Correspondence.

Correspondence .

VVe do not hold ourselves responsible tor the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we with , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion . THE BOYS' SCHOOL . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother ,

I suppose the question of the removal of the Boys' School is practically settled , and it is , therefore , no use going into any arguments on the subject . At the same time I confess that to my mind it would have been better to have taken the sense , by means of voting papers , of the whole of the subscribers , than to have left so vitally important a matter to the discussion of the Committee , no matter how excellent and representative .

But I understand that the question of the future site is not so absolutely decided as to bar discussion , and , therefore , I venture to send my own ideas on this point . They may be very worthless , and perhaps , very foolish , but if you will condescend to publish them I shall be grateful . I may say at the outset that I am , unfortunately , a landowner to a sufficient extent to make the present value of land an unfortunate matter for me and my

family . I am also the Receiver of the large estates of the Dean and Chapterof York , who are now in a condition of impecuniosity , arising from the present landed depression . It may , therefore , fairly be thought that I have a little knowledge . It appears to me that the price which is proposed to be given for a site for the future School is so enormous as almost to make one doubt the sanity of the Committee who would suggest such an investment . Doubtless , it

will be said that the estate planned in your paper of yesterday is in a splendid position , very near London , and abundantly picturesque . But are these considerations to be taken into much account in the case of a School of this description ? Is there any particular reason why the position should be chosen for its magnificence or for its picturesque qualities , or even for its proximity

to London ? One of the reasons alleged for leaving Wood Green is that the School is too much surrounded by the haunts of men . Then why still linger around the haunts , and why not get right away from the great Babylon ? I presume that the pupils do not make frequent runs into town , and , therefore , it can be no advantage to them to be within easy train reach ; and as for the Committee , a matter of 20 or 10 miles cannot make much difference to them surely .

Good schools do not depend for their success upon their proximity to London , and as for our own School , it really matters absolutely nothing where it is located . It has an advantage over all public as well as private schools , inasmuch as it has not to offer temptations and compete with other schools . It is purely and simply a Charity , supported by subscriptions and donations , and merely receives the boys voted into its arms by its supporters . Whether , the refore , it stands in Middlesex , Essex , Kent , Surrey , Hampshire , Berks , Bucks , or Hertford ,

seems to me matters little , so long as the site be healthy and pleasant and extensive . Take Haileybury I There is a good example of what I mean . That school has quite a large estate of its own . The boys can do their natural history collectings and ramblings on the estate of the School . As for space for every possible game , including golf , why they have heaps of it . They have their own gardens , & c , and can grow their own supplies to a large extent . Does any reason exist why such an estate should not be bought for the Masonic Boys' School ?

The price that is proposed to be paid for this site at Bushey is about ^ 200 per acre ! I have no doubt of the value , for I do not question for one moment the valuation , but in view of present prices , I confess I think the amount nothing less than fabulous for our purpose . Does anybody know of any agricultural land

at this moment that will bring such a price , which is really that of building land '' And if it be building land , or likely to become so , is it wise to remove from one building site to another position which is liable to become surrounded in the near future ? My own opinion is that a magnificent estate could be bought for our purpose within reasonable distance of London for £ 25 an acre at the outside .

Of course , it could not be secured without some exercise of discretion on the part of the Committee . If I wished to buy an estate I should not proclaim the fact from the house-tops . I should privately employ an estate agent or a solicitor and feel my way quietly . We all know that any body of persons representing a public instilution is regarded by anxious vendors ( and especially at this time ) as a possible gold mine , and if it became known that it was our Committee who

desired to acquire a property , of course the owner would at once run up the price . No doubt our Committee have been cautious and did not let thecal out of the bag until the bargain was struck . Then it only proves that the notion of placing the School so near town is a mistake of the first water . We all know of Southern landowners who are throwing their estates into rough shooting , because they cannot get rents to cover the tithe . And yet we are asked to pay ^ 200 per acre .

1 want to say something about the future School buildings , and if jou will allow me I will do so at seme future time , but I do not want to make my letter too long . I have not written this to evolve a discussion , but merely as an individual expression of opinion . Liberavi animam meant . —Yours fraternally ,

T . B . WHYTEHEAD . York , 1 Sth October . , P . S . —For the same sum ( £ 13 , 000 ) ive ought to get a magnificent estate of forest , meadow , stream , and woodland of over 500 acres .

THE REMOVAL OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , As you were good enough to insert , on my behalf , in a former issue , one of the first letters on this subject , may I ask your favour for a further contribution V

Without wailing to ascertain the opinion of the general body of Subscribers , the Board of Management ( it is true with the sanction of the Quarterly Court ) have committed themselves to the purchase of a new site at a cost of , £ 13 , 000 . This is net an extravagant sum for such a suitable locality as Bushey appears to be , and , personally , although I was at the time of my former letter opposed to any

change , I am now satisfied that the decision is a wise one . I would , however , mention that the hostile feeling referred to in my former letter as existing in this and other provinces , has now assumed very formidable proportions , and unless some steps are taken by the Board of Management to allay it , the result to the Charities generally , by the certain withdrawal of the West Yorkshire and other support , must needs be very hurtful .

