halsey , No . 1479 , St . Albans , contributes , per Bro . W . Masters , £ 42 ; the Hertford , per Bro . W . Warrener , M . D ., £ 30 9 s ; King Harold , No . 1327 , Waltham New Town , £ 28 lis ; and the youngest

Lodge in the Province , the King Henry the Sth , No . 1757 , Hemel Hempstead , a modest £ 15 3 s . These together amount to £ 533 14 s , which , as we have said , is the largest total contributed by any single Province . This raises its subscriptions to the Institution , of which our respected

Bro . Terry is the Secretary , to the sum of £ 2 , 494 6 s Od , while , in addition , it has given over £ 720 to the Boys ' School , and over £ 552 to the Girls' School , making together £ 3 , 766 as the result of its labours at twenty-one

out of twenty-two Festivals . Again we say , as on former occasions , "Bravo ! little Herts , " to which we will take upon ourselves to add the expression of a hope that other similarly small Provinces—which , however , shall be nameless—will do what in them lies to emulate our little friend

and staunch supporter of all our Institutions . Pass we now to the county of Hops and Cherries—with its forty-six Lodges . This is not only a very strong Province , but it makes a point of being represented at every one of our Festivals . During 1875-81 , it gave to the

Girls' School £ 1 , 860 14 s ; to the Boys' School £ 3 , 315 10 s ; and to the Benevolent Institution £ 2 , 547 6 s Od , making together £ 7 , 723 10 s 6 d , which , by its present contribution of £ 370 9 s Gd is carried to £ 8 , 094 exactly . Folkestone , Tunbridge Wells , Plumstead , Swanley , and Chislehurst ,

do duty for tho Province in this instance , and none will deny but they have done admirably , the Cornwallis , No . 1107 , Swanley , heading the list with £ 110 15 s 6 d , and the P .-ittison , No . 913 , tbe senior Plumstead Lodge , being close up with £ 105 10 s 6 d .

The two Lancashires are numerically our strongest Provinces , and though , under such circumstances , it mig ht have been expected they would take the lead of the others , yet there is no doubt they have shown a most praiseworthy liberality in their support of our Institutions . They are