Expenditure At The Boys' School.

Household requisites 736 4 3 142 16 11 Infirmary 132 9 7 123 15 1 Pates and Taxes 530 18 5 639 4 0 Miscellaneous 2167 14 8 169 S 19 6 Repairs and Renewals 501 19 9 2281 19 1 13 , 107 14 4 13 , 312 1 11

" Joiners."

" JOINERS . "

lilREEMASONi has at least one sin to answer for , JD according to the view of some persons , and that is the existence of the large and growing army of " joiners . "

A " joiner " is a brother who is as restless as a Ilea , or a grasshopper , until he has jumped into and been accepted by all the secret societies known among men in hia vicinity . '

Before discussing the " joiner , " let us arrive at a fair conclusion as to -whether Freemasonry is , or is not , responsible for the existence of this abnormal specimen of manhood , and often of Masonhood .

In our opinion , the "joiner" is a speoies of remote consequential damages which cannot be justly charged to Freemasonry . It is unquestionably true that our Fraternity was the first , the original , the parent secret society of the ages , and

it has no connection , even the most remote , with any other society which is the outgrowth of modern times . For many centuries Masonry was the sole secret society in the world , and no other one pretended to spring from it . Now there are hundreds of secret societies , but they have no

more connection with it than the profession of : he law has with the profession of medicine , or tho butcher has with the fisherman . They were perfectly independent in origin and purpose ; tbe only similar feature which all in common possess is their secrecy—they conceal thoir forms and ceremonies from the public .

Tho brood of secret societies which to-day cover our land as a cloud , owo their existence to the inordinate ambition of individuals ( some of whom are Masons ) , to play tho role of " Solomon" in creating a now social

organisation . They are ambitions to bo manufacturers of rituals , to originato high-sounding titles , to hold office after office , and thus to live , die , and be buried an office-holder in some secret society .

Occasionally some of these societies vainly attempt to ennoble their own character , and veneer their modern origin and purpose , by unlawfully assuming tho title " Masonic " as a part of their name . Beyond question such action is worthy only of condign reprobation and

punishment , and tho proper Masonic authority is not slow to brand such illegitimate action as unwarranted , fraudulent and clandestine . No society is Masonic hut Freemasonry . No order has the right to adopt the term " Masonic " as a part of its title , without warrant from a Grand Lodge ,

which is the parent and sovereign body of the Craft in each jurisdiction throughout the globe . Any Freemason who joins a bastard body of the kind referred to , subjects himself to liability to trial and expulsion from Freemasonry If he prefers the false to the true , he must enjoy the false alone , and be cut off from his Masonic brethren .

Ninety-nine out of one hundred secret societies , however , stand honestly and fairly on their ground . They are the social play-things of the hour , the toys to amuse children of a larger growth . But it is astonishing how

many of these children there are . They are all " joiners . " They are , or should be , men without homes , men without families , men with liberal means , men of prodigious memories , men born to rule . But are they ?

We pity tbe wife and children of the "joiner , " if he has any ! How can he ever get acquainted with them ? How can he remember their names ? How can he feel any interest in their welfare ? How can he support them ? How , in case he be a Freemason , can he duly perform even

his Masonic duties ? The Freemason who diligentl y attends all of his Masonic meetings and committees , and looks after " the widows and orphans , " has little if an ? leisure for other societies ; the remainder of his time should be devoted to his famil y , his church , his social and kindred duties . Indeed the "joiner" is a society monstrosity . He is daft on the subject of secret organizations . But perhaps

" Joiners."

he is a politician ; it may be there is a method in his madness . He desires to kuow everybody , to call everybody " Brother , " to shake hands mystically with Tom , Dick and Harry , to be a " Brother beloved " to the great mass of the people !

Bnt who keeps plethoric the " joiner ' s"bank account , to say nothing of his time ? It costs money to become a "joiner , " it costs money to remain a "joiner . " He possesses no sinecure—he has to pay as he goes . The " joiner " will bear watching—look out for him !

It is unjust to visit Freemasonry with the "joiner ' s " sins . They are his own individual sins , not ours . If he be a Freemason , how little of Freemasonry he must have understood , when he went astray after the false gods of the thousand-and-one secret organizations of to-day .

What just comparison can be made between any one of them and Freemasonry ? The two are as far apart as the poles . The one is as ancient as civilization , the other is as modern as tbe telephone . The one has giants in intelleot

in it ; the other is largely composed of mediocre men . The one has been tested by all the ages and never found wanting . The one is intellectual , moral , social and convivial ; the other , how can it be as much ?

The "joiner" is of BO use to himself or Freemasonry , to his family or society at large . He has mortgaged both his time and his means until he is hopelessly involved . What is the best thing he can do ? Resign and resign numerously . Resignation is the specific for the "joiner ' s" disease . — Keystone .

Chinese Masonry.

CHINESE MASONRY .

OLD Masons were , until late , of the opinion that no such a thing as a Chinese Mason existed . One gentleman said he had seen Arabs and Turks who were good Masons , but , to the best of his knowledge , no Chinaman was in the Order . Nevertheless , there are not only

Chinese Masons , but right here in New York there is a Chinese Masonic Lodge in fall blast with a membership of over three hundred . It is a native organisation , not allied directly to the Free and Accepted Masons , but said to be founded on principles very nearly akin .

The Lodge room is at No . 18 Mott Street , second floor , front , and has recently been re-modelled and refitted in very good shape , all newly painted and cleaned . Tho Lodgo furniture is of Chinese design , and imported from China expressly for the society , at a great expense . A tall

flagstaff with a rope for running up colours is on top of tho building . Above the door as one enters the Lodge room is a red sign in native characters signifying " Chinese

Masonic Society , " aud down tho sidrs are two long slips of red paper bearing mottoes . One of these ia , " Do good to one another , " and tho other relates to the business of tho Order .

The interior is like most Chinese quarters , only lighter , and not full of odd turns and unsuspected corners . Immediately on entering one is led into a sort of ante-room and thence into the main or Lodge room . At the lower end of this room is the altar , and a very valuable one it is ,

costing in China 1500 dollars . Above it is an alcove in which a coloured drawing is suspended . It is not the least curious thing in the place , the design being three figures , one seated and two others bending over his shoulder . The seated figure represents the venerable

father of Chinese Masonry . The face is heavy , placid , and adorned with a long black beard . The other two are respectively the spirits of light and darkness , who are supposed to be giving him counsel . In front of tho altar a lamp is hung . It is never extinguished , and burns in commemoration of the dead of the Order . Another

emblem is two sticks of sandal wood punk thrust into a box of sand . They keep smouldering away and fill the air with a faint bnt sweet perfume . On the wall is a long board , and on this are pasted a great number of sheets of paper covered with Chinese

liidoglyphics . Theso are the list of members voted on in the New York Lodge . Near the roster hangs two books . One of these is sent out from the Supreme Lodge at San Francisco , and gives a detailed account of a number of

cases of those in distress and sickness , and the whereabouts of eacb one who needs help . The other is a subset ip tion book in which the various amounts subscribed aro entered . At intervals these two books and the amount