A Year's Labour.

exceeded 14 , 000 dollars , the total of the general fund being upwards of 20 , 500 dollars , and the disbursements not far short of 14 , 000 dollars . It may be taken , therefore , as fairly representative of those numerous and influential Grand bodies which

have come iiito existence since the termination of the Anti-Masonic Crusade of between 60 and 70 years ago . As a matter of course , at this annual meeting thc Grand Master delivered a long and elaborate address , in the course of which he

carefully , and even minutely reviewed the occurrences of his year of office , and from the summary of this review , whicli is contained in The 1 ' oice , we learn , firstly , that this Grand Master constituted two new lodges in person , and three by proxy ; that hc instituted

two new lodges , and received an incomplete petition for authority to form another . ; that he sanctioned the removal of 18 lodges into new halls , and allowed five others to jointly occupy halls ; that he dedicated 19 new halls , laid three corner-stones , rendered 25

decisions , and granted 31 special dispensations . In addition , he issued three appeals on behalf of the Masonic Home and one for a P . M . who had suffered amputation of both his legs ; that he had refused four requests for permission to issue appeals for

aid , and considered 15 complaints . But this does not appear to have satisfied his greed for work , and , therefore , he gave himself up to assisting at 39 out of 54 lodges of instruction , and officially visited eight lodges . In the

performance of his official work away from home , he announced that he had given up 159 days , travelled 10 , 171 miles , and written 1318 letters . In short , he is reported to have " performed almost every kind of Masonic work for lodges , from the conferring

of the Degrees to the conducting of thc last sad funeral rites . " Those who read this account of work done during a single year by the Grand Master of an important Grand Lodge like that of Michigan will probably come to the conclusion that the brother who fills this ofiice must be thc hardest-worked Mason in the whole

of the jurisdiction , and that the lot of one who in the performance of his " official work from home , " gives up more than one-half a year of working days , travels upwards of lo , ooo miles , and writes more than 1 S 00 official letters can hardly be looked

upon as an enviable one . But , though as regards mere quantity the record is an impressive one , and though we are far from suggesting that this Grand Master discharged his duties in a perfunctory manner , we arc not disposed to esteem very highly thc circumstances which necessitated all this labour . We think the

lodges and brethren in Michigan might exhibit just so much consideration for thc peace and comfort of their Grand Master as to render it unnecessary for him—" as regards his official duties from home "—to write 1800 letters , that is at the rate of 12 per

day for thc 150 days hc set apart for the discharge of this particular portion of his duties . As it is , we must congratulate the Grand Master in question—Bro . L . B . WlNSOR—on having been providentially spared to give this elaborate account of his year ';; labour .

The Largest Grand Lodge.

THE LARGEST GRAND LODGE .

It has long been considered that the Grand Lodge of England is not only the oldest , but also the largest , in the world , having the greatest number of lodges , and the most members on its register . I see , however , that in the very interesting volume , giving the Reports of the " Brooklyn Masonic Veterans" from

icSN . S to 1 S 94 ( to which Society I have the honour of belonging ) , the esteemed Grand Secretary of New York ( A . IF . Uro . Edward M . L . Eh / ers ) , at the meeting held on December ioth , 18 92 , responded for his Grand Lodge , and remarked as follows on the question now being ventilated :

" It has been said that England has thc largest and the greatest Grand Lodge , numerically , in the wor'd . I question—1 deny it . It is true she has more lodges , a greater number of lodges than we have , but she has no Lodges of the membershi p uf the Lodges in New York .

" The Lodges of England , very many are found in her Regiments , boasting of eight , 10 , or 12 men , while a Lodge in the Commonwealth of New York is considered poorly and weak if her membership is below 100 , and to-day England does not giw us—she dare not give us—because the truth would be knownthe number of Masons upon her roll .

The Largest Grand Lodge.

