The Freemason

The Grand Master of Idaho at the last annual communication of bis Grand Lodge , requested and obtained its authority to appoint a Grand Lecturer , who should go the rounds of the country and endeavour to establish

something like a uniformity of work . The request was not made a minute too soon if the Grand Master ' s experience of the many kinds of work in force among his lodges is a correct representation of the facts , and we have no reason to doubt his statement .

He stated , in his address that when he exemplified the work before the several lodges , he found , " what was apparent to all , that no two lodges worked alike . Coming , as the brethren did , from nearly every State

in the Union , and some from abroad , not only had each lodge a favourite and different work from every other lodge , but in many cases those working in the same lodges differed as widely as the lodges themselves .

* * * Great as is our enthusiasm for efficient working , we confess that we do not envy the Grand Lecturer the task before him . Not only will he have to travel over a vast extent of territory in order to visit the widely

scattered lodges in this jurisdiction , but it will be his special duty to reduce into something like order such a chaos as is rarely to be found in Masonry , or even elsewhere . * * *

We imagine also that it will be as well that the brother who is appointed to this office should have the gift of tongues . In the newer States and territories of the Union , the population is apt to be a little mixed as-to its origin . On visiting a lodge in a

particularly new locality , the Grand Lecturer may find its members composing brethren of every nationality under the sun , including even the interesting Heathen Chinee , and it puzzles us to divine how he will be able to reconcile not only their various modes of work , but

also their various tongues . A lodge in Idaho , if the members come from such various parts , must be a reproduction on a small scale of the confusion of tongues at the building of Babel .

The Frank R . Lawrence Lodge , No . 797 , on the roll of the Grand Lodge of New York , so named after Bro . F . R . Lawrence , Immediate Past G . M ., and located in Rochester , was constituted on the 25 th November last bv Bro . J . W . Vrooman , M . W . G . M . In the course of

the proceedings Bro . E . M . L . Ehlers , Grand Secretary , presented the lodge on behalf of Bro . Lawrence with a magnificent set of jewels and a silver trowel . The

first W . M . was Bro . William A , Sutherland , who immediately after his installation , was appointed District Deputy G . Master for the 22 nd District . * * *

1 he Grand Chapter of Massachusetts held its annual Convocation at the Masonic Hall , Boston , on the nth December last , when Comp . A . G . Pollard was re-elected G . H . P ., and Comp . A . F . Chapman Grand

Secretary . The day following the Grand Lodge met in annual communication , 16 7 lodges being represented . Bro . Samuel Wells is the M . W . G . Master for the current year , and Bro . Sereno D . Dickerson , Recording G . Sec . * * *

The Grand Lodge of Virginia has decided on establishing a " Masonic Home , " and Bro . A . G . Babcock has contributed the sum of S 5000 (^ 1000 ) towards the

Endowment Fund . If there are many more Babcocks in the State , the work of endowment will be speedil y accomplished . * * *

The fraternity in Baltimore contemplate holding a fair for the purpose of relieving the Masonic Hall of its load of indebtedness amounting to some 870 , 000 ( . £ 14 , 000 ) . We trust the fair may prove a success , in other words , that it will fare well with this Masonic fair in the fair city of Baltimore .

* * * The Templar organisation in Ohio includes 46 private commanderies , with a total aggregate membership of 6133 . Its General Fund amounts to close on

$ r 7 ) 5 00 . ^ the expenditure was within its income for the past year . The present G . Commander is Sir Knight H . Perkins , and the Grand Recorder Sir Knight John N . Bell .

Chicago is to have the finest Masonic Temple in the world . It is to be erected in the very near future , if the negotiations now pending do not miscarry , and will cost $ 2 , 500 , 000 . One quarter of a block will be

occupied . The intention is to build a towering structure of neat design that will far overtop any of the tall buildings in the vicinity . The lower floors will be constructed with a view to leasing them for a huge European hotel .

