Analysis Of The Returns.

vvhich the Boys' School , at whose Festival Bro . Earl Amherst , P . G . M ., was Chairman , received £ 2310 . Thus in the quinquennial period now completed the Province has distributed among the Institutions £ 9228 12 s . 6 d ., or on an average upwards of £ 1800 . This is about as good a performance as is to be met vvith in the case of any of our Provinces . As it is on record that the Province of

LANCASHIRE ( EAST DIVISION ) , which has now close on 100 lodges—the precise number is 97 —is engaged in raising a very large sum in commemoration of the Queen ' s Jubilee for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , we are not surprised that the totals for the Girls' School last month and the Boys' School this should be small , the amount in the former case being only £ 94 ios ., and in the latter

£ 73 ios . Indeed , the contribution vvhich appeared for East Lancashire at the Benevolent Festival in February , vvas only £ 152 5 s ., so that if it were not for its engagement to raise the large sum referred to , our largest Province vvould make but a poor show with £ 320 5 s . as the amount of its contributions among all three Charities . However , it is only on very rare occasions it gives us a taste of its true quality , as when its chief , Bro . Colonel

Starkie presides at a Festival , the comparative smallness of its totals being due , as vve have again and again explained , to its establishment of a large and flourishing local Charitable Association , vvhich renders most important help , not only among the poor members and their families , but also to the Craft generally by thus relieving the central Institutions of a portion of the heavy pressure they have to bear . The same is the case with the Province of

LANCASHIRE ( WEST DIVISION ) , which has 84 lodges and not one but several local associations for the relief of distressed brethren , their widows , and orphans . Here again it is only occasionally we see a heavy figure in the Festival Returns entered to the credit of this our second largest province , though its record for the current year is better than its neighbour ' s , the Benevolent having received

a fraction over £ 399 in February , the Girls' School , £ 136 ios . in May , and this Institution £ 131 5 s . on Tuesday , making the total for the year £ 666 15 s . In this case , however , we have heard nothing about a Jubilee memorial being raised . In 1886 , the total for the three Charities vvas £ 510 6 s . ; in 1885 , it was £ 582 15 s . ; and in 1884 , £ 75 1 4 s . or £ 1844 . 8 s . for

the 3 yeats . In 1880 , when Bro . Earl of Lathom was Chairman for the Boys' School , its share of the day ' s contribution vvas nearly £ 2665 , so that it not only puts forth its strength on occasions , but is fortunate enough to have some strength worth putting forth . We pass next to the Metropolitan Province of

MIDDLESEX , vvhich has 41 lodges on its roll and consequently makes an effective display , almost invariably , and oftentimes one of great liberality . On Tuesday it sent up a contingent of 11 Stewards , representing eight lodges and a chapter , Lodges Nos . 1326 and 2105 being each furnished with two representatives . The total amounted to £ 410 2 s , 6 d ., the list of Comp .

Knightley , acting for the Henry Levander Chapter , heading the array with £ 121 17 s . Last month it raised for the Girls , £ 423 7 s . 6 d ., and in February for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , £ 43 1 17 s ., making the sum total for 1887 £ 1265 7 s . During the years 1884 , 1885 , and 1886 it raised £ 2626 2 s . 6 d ., the last of the three securing the largest share—close on £ 1034 . Thus the Province has exceeded its average for the last triennial term very considerably .

As for MONMOUTHSHIRE , which has latterly increased the number of its lodges to nine , it appears to be taking a more active part than usual in the affairs of our Institutions . It has always been a regular supporter of them , but being limited in strength it has adopted the practice of concentrating its efforts in the direction of one Institution . It still does so , but occasionally it finds a

brother who is anxious to serve the office of Steward and needs backing up with a little cash , or a little cash handy for which it would be as well to find a Steward . Thus Monmouthshire now oftentimes figures twice a year in the Festival Returns instead of its customary once . On Tuesday six of its nine lodges had representatives , and Bro . VV . Watkins acted for the Province , the amount they were able to raise amongst them being £ 300 . Last month it handed £ 62 ios . to the Girls' School , so that the total for 1887 will

be £ 362 ios . as against . 6231 in 1886 ( Benevolent , £ 199 ios ., and Boys' School , £ 31 ios . ); £ 261 8 s . 6 d . in 1885 ( Benevolent , ^ 200 , and Girls' School , £ 61 8 s . 6 d . ); and £ 307 13 s . per Bro . Capt . S . G . Homfray as Steward , which was raised for this Institution . Thus the last four years ' exertions have resulted in an aggregate of between £ 1100 and £ 1200 being raised by this little Province of Monmouthshire with its nine lodges . Well done , Monmouthshire !

