The Approaching Election For The Benevolent Institution.

THE APPROACHING ELECTION FOR THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

A FEW weeks since we devoted portions of our space to a review of the candidates seeking admission to the two Masonic Educational Institutions at the elections which were then looming in the future . Those elections have now become events of the past , and last week we

were enabled to give lists of the candidates who had been successful , together with particulars of the votes recorded on behalf of the unsuccessful , nearly all of whom will have opportunities of trying their fortune at later contests .

It will be remembered there were forty-two candidates for the Girls' School , and sixty-five for the Boys ' , of which number twelve and fifteen were respectively elected , so that the total of 107 candidates was reduced to eighty , of

whom seventy-eight go forward to the next election , the other two being too old to allow of their again competing . It will thus be seen that one in four of the children who were eligible for those elections have now secured the

benefits of the Masonic Educational Institutions , and considering the very large number of applicants this must be regarded as a splendid average and a grand outcome of Masonic Benevolence . It is , we are afraid , far more than

can be expected in connection with the other great Masonic Charity—the Eoyal Masonic Benevolent Institution—the annual election for which will take place on Friday , the 18 th May next .

The balloting papers for this election have now heen issued , and they show an overwhelming number of candidates , competing for a painfully small number of annuities ; the actual total being one hundred and

thirtyone candidates ( sixty-seven males and sixty-four widows ) with , so far , only twenty-three declared vacancies ( sixteen males and seven widows ) , and of this number there are , as usual , six deferred annuities ( three of each branch ) , which are only available on the decease of some of those in tho

enjoyment of full benefits . This gives but one vacancy available for each six candidates , and although the number of annuitants to be elected may be increased—so as to fill

up vacancies caused by death since the ballot papers were issued , as is usuall y done—we question if any considerable variation will take place in the average of vacancies as compared with the total number of candidates .

Even looking at the matter from the most favourable point of view , it seems inevitable that upwards of otic hundred of the poor old people now approved of as candidates for the . Benevolent Institution must bo sent away

after next month ' s election with no better prospect than that , at tho corresponding contest twelve months later they may , perhaps , be successful . Fancy the telling this hundred old men or widows—most of whom arc more than

sevent y years of age , and all of whom are in distressed circumstances , too old , too infirm or too much afflicted to earn a living—that absolutel y nothing can be done for them for s whole year . Let us imagine the anguishthe

, despair , aye , and in some coses the utter hopelessness , that snch a verdict must create , and yet what can be done to render the decision less severe , or to reduce the number to ]™ om it must apply ? Already the Roval Mason ™

^ enevolent Institution provides annuities for upwards of our hundred and twent y old people , and the sum annuall y equired to pay these annuities amounts to upwards of j « een thousand pounds , without allowing anything for

The Approaching Election For The Benevolent Institution.

cost of management , collection , or the hundred and one other expenses which must necessarily ariso in connection with so large an undertaking . It would , then , be extremely

unwise to increase the alread y large number of annuitants , especially in view of the fact that tho present year ' s Festival—which on the whole was a splendid

successonly realised a sum sufficient to pay those annuities , and there is no knowing what may be in store for us next year , or in years to come . There is a very strong feeling in many quarters that it will be impossible to keep up the

large totals which have been collected during recent years on behalf of the Masonic Institutions , and if there should happen to be a falling off , what will then present itself ? how will it be possible to pay the amounts the Craft is

pledged to ? And yet the alternative is fearful to contemplate—either the Masonic Order must increase its responsibilities on this head , or one hundred old people , all of whom are in need and are worthy of relief , must bo sent away

empty handed , and perhaps devoid of all hope . We wish we could suggest some tangible way out of the difficulty which is now before us , but we must admit it appears all

but insurmountable , especially when we consider there are other claims , equally urgent , being pressed on the English Craft at the present time .

Of the sixty-seven male candidales thirty have taken part in previous contests , and the remainder are fresh to the present list . There is one candidate who now comes before the subscribers of the Institution for the seventh

time , with 292 votes brought forward ; one sixth application , with 33 votes in hand ; one fifth , with 108 votes ; three fourth ; eleven third ; and thirteen second . The number of votes polled on behalf of these ranges from 2 in the case of No . 18 , to 1876 in that of No . 17 .

On the widows' side there are thirty-one first applications , and thirty-three who have taken part in previous contests . Two of these latter now come forward for the

eighth time , five for . the sixth , five for the fifth , seven for the fourth , six for the third , eight for the second , while the number of votes alread y recorded on their behalf ranges from 1 in the case of No . 22 , to 791 in the case of No . 14 .

It is not our intention to attempt any review of this very large number of candidates , as there are so many difficulties in the way of forming an opinion as to who is the

most deserving or who has the greatest trouble to bear . To our mind it is onl y needful for a Mason to read the brief details attached to each case to ensure from him the

warmest sympathy for tho work carried on by the two branches of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and when once a brother ' s sympathy is aroused , it is only necessary he should enjoy the means to assure a

contribution for the charity , as we cannot believe it possible that any one possessing the power of helping tho Funds could turn a deaf ear to the forcible appeal here made , or cease to work on behalf of the Institution while there was one

Mason in England who did not subscribe to it , or one worthy old brother or his widow in need of help from its funds . Strong as are the appeals continually made on behalf of the Benevolent Institution , none can be more

impressive than tho simple record of facts attached to the ballot paper for the coming election , and we only regret there is not any means available which should render

it possible for a copy of them to be in the hands of everv Mason in the Kingdom . As we cannot do all we wish in this respect , we can only ask all who do read these lines to take up the matter , and do as much as lies in his power .