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CONTENTS . LBADBR— PAGE The Craft in West Australia ... . „ ... ... - 93 The Lodge Room ... ... ... ... .. ••• 93 Gould's " Military Lodges" ... ... ... ... 94

SCOTLANDMasonic Service in St . Giles' Cathedral ... ... ¦•• 9 <> Annual Supper ol the West Smithfield Lodge of Instiuction , No . fl > 23 ... 9 6 Science , Art and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... 97 MASONIC NOTESDerbyshire Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... 99 Monthly Meeting of the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic

Benevolent Institution ... ... ... ... ••¦ 99 Queensland Freemasonry ... ... _ .,. ... ... 99 Masonic Service in St . Giles ' s Cathedral , Edinburgh .,. .,. ... 99 Forward Lodge , No . 11 S 0 , Birmingham .,. ... ... ... 99 Correspondence ... ... .,. ... ... ... 100

Reviews .,. ... ... ,,. .,. .,. ... 100 Craft Masonry ... ... .,. .,. ... ... 100 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 104 Instruction ... .,. ... ,,. ... — — 104 Obituary ... .,. ... .,. ... .,. ... 106 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 106

The Craft In West Australia.

THE CRAFT IN WEST AUSTRALIA .

Some time since we announced that the brethren in West Australia , following , in this respect , in the footsteps of those of the sister Australasian Colonies of South Australia , New South Wales , Victoria , Tasmania , and New Zealand , had resolved on

setting up a Masonic home of their own in the shape of a sovereign and independent Grand Lodge . In adopting this course , they have availed themselves of the facilities afforded by the new rules bearing upon the subject which were incorporated

in our Book of Constitutions a year or two ago . They are , therefore , in a position to affirm that , in carrying out their intention , they have avoided " committing any act of discourtesy , disloyalty , or rebellion towards the United Grand Lodge of England . " They

have , in fact , so far as our memory serves us , done precisely what the brethren in South Australia did when the question was mooted of establishing a Grand Lodge in that Colony . They have gone about the business in a constitutional manner ; but

the circumstances being more favourable , they have had less difficulty in ascertaining the feeling of the general body of the Craft . At all events , they are justly entitled to claim credit for the methods they have employed . One of the lodges on the

roll of the District Grand Lodge under the English Constitution —the Southern Cross Lodge , No . 2574 , Southern Crosshas made up its mind to remain in its old allegiance ; but the other 33 have voted in favour of the

movement , and it is now only a question of time when the Grand Lodge of West Austra'ia will be consecrated and be included among the English Colonial Grand Lodges at the Antipodes . What , however , is remarkable about this movement

and distinguishes it , as far as we are aware , from all others of a similar character is that it is the work of the English Lodges , who jiave the sympathy of their Scottish and Irish brethren but have not had their co-operation and support ; the latter—who ,

wc understand , have been warned against taking part in such a movement—considering it vvould be inconsistent with their sense of loyalty to their respective Grand Lodges to adopt any course which has not the sanction of the law in its favour . Probably it will

not be long before the Colony has aUnited Grand Lodge composed of lodges originally hailing from the Scottish and Irish as well as from the English Constitution . In the meantime , however , it

must be understood that the new Grand Body about to be launched into existence is composed of 33 out of the 34 lodges working under English Warrants .

The meeting at which these and the other necessary arrangements were agreed to was the half-yearly communication of the District Grand Lodge ( E . C . ) at Perth on the nth

The Craft In West Australia.

October last . R . W . Bro . Sir GERARD SMITH , K . C . M . G ., Dist . Grand Master , presided , and the attendance , not only of the District Grand Officers and representatives of private lodges , but also of Master Masons , was , the IV . A . Freemasons' Magazine

informs us , more than unusually large . The Reportof the District Board of General Purposes , which was submitted to thc meeting , after recounting the steps which had been taken in order to

give effect to the wishes of the brethren , offered a series of recommendations , which were put severally to the brethren as resolutions , and unanimously adopted , with a slight addition in the case of one of them . The first resolution affirmed " the

principle of the formation of a Sovereign Grand Lodge for West Australia . " The second expressed approval of the steps that had been taken . The third was to the effect that the lodges in favour of the movement "hereby declare themselves as a

Sovereign Grand Lodge for Western Australia , to be regularly constituted , consecrated , and dedicated in such manner , and at such time and place , as shall hereafter be prescribed . " Under the fourth resolution a Committee was appointed to frame

a constitution , and under the fifth it was agreed to elect a G . Master , effect being at once given to it by the nomination and acceptance of Bro . Sir GERARD SMITH , Dist . G . M ., as M . W . G . Master ; while the ' remaining two determined ( 1 ) that the

Committee should report to the Q . Master designate within three months from the date of meeting , and ( 2 ) that a petition praying for recognition should be addressed to the M . W . G . Master of the Grand Lodge of England . As the Board had

already announced in its Report " that a communication had been received from the V . W . Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England to the effect that if the steps taken by the brethren in W . A . to give effect to their wishes be of a

constitutional character , neither thc Grand Master nor the Grand Lodge would raise any objection to the recognition of the Grand Lodge of Western Australia , pro / ided the rights of those lodges which might desire to remain under the English Constitution be

reserved and respected , there can , we think , be little doubt as to the answer that will be forthcoming from our Grand Lodge There is . however , just this element of doubt in the matter . May

not the Grand Lodge of England regard it as a duty to the Grand Lodges of Scotland to hold over recognition until the position of the Scottish and Irish Masons in the proposed new order of things has been determined ?

The Lodge Room.

THE LODGE ROOM .

VI . —THE SQUARE AND COMPASSES . [ COMMUNICATED . ! Of all symbols employed by the Freemason to moralise upon the square is far and away thc most important . It dominates the lodge in every way . On his entry into Freemasonry the candidate walks with square steps on thc square pavement of a

rectangular Iodge . His attitude during the several ceremonies keeps him in constant remembrance ol the same symbol . When he lirst opens his eyes in Freemasonry he beholds it , and he notices that the chief ornament of thc chief officer of the lodge is also thc square . As he perambulates thc lodge room from

the pedestal to the north-east he notices that he makes a rectangular circuit . He is taught to regard the perfect ashlar as the type of a finished Freemason , and , in course of time , when

he has served the lodge in the highest capacity , and attains the dignified leisure of a Past Master , he only exchanges the simple square for that wonderful device in squares bequeathed to us b y Pythagoras ,