Four brethren represented three of the ten NORTHANTS AND HUNTS lodges , vvith the result that they succeeded amongst them in compiling the goodly sum of £ 350 . As the last time it figured in these Returns vvas in

188 4 , when it raised £ 215 for this same Institution , we are pleased to be in a position to welcome its re-appearance among the represented Provinces , and we can only hope that it will persist in the good work , and with equal generosity in future years . There is no doubt that the Province of

NORTH WALES , which comprises some 18 lodges , is bent on keeping the ball rolling . As a separate organisation , it has enjoyed only a brief existence of two years , but it has done well in both . Its contributions last year amounted to upwards of

£ 219 . In February , the four brethren who acted as Stewards in its behalf raised £ 152 is ., and last month when , as a matter of course , it gave a helping hand to its old associate and neighbour , the total of its four Stewards' lists was £ 155 8 s . On Tuesday , three Stewards , acting for as many lodges , raised £ 102 18 s ., so that during the current year it has subscribed £ 410 7 S .

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , which has already done some minor work during 188 7 , had two Stewards ° n Tuesday , the aggregate of whose lists vvas ^ 231 ios . 6 d ., a Return with which a province with 14 lodges has good reason to be satisfied . Bro . Toplis , •or the Newstead , No . 47 , sent in £ 63 ios . 6 d ., and , considering that he

Appeared on the scene only a day or two before the celebration of the Anniversary , he must be adjudged to have done splendidly . The other list " -that of Bro . A . Stubbs , of the Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 402 , Nottingham p-arnounted to £ 168 , which , vve need not say , was a most welcome addition to the general total . In 1884 its Returns tothe Old People and Boys ' School reached £ 274 5 s . ; in 1885 all three Institutions obtained supplies

Analysis Of The Returns.

from Notts , amounting in all to £ 540 7 s . ; . while in 1886 the R . M . B . I . received £ 176 iSs . 6 d ., per Bro . Toplis , the other Steward ' s list being unaccounted for at the time ; and the Boys' School £ 102 2 s . This gives a total of £ 1425 3 s . for the last four years . There were five Stewards from as many lodges in

OXFORDSHIRE , and their lists totalled up £ 86 13 s . 6 d ., Bro . * Bowden ' s list for the Alfred Lodge , No . 340 , being the largest in amount ( £ 30 ) . Last month , the same number of Stewards , but representing four lodges , together compiled £ 101 14 s . 6 d ., while in February three Stewards , acting for two lodges .

handed in £ 72 iSs . 6 d ., making a total for the year of £ 271 6 s . 6 d „ as compared vvith £ 279 in 1886 , ^ 208 in 1 SS 5 , and £ 293 in 1884 , making for the four years £ ' 960 in round figures . As the province has only 10 lodges all told , and six of them have taken part in one or more of the Festivals of the current year , it is obvious that Oxfordshire is mindful of its obligations towards our Charities .

Two of the 25 lodges in SOMERSETSHIRE sent up three Stewards , of whom two hailed from the Rural Philanthropic , No . 291 , Highbridge . Their conjoint Return amounted to £ 420 . This is an eminently welcome total , especially as one of its lodges raised £ * i 32 8 s . for the Benevolent Institution in February , while in May its Stewards , one acting for the whole province and a lodge , and the other for a lodgeraised

, between them £ 400 65 ., making a total tor the year of £ 95 2 14 s . This is considerably above its annual average , the preceding three years having yielded £ 640 14 s . in 1884 ; £ 517 18 s . in 1885 ; and £ 609 lis . in 1886 ; . or , together £ 1768 3 s . It cannot therefore be said . that Somersetshire has not made a special effort during the year of the Queen ' s Jubilee . One of the 16 lodges in

SOUTH WALES ( EASTERN DIVISION ) contributed for Bro . W . C . Peace the comfortable sum of £ 120 , so that the Province has now taken its part in all the three Festivals of the year , the Benevolent having obtained £ 36 15 s . in January , and the Girl ' s School £ 105 last month , making for the year £ 261 15 s . In 1886 the Girl ' s School vvas benefited to the extent of £ 160 , and that of the Boys' with received

£ 105 . In 1885 they £ 200 each , and in 1884 , Girls' School , £ 160 , and Boys' School £ 140 ; making for the quadrennial period £ 1226 15 s ., or an average of £ 309 per annum , nearl y . We may reasonably anticipate , however , that when Bro . Sir George Elliot , Bart , M . P ., P . G . M . presides at the Benevolent Institution , in February next , the Province will put forth its strength and raise its yearly average to a considerable extent . The Province of

