Analysis Of The Returns.

SOMERSETSHIRE . been resting on its oars , and only one of its 26 lodges was represented at the V-j r ) s' Festival in May to the extent of £ 48 , while three of them took part in , i . proceedings on this occasion by raising £ 107 2 s . In 18 99 the Province uitted itself splendidly by contributing £ 2191 17 s . to the Girls' School , 3 | whose Festival Viscount Dungarvan , Prov . G . M ., occupied the chair . It also

bscribed , n nearly equal shares £ 51 15 s . between the Benevolent and tsoys Institutions . In 1 S 98 it gave £ 31 ios . to the Old People , and raised £ nS 7 19 s . for the govs' Centenary , while in 1 S 95 , when Lord Dungarvan presided as Chairman at . he Benevolent Festival , it supported his lordship with subscriptions amounting to £ i 657 ' 7 ' ^ d ., ° * a tota ' ' ' during the year of £ 1745 3 s . 7 d . Two of the 34 lodges in

STAFFORDSHIRE , each with a single representative , and two Unattached brethren , together helped to swell the total of the contributions on Tuesday by raising amongst them £ 105 , ivhile in February one of the lodges raised £ 21 for the Old People . But this is not to be wondered at , bearing in mind the fact that in May the Earl of Dartmouth presided at the Girls' Festival , and was backed up by his Province , the

amount raised by quite an array of Stewards—of whom all but a very few were jepresentatives of lodges—being £ 4034 ios . This is the highest Return ever compi ' d by this Province , which , though it furnished a contingent ot 204 Sieivards to the Boys' Centenary , raised £ 3845 8 s ., while the total for the > hole year was £ 4023 18 s . In the intermediate year—1899--Staffordshire did extremely ,, ell , subscribing £ 420 to the Old People , £ 178 ios . to the Girls' School , and . £ 169 is . to the Boys' School , the aggregate for the year being £ 76 7 11 s .

SUFFOLK invariably does well , though its array of lodges all told is only 22 . Thus in May live lodges and one chapter , by the medium of seven brethren and a lady as Stewards , compiled the excellent total of £ 518 15 s ., and in May three brethren representing four lodges returned £ 100 . On Tuesday four lodges gave their services , and figure in the Returns for a total of C 1 S 3 9 s . 6 d ., the year 1900 having

produced £ 802 4 s . 6 d . Last year only £ 238 7 s . was distributed among the thre e Institutions ; but in 18 9 8 the total stood as high as £ 1563 7 s . 6 d ., of which all but £ 52 ios . fell to the share of the Boys' School in honour of its Centenary Festival . The previous highest aggregate was in 1892 , when , including £ 1291 14 s . subscribed for the Benevolent Jubilee , the total was £ 1419 4 s . Other large contributions have been forthcoming both on special and ordinary occasions , and justify the statement that Suffolk is a staunch friend of our three Charities . Eight of the 45 lodges and two of the 17 chapters in

SURREY entered an appearance at this Festival , and the 11 brethren and companions who acted on their behalf , with Bro . Tom Cookesand two ladies Unattached , compiled amongst them the very excellent sum of ^ 494 12 s ., the most important lists being those of Comp . Ensoll's list for £ 115 ios . and Bro . Cowan ' s , No . 88 9 , for £ 85 19 s , In February five ot its lodges subscribed . £ 1 9 6 14 s . to the Benevolent Festival ,

while in May the representatives of . 11 lodges , with five Stewards Unattached , together raised ; £ 666 2 s . for the Girls' School . Thus Surrey during the present year has distributed ^ 1357 8 s . among cur three Institutions , which , alter the good work of last year , and the heavy subscriptions ol 189 S , is most creditable . In 1899 the Returns were—to the Benevolent Institution , £ 649 4 s ., to the Girls '

School , £ 53 1 6 s . 6 d ., and to the Boys' School , £ 90 12 s . 6 d . —total £ 1271 3 s . In 1 S 9 8 the total reached £ 3974 83 ., and was composed of £ 308 14 s . to the Benevolent Institution , £ 165 18 s . to the Girls' School , and £ 3499 16 s . to the Boys ' Centenary . In 1893 the proceeds of the year amounted to £ 2817 ios . 6 d ., of which £ 2148 os . 6 d . was raised for the Benevolent Jubilee . We now come to the " Chairman ' s Province" of

SUSSEX , which has at all times exhibited a most generous disposition towards the Central Masonic Institutions , and has invariably responded to any special call upon its support in a manner redounding to its credit . This is the fifth time on which the Duke of Connaught has presided as Chairman at a Festival of one or other ol our Charities , two of these Chairmanships dating from years anterior to his

appointment as Prov . G . Master of Sussex . His Royal Highness ' s earliest experience in the chair as a Sussex Mason belongs to the year 1892 , when the Province supported him generously , but was somewhat hampered by its liberal support three months previously to the Benevolent Jubilee . In 18 97 the Duke occupied the chair at the Benevolent Festival , when his Province seconded him by raising £ 1263 2 s . 6 d . The present year began very favourably with subscriptions to the Old