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in a spirit of fair play to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ]

ATTENDANCE OF PAST MASTERS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I have read with much interest your article in to-day ' s Freemason on the above subject , the occasion of it being some remarks that recently fell from a distinguished colonial brother . And while I freely admit

that your article is fairly written and its tone moderate , it appears to me , nevertheless , to put one side of the question only , and so is necessarily ( although , of course , the constant readers of your paper will not need to be assured , unintentionally ) one-sided . Pray give me an opportunity of putting the other side of the argument .

You think that the Past Masters of a province ought not to be called upon to give an account of themselves , or in other words that the Provincial Grand Master ought not to be furnished with an annual account of their attendances . You appear to intimate ( pray pardon me if I misunderstand you ) that when a brother

becomes a Past Master he has done his share of work , that if he thereafter continues his lodge subscription it is simply to retain his status in the Craft , and that he naturally leaves the work to be done by the younger brethren . Now , Bro . Editor , I must try to dissent from this , for in the first place I cannot but think it of great

service to the Provincial Grand Master to be informed who among the Past Masters of each lodge are still in active work and in active sympathy with their lodge , attending regularly , and by their attendance being in a position to give the Worshipful Master the assistance

he so often greatly needs , both in the shape of counsel on the business of the lodge and also of active participation in the working of the ceremonies ; by such advices regularly sent him the Provincial Grand Master is enabled to confer the reward of merit in the form of

a provincial appointment on such brethren who best deserve the distinction , and by such a system , worked with discretion and tact , the provincial honours would be conferred on those brethren who not only best deserved them but with whose promotion their fellows would be most satisfied : further , it would create some

ambition among the Past Masters to be regular in their attendance at their lodge meetings , and while there to be assiduous in rendering aid to the Worshipful Master and helping in the proper rendering of the ceremonies , for they would be assured that their services would receive recognition ( and we know that it is the hope of

reward that sweetens labour ) by the eventual conferring on them of the much coveted purple collar . But how would it be under the state of things your article appears to advocate ? Then , a brother having passed the chair would feel that his work was done ; that he may , it is true , attend the lodge , but he would have very small

inducement to do so , for he would only be present as a spectator and the result would very soon be that he would absent himself altogether . Having , as you put it , done his share of the work , the P . M . would have no stimulus in the form of ambition for qualifying for provincial rank , and so the lodge would suffer , being

left entirel y in the hands of the younger brethren—the recruits—while the P . M . ' s—the veterans—would not attend . I cannot consider this , the inevitable outcome of such a system , the best attainable result . As an instance , I myself saw at a Provincial Grand Lodge some time since ( I will not say when or where , as I

am dealing with a principle only , but I vouch for the facts ) , brethren appointed to office who had only then recently passed the chair , and in one case a brother was only a newly-installed W . M . ! And this was in a large province , where many old and still active P . M . ' s were still undistinguished by provincial rank . Had

the system you do not approve of , but the advantages of which I have above tried in my feeble way to point out , been adopted in the province I speak of , such a state of things could not have happened , for the P . G . M . is a brother who is admittedl y incapable of partiality or favouritism , and whose desire is to

distribute provincial honours according to merit . But how , under our present system , can any ruler of a province attain this end ? Necessarily , he is in comparative ignorance of the most meritorious of the eligible P . M . ' s , and , like hitting in the dark , his appointments are often made almost at random .

I trust I have not trespassed too much on your space , but I feel that much more may be well said on the subject , and that the subject is one of great importance to the welfare of English lodges , both at home and abroad . —I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally Feb . 8 . IGNOTUS .

LODGE PRESENTATION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I am sorry , Bro . Editor , to again trouble you , but I am sure your sense of fairness will allow me a few words in reply to the two letters in your issue of last Saturday on this subject .

I will first comment upon "West Yorkshire ' s " letter , and afterwards deal with Bro . Riley . It is amusing to see " West Yorkshire" write " that he has not the slightest personal object in this matter , " when it was he who started this correspondence , and pressed it on . What could his object be ? Surely not to see his communication in print ?

Correspondence.