" It was my privilege to correspond with the Grand Secretary of England , and I asked him to give me the number of members reporting to the Grand Lodge of England , but I could never get a satisfactory answer , f believe to-day that New York has the largest numerically , and I know it to be the largest beyond question , of thc Grand Lodges of the world . "

Now I propose to consider this point , in a friendly manner , and with every desire to do justice to the important Grand Lodge of New York , so ably represented by its Grand Secretary , who is unquestionably one of the best informed brethren in America , and is pardonably anxious to secure for his Grand Lodge all the honour and distinction possible .

It is a curious fact that lodge statistics have never been a feature in any of the reports of the Grand Lodge of England , and I do not remember an instance from its origin in 1717 to the present timc , when the number of its subscribing members has ever been authoritatively recorded . Now , one of the

strongest and best points in the admirable published transactions of the Grand Lodges in the United States , is the attention paid to the statistical department , both as respects the number of the lodges and their subscribing members , as well as tables exhibiting the numerical position of all the Grand Lodges under

the flag known so long and so honourably as " Old Glory " ( or thc " Stars and Stripes " ) which looks well , side by side with thc venerable " Union Jack . " An annual payment is made for each subscribing member by lodges assembling in England , but not by any of its lodges meeting

in the Colonicsand Dependenciesof the British Crown . Therefore , as the latter are not required to make any return of the names and numbers of their members , the Grand Secretary cannot tell how many brethren belong to such lodges , but only the number

for whom certificates are required annually , so that , under present circumstances , it is impossible to state the exact numerical position of the Grand Lodge . Even for thc lodges in England there is not , and never has been , any annual numerical report as to thc precise number of members .

An average , however , can be obtained by examining the reports of Provincial Grand Lodges which make such returns to their respective Provincial Grand Secretaries , and annually remit the dues / or all the subscribing members . I have before me 15 of the Directories of Provincial Grand

Lodges , taken promiscuously , and these exhibit a total of 561 lodges , having 34 , 092 subscribing members at the end of the year 18 97 , which gives an average of fully 60 to each lodge . The largest membership per Lodge is that of Northumberland , which has 277 8 members in its 28 Lodges , or just ioo per lodge ,

the next in point of size in that respect ( of the 15 Provinces ) being Durham , with 37 Lodges and 28 7 8 members , or an average of 77 per Lodge . West Lancashire returns 117 Lodges and

7 603 members , and Kent 6 4 Lodges and 4156 members , or an average together of 6 5 per Lodge ; several others of the selected Provinces returning 6 4 , such as Devon , Cornwall , and Hants and Isle of Wight .

In thc official Calendar of the Grand Lodge of England for 1 S 9 8 , published late in 1 S 97 , will be found particulars of 2241 Lodges , and , taking the average before noted of 60 each as a guide , that would give a grand total of 134 , 460 members . H . R . H . the Prince of Wales at the Royal Albert Hall ,

London , at the Centenary Festival ofthe Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , on ioth June , 1 S 9 8 , said that at the present time ( some six months later than the Calendar ) " there are on the roll of Grand Lodge no less than 2270 lodges . Assuming therefore , an average of 50 in every lodge , there appears to be

at the present moment nearl y 114 , 000 Freemasons belonging to the lodges under the Grand Lodge of England . " An average of 50 instead of 60 per lodge , would make the total in December , 18 97 , to be 112 , 050 members , so that , for safety , I accept the lower and less favourable estimate . As to the Military lodges ,

there are but three on our register now , so lhat , numerically , their membership is of no importance in connection with this inquiry . In 1892 * , when I tested the matter , 27 Provincial Grand Lodges , with 8 97 lodges , returned 46 , 457 subscribing members , or an average of nearl y 52 per lodge , so that evidently 50 per lodge is a very moderate and safe approximation .

The latest returns of the Grand Lodge of New York that I have is that printed in the truly grand proceedings for June 18 97 , so that , doubtless , the figures now would be rather larger . Then that Grand Lodge had 737 lodges returning 90 , 8 74 members , or an average per lodge of fully 123 brethren ; more than

double the average of that of England . But I take it an settled that down to A . I ) . 18 9 8 , New York has not reached 100 , 000 members . May I not , therefore , claim that Eng land still remains the Largest Grand Lodge ? W . J . HUGHAN .