People amounting to £ 409 ios . ; while in May the Girls' School were assisted to the extent of ^ 165 7 s . 6 d . On Tuesday a body of 50 Stewards , of ( whom some 39 represented 34 lodges , two Royal Arch chapters , and a Templar Preceptory , while the rest were Unattached , raised in all the capital sum of £ 1365 , the most important among the lists being those of Bro . J . M . Reed , Prov . G . Treasurer , representing the Province , for £ 114 9 s . 6 d . ; Bro . Cipt . E . G . Hales . South Saxon

Lodge , No . 311 , Lewes , for £ 105 ; Bro . J . St . Clair , representing the Union Lodge and Chapter , No . 3 8 , Ctiichester , for jcig ios . ; and Bro . R . Henwood , <•( the Mid-Sussex Lodge , No . 1141 , Horsham , for £ 75 is . 6 d . This gives a total for the whole year of . £ 1939 17 s . 6 d ., which , having regard to the heavy contributions made in iSgS , is , as we have said , splendid . In

' 899 the Province raised £ 442 Ss . for the Old People , £ 391 7 ,. Gd . tor th 3 Girls' School , and £ 135 195 . Gd . for the Boys' School , making togetner . £ 96 9 15 s . In 18 98 it subscribed £ 63 for the Girls' School and ; £ 2 S 6 g 15 s . for the Hoys' Centenary , or , together , £ 2932 15 s . As the Province musters only 33 lodges , the particulars we hive given show excellent work , and we congratulate Ws Royal Highness and his Province most heartily on the result . The great Midland Province ot

WARWICKSHIRE has 32 lodges on its roll , and in 1898 , by the medium of 237 Stewards , subscribed 'he large sum of £ 5079 14 s . fid . to the Boys' Centenary , which , with the £ 73 10 s . apportioned between the other Institutions , gave a total for the year of . £ 5153 4 s . 6 d . This was far in excess of anything it had accomplished previously , its Previous highest having been in 1892 , when the proceeds of the year , including

iaiBG to the Benevolent Jubilee , reaching £ 2410 4 s . In 18 99 , ne Province was "presented at all three Festivals 1 , its subs : ription to the Old People being £ 84 , '? the Girls' School £ 4 6 7 5 s ., and to this Institution £ 21 ; total for the year -572 5 s . This year it has contributed to only two of the Central Charities , and 'he total is on a more modest scale . In February it subscribed £ 57 15 s . to the Benevolent W . sUttttion , and on Tuesday £ 73 ios . to this Institution , the sum of the two contributions being , £ 131 5 s .

™ WILTSHIRE , * hich comprises 12 lodges , had Bio . Hairy Bevir , Prov . G . Secretary , who is on [ he Board 0 f Management , for its representative and his list amounted to £ 10 10 s . 'n February , it raised £ 194 5 s . for the Benevolent Institution , so that the total for '' Jpo is £ 204 15 s . Last year the Province gave ils i-hief support to the '"Is ' School , for which it raised the sum of £ 288 15 s ., while Bro . Bevir gave 1 ' ° ios . lo this Institution . In 1898 , it raised £ 539 os . Gd . lor ( he Boys' Centtiiaiy a , j £ 7 , Is , for die Girls' School , or together , £ 610 is , 6 d .

Analysis Of The Returns.

As regards WORCESTERSHIRE , 15 lodges , it raised £ 210 for the Old People in February , £ 876 8 s . for the Girls ' School in May , and £ 42 for " Our Boys " on Tuesday , while last year it raised £ 379 is . for the Old People , and £ 36 15 s . for this Institution . In 1898 it compiled in all £ 1231 13 s ., of which £ 1136 2 s . fell to the lot of "Our Boys "in respect of its Centenary Festival . As regards

YORKSHIRE ( W . R . ) , which furnished on Tuesday a contingent of 25 Stewards , of whom all but three acted as lodge representatives , and a total of subscriptions amounting to £ 500 . it is unnecessary to say more than that in February it subscribed £ 1800 to the Benevolent Institution , and in May , £ 575 to the Girls' School , so that the total for the year is £ 2875 . In 1899 , it raised £ 702 for the Old People , £ 582 5 s . for the Girls' School , and £ 131 5 s . for this Institution ; the total for the

year being £ 1415 ios . In 1 S 98 , it reachsd the unprecedented sum of £ 7956 3 s ., of which £ 6136 3 s . 6 d . was raised for the Boys' Centenary . In 1894 , when the Right Hon . W . L . Jackson , M . P ., Prov . G . Master , presided as Chairman at the Boys' Festival , the year ' s total was £ 6697 5 s -. of which £ 4559 15 s . was subscribed to this Institution . But West Yorkshire and the support it gives to our Central Charities are so well known that there is no need to give further particulars of its benefactions .