'' West Yorkshire's reference to the Past Masters as a body being accused of a " dog in the manger policy , " clearly shows that he is not " particular" what he writes . M y letter cannot be so construed by anyone with an unprejudiced mind . As to his statement that he knows what my letter

means , and how it came about , 1 am glad he does—it may give him relief , but he certainly does not g ive much information . I think " West Yorkshire " is one of the two Past Masters who was induced to change their minds , referred to in my last letter , and this may account for his knowledge .

Bro . Riley ' s communication is an amusing one , and appears to have been written under great excitement . He , like " West Yorkshire , " tries to contsrue my letter into what it cannot mean , and poses himself as an injured innocent . There is only one way in which he can construe my letter to refer to himself , and that is by being one of the three Past Masters referred to in

my last letter . My letter did not refer to the Past Masters as a body in any part of it . Bro . Riley says he was not asked to subscribe , and , on inquiry from the Past Masters who were working with me , I find he is correct ; bvit he tells me that it was within Bro . Riley ' s knowledge . Bro . Riley is not , however , a subscribing member of the lodge referred to .

With reference to the statement " that I am not particular what I write , " and that I know that "the Past Masters were shut out altogether , " I can only repeat that what I said in my former letter is perfectly correct . If Bro . Riley will inquire of the Treasurer of the lodge referred to , he will find that he ( Bro . Riley )

has not been ' ¦ particular " in what he has written . If the junior brother referred to by Bro . Riley made the remark he quotes , it was made on his own responsibility , and he must bear it . I am quite content to leave my former statements as the arbiter , as suggested b y Bro . Riley , and I am prepared to meet " West Yorkshire " before a Committee

of the lodge , and thresh this matter out , if he has not had enough already . It is not necessary to traverse Bro . Riley ' s statements where he uses such words as " wiser men , " " fools , " " Solomon ' s rebels , " and " better men . " They are always appreciated at their true worth by unbiased readers . —I am , dear Sir and Brother ,

ALSO WEST YORKSHIRE . February 17 th . WHO ARE FOUNDERS OF A LODGE ?

To the Editor of the "Freemason . "' Dear Sir and Brother , I am sorry to express dissent from your judgment on a point which is almost always one of some discussion and frequently of heart-burnings at the institution of a new lodge ; but in answer to such a

question which was raised at the foundation of the Empire Lodge , in 1885 , I received a printed reply from the Grand Secretary containing the following paragraph : " In consequence of irregularities that have in some cases taken place , I think it well to remind you that the

brethren who sign the petition , as petitioners , are the only founders of a lodge , and that , therefore , no brother ivho has not signed the petition can become a member of the lodge until he has been regularly proposed , seconded , and balloted for in open lodge . "—Yours faithfully and fraternally 0

LENNOX BROWNE , 30 , P . M ., & c . Member of B . of G . P . February 15 th .

A CONUNDRUM . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In his letter of the 27 th December , printed in your issue of to-day , Bro . Mills seems to have missed the point at issue . The quotation he gives from our worthy G . S . is no doubt correct , and indeed bears me

out in the line I took in my letter in your issue of 12 th October . But Bro . Cooper ' s letter in yours of the 26 th October in no way conflicts with the G . S . ' s ruling , as Bro . Cooper alludes only to the proceedings in a Board of Installed Masters . As Bro . Mills will see by referring to the correspondence in your issues of 9 th and 16 th November , Bro . Cooper ' s letter entirely

explained to me the only difficulty I had felt in the matter ; but apparently when Bro . Mills wrote he had not seen the later letters . If Bro . Mills will point out in what points he considers Bro . Cooper ' s letter does not agree with the G . S . ' s ruling I should be obliged to him . —Yours truly and fraternally , February 15 th . LEX SCRIPTA .

FREEMASONS AND CHURCH RESTORATION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In a recent issue of the Freemason I have read with great interest the account of the Godefroi de Bouillon Preceptory , and the presentation of a statue

of the great Crusader to Lichfield Cathedral . The English Order of St . John of Jerusalem ( though having no connection with the Sacred Council and Grand Master at Rome ) is doing a good work at present in initiating the examinations for first aid and