New Hall At Okehampton.

NEW HALL AT OKEHAMPTON .

THE foundation stone of a new Masonic Hall to be erected here for the Lodge of Obedience , No . 1753 , is to be laid on Monday next by Bro . Major G . C . Davie

P . A . G . D . C . Deputy Prov . G . M . The date has been fixed as being the regular day of installation in the Lodge , and the two functions are expected to attract a large number of the members of the Lodge and visitors .

The Hall is estimated to cost £ 500 , has been designed by Bro . J . A . Lucas , and will be erected by Mr . John Sleeman .

Lord-Advocate For Scotland On Masonry.

LORD - ADVOCATE FOR SCOTLAND ON MASONRY .

A GRAND bazaar , promoted by the Brethren of Rothesay St . John ' s Lodge , No . 292 ( S . C . ) , tor the purpose of building a Fiall and founding a Benevolent Fund ,

was opened on the 10 th inst , in the Public Hall , Rothesay , by the Right Hon . A . Graham Murray , M . P ., Lord-Advocate lor Scotland . There was a gay and representative gathering at the opening , and Provost M'lntosh presided .

The Lord-Advocate , in opening the bazaar , said he did so with great pleasure , because he was not quite surealthough he spoice with the fear of ex-Provost Milloy before him—but he was the oldest Mason present , owing to the accident of having been made a Mason very young . In

these days they heard so much of an appeal to the State for direct aid and of those other appeals to what he might call legislative aid that one was apt to forget for a moment the old idea , of helping themselves . They were apt , he thought , to leave alone those older Institutions which still deserved

and commanded their support . Now , it was one of those Institutions they were called upon to help that day . As they knew , Masonry was a very cleverly-contrived Institution , because it appealed to two well-known tendencies in the human race—the innate convervatism which took a peculiar

pleasure in being linked with the past , and also the innate love of mystery . Masonry was supposed to be connected with "King'Solomon , who in his day was the embodiment of wisdom , although perhaps he showed it more in precept than in practice . Although in other countries in the middle

ages Masonry , unfortunately , got diverted into somewhat political lines , which did it no good ,. in this country it had experienced a happy fate , and there was no doubt that it represented a perfectly good and a perfectly benevolent Institution . In speaking of the innate love of mystery he

knew he was treading on delicate ground , but he could assure the female population , although he could not gratify their curiosity bv telling them positively what their male relatives

were doing when in the Lodge-room , he could assure them negatively that they were certainly doing no harm , and that the most jealous wife in the company might at least comfort herself with the assurance that there was no other woman

there . His Lordship concluded by some further remarks of a humourous nature , and declared the bazaar open . THE bazaar was opened on the 17 th for the second day by Sir Charles Dalrymple , Bart , M . P ., Past Grand Master of Scotland , Provincial Grand Master of Argyle and

the Isles , who , in opening the bazaar , said he was an old member of Rothesay St . John ' s , and that his Masonic fortunes had always been bound up with it . He should think it must be thirty years since he was first initiated as a member of the Lodge . They met at : that time ' in what was a very poor

Hall indeed , and the reference to his initiation recalled to his mind the late Mr . Archibald Morrison , who presided over the Lodge at that time , and taught him ( Sir . Charles ) his Masonic letters . That Hall was succeeded by a much better Hall , but this aeain had been taken from them bv the

outrageous invasion of the Post Office . If not disendowed they were at all events disestablished at that time , and though he did not wish to raise any controversial topic he would ask any of them if they thought the present site of the Post Office better than the old . He , at any rate , thought an

outrage had been committed upon the Masonic body when they were turned out of that Hall in order to make room for the Post Office . The object of the bazaar was to erect another Hall , and , he hoped , a better one than-that from which they had been so unreasonably thrust out . Referring to a remark made by the Chairman , Sir Charles went on to say that it certainly struck , him as an anomaly that ladies should exsrt

Lord-Advocate For Scotland On Masonry.

themselves to the utmost of their power and time to promote a bazaar on behalf of a building which they were never permitted to enter . This was one of those anomalies for which he could offer no explanation , but it showed how goodnatured the ladies are and the confidence which they have

in the Masonic body . After congratulating the Lodge on its present prosperity , and hoping their efforts would be crowned with every success , he concluded by declaring the bazaar open . Votes of thanks were afterwards awarded to Sir Charles and the Chairman . The total sum realised on the first day was about £ 280 .

Victorian Grand Lodge Finance.

VICTORIAN GRAND LODGE FINANCE .

f EH HE Deputy Grand Master of the colony of Victoria JL at the recent meeting of the City of Prahran Lodge created no little erithusiasm by referring to what he considered satisfactory signs of a revival of prosperous times for Freemasonry in that colony . He referred more especially to the very large attendance at the late Communication of

Grand Lodge as an indication of an increasing interest in Masonic affairs . Referring also to the debate which had taken place upon the Benevolent Funds , he said that he did not think that the accumulation of a large fund was any evidence that their duty was not being done to the poor and

distressed , and he pointed out that New South Wales had a balance of upwards of £ 30 , 000 , and that the Grand Lodge of England has accumulated funds equal to £ 242 , 000 , and yet no one could accuse the Grand Lodge of England of not

acting liberally . Brother Templeman also made a telling reference to the comparative poverty of the T halted Grand Lodee of Victoria , as regarded the want of buildings of its own , saying that even the gavel used in Grand Lodge was borrowed property .

Such references ought to awaken a very warm interest in the future of the Grand Lodge , and invite Brethren to an earnest co-operation in improving the outlook . We have so often touched upon these matters that there is a danger of repetition becoming tiresome , but they should never be

forgotten . - The Freemasons' Hall is a debt burdened concern and interest accumulates year after year until it swells to a total which represents something like the full value of land and buildings , without taking the capital sum into consideration at all . It must not be forgotten that New

South Wales Freemasonry was exceptionally fortunate at the time of the formation of its United Grand Lodge , in having very large sums handed over to it by the Grand Lodge of England against a few hundreds similarly gained in Victoria . It is undoubtedly desirable that there should be

a substantial ' accumulated fund in Victoria , and provided that there is no undue pressure on the Lodges to obtain such a neucleus everyone will be well satisfied to see it grow . To compare the obligations of the Grand Lodge of England to those of Victoria is not fair premises to argue

upon . Freemasonry in . the mother land comprises very many wealthy members , and very few poor ones , and the claims for charity are necessarily in comparison with numbers much smaller than in the colony . Unfortunately there are constantly admitted in Australia , perhaps more so in Victoria

than elsewhere , many candidates who can ill afford the necessary expenditure without depriving the members of their families in some measure , and many who , within a comparatively short time become dependent upon the Order for assistance . The colony has passed through a crisis in its

history which has beggared hundreds and thousands of its rich and poor men alike , a crisis which probably will never ap-ain so acutely affect the funds of the Grand Lodge . When the smallness of the dues levied in England as compared with

those of Victoria is considered , 4 s against 6 s , it must be borne in mind that the large accumulated fund provides a substantial annual revenue from interest , and that this is ever steadily increasing .

Every Brother should desire to see the funds in Victoria as steadily growing , until they assume such proportions that they can safely be invested in Hall property and suitable and respectable club rooms on a somewhat higher level than a mere drinking saloon , such as has already tended to work

much harm in individual cases . So long as the funds accumulate from the annual dues now paid , everyone will be well satisfied to see them growing , but if that growth is to be obtained by sending claims for small sums to be discussed in private Lodges instead of being covered by a vote of the