FOREIGN STATIONS . Of these there were 11 sent up Stewards , whose lists , amount to ^ 191 17 s . 8 d . Our only regret is that the number of Stewards and the sum of their lists was not 10 times as great . CONCLUDING REMARKS .

It remains for us to express the hope that in the criticisms we have offered we have succeeded in fulfilling our task without wounding the susceptibilities of any Province , lodge , or brother .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

The Quarterly Court of Subscribers to this Institution was held on Ihursday at Freemasons' Hall , Bro . Frank Richardson , P . G . D ., in the chair . There were also present : Bros . A . W . Duret , A . C . Spaull , C . Pulman , E . Letchworth , G . Sec , H . Massey , E . M . Money , and F . R . W . Hedges ( Secretary ) .

Bro . HEDGES having read the advertisement convening the meeting , and the minutes of the General Court of April 21 , the latter were confirmed .

Bro . HEDGES read the minutes of the special meeting of the House Committee of the 24 th May as their Report , and amended the record of the votes polled for Maud Elsie Piggott , No . 27 on the list at the April ejection accordingly , i . e ., from 2058 to 2684 .

Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON explained in reply to Bro . Pulman how the error occurred , which had been stated by Bro . G . W . Verry , the Chairman of the Scrutineers , at the April Election . He added that it did not affect the result of the election then held , but it would make a difference to the candidate at the next election .

On the motion of Bro . SPAULL , seconded by Bro . DURET , the report was adopted ; r On the rhotion of Bro . DURET , seconded by Bro . SPAULL , the following recommendation of the General Committee was adopted : " That the 14 eligible candidates remaining from the last election , together with the 20 whose petitions have been since approved , be placed upon the list of candidates for the October Electionand that 24 vacancies be declared "

, . Bro . 1 < RANK RICHARDSON , P . G . D ., Patron , on behalf of the House Committee , moved : " That in view of the long and eminently successful services rendered by Miss Emily Redgrave for a period of 31 vears . durinr *

which she efficiently filled every post from pupil teacher to head governess of the Institution , and m view of the fact that her compulsory retirement was due to a complete breakdown in her health , brought about by the arduous nature of her duties , she be and is hereby allowed a retiring pension of a £ wo per annum . " He said this was by the unanimous sanction and at the special request of the House Committee . Thirty-one years ago Miss Redgrave s time as a pupil expired , and she then commenced her

duties as a pupil teacher . From that time until three months ago she advanced step by step until she was appointed to the high position of head mistress . For many years she was the first assistant mistress , and she had the sole charge of the music teaching , she being the most proficient musician that could be found anywhere . It was b y her teaching that year by year many of the pupils came off in honours at the examinations of the

Koyai Academy ot Music and the Royal College of Music . Four years ago on the retirement of Miss Davis , she was unanimousl y appointed head governess ; there was no question of her qualification , and she was unanimously appointed . Unfortunatel y from that time her health failed , and she was now in a very bad state . Three months ago she resigned and she was now in the hands of the doctors . The

brethren would all realise the fact that having been educated in the Institution , her family were not possessed of such a large amount of this world s goods , as we should wish that they might support her , neither was it possible for a lady in her position to put b y a sufficient sum of money to P , . J or herself on a rainy day . No doubt the head governess of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls had a fair salary ; she had / : 175 a year ; but having had it for only four years she could not be expected to have saved enough to provide for her in her retirementthereforethe House

; , Committee thought there was a moral obli gation on the Institution to provide for their staff . Taking her salary at £ 175 a year , and hsr board and lodging at £ 1 a Week , that would amount to ^ 227 a year . The Government rate of retiring allowance was 3 i-6 oths , and this would make the sum £ 117105 . lod . The House Committee , however , thought / too a year would be a fair sum , and this they asked the Court to sanction . Bro . PULMAN suggested that it should be made guineas .

Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON : By all means ; but you cannot increase it without notice , and £ 100 has been proposed . Bro . E . LKTCHWORTII , seconding Bro . Richardson ' s motion , said as one of the House Committee many years , he could testify to the admirable way in which Miss Redgrave discharged her duties . It was a matter of ereat sorrow to the Institution when her health broke down . They all hoped she wou d live many years to enjoy the pension which he trusted the Court would grant . Carried unanimousl y , and a vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings . , 6