STAFFORDSHIRE , with 28 lodges , returned by the medium of three Stewards , £ 245 15 s ., which , with the contribution of £ 132 6 s . to the Benevolent , and one of £ 320 5 s . to the Girls' School in May , gives a total for the year of £ 698 5 s . In obtaining this amount ei ght brethren gave their services as ¦

stewards , which the Staffordshire Masonic Association played a conspicuous part in the work . In 1884 the total vvas £ 646 6 s ., in 1885 it was £ 695 2 s ., and last year , £ 577 ios ., so that the last 12 Festivals have yielded together £ 2617 3 s ., or an average per year of £ 654 and upwards . The three Stewards of

SUFFOLK , representing each a separate Iodge , raised amongst them £ 156 8 s ., the heaviest total , £ 63 , being that of Bro . Major Dods , of the St . Andrew ' s , No . 1631 , Gorleston . Last month four lod ges were represented by as many Stewards , their total being £ 219 9 s . and in February there were three Stewards , whose lists reached the telling total of £ 418 19 s ., making the aggregate for 1887 , £ 794 16 s ., vvhich is certainly a high return from an

agricultural Province , even though it has 21 lodges on its roll . But Suffolk evidently knows how to work the oracle to good purpose , seeing that in 1886 it raised £ 553 , in 1 S 85 , £ 691 3 s ., and in 1884 , ^ 627 is . 6 d ., making a total for the quadrennial period of £ 2666 os . 6 d ., of vvhich the Benevolent has obtained £ 1193 5 s . 6 d . ; the Girls' School , £ 894 6 s . 6 d ., and the Boys ' School , £ 57 8 95 . These are glorious figures , and must gladden the hearts of Bro . Lord Henniker , P . G . M ., and his worthy Deputy , Bro . the Rev * C . J . Martyn . Seven of the 32 lodges in

SURREY sent Stewards , the sum of whose lists amounted to £ 15803 . 6 d . In February the Returns from 8 out of the 9 Stewards—one being outstanding on the day of the Festival—amounted to £ 370 us . 6 d ., and last month 8 brethren acting for 7 lodges and a chapter , compiled ^ 26 9 is . 6 d ., the total for 1887

being thus , £ 797 13 s . 6 d ., which after its achievement of last year when it raised £ 1829 os . 6 d . —including £ 1345 15 s . 6 d . in support , of Bro . General Brownrigg ' s Chairmanship at the Girls' Festival—is a most admirable total , the two years having together produced £ 2626 14 s . Well done , Surrey ! Three of the 25 lodges in SUSSEX

were worthily represented by tour brethren , the Royal Brunswick , No . 732 , Brighton , having two Stewards who worked up alist jointly and obtained the respectable total of . £ 50 . Bro . W . H . Russell , who is one of the most active and prominent brethren of the Derwent Lodge , No . 40 , Hastings , returned £ 55 , and Bro . H . G . Price of the Hova Ecclesia , No . 1466 , Brighton , completed the array with £ 68 5 s ., the whole making un £ 11-1 KS . In Februarv .

two Stewards sent up £ 112 7 s ., of which Bro . Markwick , of the Derwent Lodge , obtained £ 100 , while in May Bro . Gerard Ford , the new D . P . G . M ., rather than have his Province unrepresented , gave his services as Unattached Steward at the very last moment and made up a neat and effective list of 30 guineas ( £ 3 1 ios . ) Thus the product for the current year is £ 317 2 s ., which is by no means to be lightly regarded , vvith a total in 1886 of

£ 542 ios ., of which the Boys School obtained . £ 420—its Festival was held in Brighton , and the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution the remainder —while in 1885 the result reached £ 1923 ios ., the Girls' School , at whose Festival the late Bro . Sir W . W . Burrell , Bart ., presided , receiving £ 1850 , and this Institution the small balance . Thus the last three years—1885-6-7 —have yielded a total of £ 2783 2 s . This is the first and only appearance of

WILTSHIRE during the current year . It has only ten lodges , and like all small Provinces , it—very wisely vve think—concentrates its strength at one Festival . Certainly its list on Tuesday , vvhich amounted to . 6234 3 s ., is one of which it has reason to be proud , and approaches pretty closely to the £ 270 or thereabouts which it raised in 1886 for the two schools . In 1885 it was the