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CONTENTS . PAGE . LEADERS" C" on the Removal of the Boys' School ... ... ... 66 c Freemasonry in Durham ... ... ... ... ... 670 Provincial Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire ... ... ... ... 671 Consecration of the St . John-at-Hackney , Chapter , No . 2511 ... ... 671 The Old Masonians ... ... ... ... ... ... 672

Interesting Entertainment at the Merchant Taylors' Hall ... ... 672 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... G 72 MASONIC NOTES"Historic Notes of All Souls'Lodge , No . 170 , Weymouth" ... ... 6 75 New Wcrk on Masonic Clothing and Regalia ... ... ... 6 75 Consecration of the St . John-at-Hackney Chapter , No . 2511 ... ... 675

Correspondence .,. ... ... ... ... ... 67 6 Masonic Notes and Queries ... ... ... ... ... 670 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... — 670 " Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 681 Knights Templar .,. ... ... .., ... ... 681 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 63 r Lodges of Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... <> Sr Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... ( 382

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NOTICE . In consequence of Friday next being Christmas Day , the « ' Freemason " will be published on the morning of Thursday , the 24 th inst ., instead of Friday , as usual .

"C" On The Removal Of The Boys' School.

"C" ON THE REMOVAL OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

There are several points in the letter from " C" which we published last week , which demand from us some notice , not from the inherent force that is in them , but because there are many who will run away with the idea that , if they are left

unanswered , they must of necessity be unanswerable . We have said that to this correspondent belongs the merit—which has certainly not been exhibited by other opponents of the schemeof having supported his protest by reasons , but while we are

willing to accord him credit in this respect , we cannot say Ins reasons are of a very convincing kind . Thus , as regards his first statement that " the very large sum of money " which the

buildings at Wood Green have cost " cannot , in anyway , be recovered by the suggested sale of the land , " it is admitted on all hands that the removal will involve the loss of several thousands

of pounds , but as Bro . Bodenham—who , as a former member of the Board of Management , has a very intimate knowledge of what is required to be done—ably expressed it in a letter of his

which appeared in our columns some weeks ago , while we regret this loss , we recognise it is no good trying " to retrieve the irretrievable . " All that can be done is to sell the estate to the

best advantage and reckon the use and occupation of the building during a period of between 30 and 40 years as in some measure a set-off against the balance which is not recovered . "C" prefers " a little more re-arrangement ancl slig ht

alterations / ' but one of the earliest acts of the new regime was to reject a scheme of " re-arrangement" and " alterations , " which it was estimated would necessitate an expenditure of some £ 6500 . They did not see their way to reaping any advantage from thus

further tinkering a building which had already been tinkered almost from the very commencement of its existence . When the main portion of the present building was erected , it was intended for the occupation of 100 boys . That was in 1863-5 ,

and 10 years later there were about 150 boys on the establishment , the additional accommodation having been obtained by " re-arrangement , " " alterations , " and new buildings . Five years later , the School numbered over 200 , the necessary space

having been obtained by " re-arrangements , " " alterations / and additions . Two years later , the scheme for a new Hall and Preparatory School was started , and there followed still further

" re-arrangements , " " alterations , " and additions . Add to this , that when the present building was erected—or rather the original portion of it—the first school premises known as Lordship House

"C" On The Removal Of The Boys' School.

was pulled down , and we arrive at the fact that during the whole of the period the Institution has owned the estate at Wood Green , there has been little else than a costly series of " rearrangements , " " alterations , " additions , and repairs . This is

the reason why so large a sum of money , amounting in round figures to £ 100 , 000 , has been expended at Wood Green , and itconstitutes one of the main reasons why the Board of

Management have been led to adopt the policy of removal in preference to that of continual " re-arrangement" and " alteration , " as being in the long run the more economical policy of the two .

Again , as regards the statement that "the site cannot be said to be unhealthy , as there has been no outbreak of illness for several years , " & c , we are under the impression that the

PHILBRICK Investigation Committee was appointed to inquire into the management of the Institution , because the boys were out of form in respect of tone and character , poor in health , & c . We know that one of the circumstances that led to the inquiry

was the penalty inflicted on a boy who , while in a state of convalescence from scarlet fever—of which there had been an

outbreak at the time—quitted the infirmary for home without leave . It speaks well for the precautionary measures taken b y the Board of Management and the skill of their medical officer that there has been no serious outbreak of illness during the time they

have been in charge of the School , but this is after all only negative evidence and does not go far to prove that a clayey soil is a suitable one on which to erect and maintain a large School ; nor seeing that the clayey soil is not the only objection to the Wood Green site , does this absence of serious illness from the School

for several years , offer any special inducement to remain , if the bulk of the Craft are willing to purchase another site , of the healthiness of which there is positive and direct evidence . As regards playground accommodation , whether there is

more or less of this than at other large schools in or near London is beside the question . It stands to reason that when from an area of some 13 or 14 acres we deduct the space occcupied by the Main and Preparatory School Buildings , the

Head Master ' s residence , the gymnasium , the asphalted playgrounds , & c , and so much of the ground as is laid out for garden purposes , there cannot be left any great amount of accommodation for cricket , football , and outdoor sports generally . But

doubtless more would have been available for the purpose if the School buildings had been planned and erected for the accommodation of the present number of boys . Of the two schools mentioned by our correspondent , we are unable to say

what extent of ground they occupy . We believe the Drapers ' School is located somewhere in Tottenham , while Christ ' s Hospital is shortly to be removed into the country . As regards the latter , we imagine there is no healthier school in England ,

though its sanitary arrrangements date from time immemorial , and while there is no room for cricket , there is no lack of space either for indoor or outdoor purposes . But because A chooses

or is constrained to live in a small house , it does not follow that B with his growing family should go and do likewise , if he can obtain better and ampler accommodation .

The argument as to the small percentage of those who vote in favour of the removal knowing anything of the circumstances or even having seen the Institution may be applied with equal

force to those who have protested against it . How many of these latter even knew where Wood Green was when the present controversy began ? There are some 20 , 000 Life Governors and Subscribers , but 12 months ago probably not one in _ 'o of them