I would strongly urge the Board of Management not to proceed with their mad proposal to build a much larger school than the present one . Such a scheme is quite unnecessary . By all means provide suitable buildings with all the requisite appliances for a good middle-class school , but instead of increasing the accommodation it should be reduced and applied only to providing for boys without either father or mother and other cases of urgent necessity , and make suitable annual grants to the numerous cases which with such assistance could bc well provided for at home . Let us

Correspondence.

have an expert opinion as to the cost of a school for say 200 boys ; this could not , I think , exceed about . £ 40 , 000 , which with the cost of the site would amount to ^ 53 , , deducting from which the proceeds of the sale of the present site say ^ 33 . ooo , and there only remains . £ 20 , 000 to be raised ; not a large amount for a centenary festival .

The opinion of Bro . W . F . Smithson , as representing West Yorkshire , has been mentioned , but I venture to state that much as Bro . Smithson is respected in the Province , and highly as his past services have been valued , on this subject he does not represent the views of more than one in 20 of the brethren of the Pro . vince . If the Board of Management would modify their proposals in the

direction indicated , and at the same time cut down some of the extravagance in secretarial and other expenses of management , and also take the subscribers into their confidence , I feel sure that they would receive support , but unless they do this , then West Yorkshire , at least , will withhold its support in future . —I am dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , ' LIFE GOVERNOR . Leeds , 17 th October .

THE "BOYS' SCHOOL" OF THE FUTURE . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , As an old Warwickshire Mason , I beg respectfully to dissent from the " pertinent remark " of Bro . Chas . Lee , ( reported on page 555 of the Freemason ) .

I was taught some 35 years ago that the three great pillars which support a Freemasons' lodge were called " Wisdom , Strength , and Beauty . " Now , if Bro . Lee correctly represents the opinions and wishes of the Warwickshire brethren they must surely have changed the name of the third and last pillar . Bro . Chas . Lee is perfectly at liberty to pose as the Apostle of Ugliness , if so minded . I for one am not amongst his followers , and I venture to hope it will " be an instruction to the Architect " that the School is to be the most perfect in the world .

The Craft will be building for posterity , and I trust that " the universal '' opinion on it will be that it is not only a "building perfect in all its parts , and honourable to the builder , " that the Architect was a worthy disciple of the great Hiram Abiff , who , without in any way sacrificing utility , for the sake of meretricious ornament , had produced a building remarkable for its adaptability , and

equally remarkable both without and within , for "his curious and masterl y workmanship in beautifying and adorning the same . "—Yours faithfully and fraternally , J . R . CHIRM . 9 , Wheeley's-road , Edgbaston , Birmingham , ioth October .

THE PROPOSED BOYS' SCHOOL . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , You deserve the thanks of your readers for publishing the plan of site , which conveys a good idea of the position of the proposed new building . I could have wished that the expert reporting had made no mention of clay , but surely that point could be cleared up by having some trial holes dug at various points on the land .

There is one thing that I should like to impress on the Committee , that no favour should be shown in the selection of an architect , as both our Schools have been added to and altered by brethren not strictly architects at all . I suggest a competition limited to brethren of at least two years' standing , and before final decision , the exhibition of the plans for examination and the opinion of many qualified to judge of their merits . We do not require an ornate building , we require good planning and an exterior worthy of tbe Craft , so let us get an able architect . —Yours , & c , " PRACTICAL . "

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

1089 THE CANONGATE KILWINNING LODGE . I have been very pleased in reading the account by the W . M . of the " Lion Lodge , " No . 312 , Whitby , of his visit to that famous Lodge the " Canongate Kilwinning , " Edinburgh , and 1 hope that the example he has set will be followed by other brethren who are enabled to visit such old historic lodges . The

W . M . of No . 312 may be assured of numerous interested readers when he writes an account of another ancient centre of Masonic activity . I heartily endorse all he says in praise of Bro . Allan Mackenzie ' s " History of No . 2 Scotland . " It is undoubtedly one of the cheapest and best works of the kind ever published . The volume is printed and published by Bro . James Hogg , North Bank-street , Edinburgh ( us . post free ) . The lodge is believed to be the senior pendicle of the

grand old " Mother Kilwinning Lodge , " of which I have the honour to be a member , and its bi-centenary was celebrated 20 th December , 1877 . Its orig inal charter to work has been lost , but the draft thereof is preserved in the minute book of the parent lodge , and is . as follows * . " At the ludge of Killwining the twentie day of december 1677 yeares , deacons and wardanes and the rest of the brethren considering the love and favour showne to us bc the rest of the brethren

of canongate in edinburghe ane part of our number being willing to be bokeel & inroled the qch day gives power & liberty to them to enter receave and pase ony qualified persons that they think lilt , in name and behalf of the ludge of K'" * wining & to pay ther entry and booking moneys due to the sed ludge as we do ourselves , ihey sending on of ther number to us yearly and we to do the ly * to them if need be . The ejlk day ther names are insert into this book . " The sign 3 '

lures and Masonic marks attached , as well as the above document , are duly reproduced in facsimile in Bro . D . Murray Lyon ' s magnificent history of the " Lodge of Edinburgh , " No . 1 , which has its records preserved for some three httiiiji'f ' years ! Scotland has been fortunate in its Masonic historians , for others of't * old lodges have also been ably written , one recently by Bro . James Smith , ° Dumfries , being especially noteworthy . i W . J . HUGHAN .

BRO . COLONEL T . DAVIES SEWELL has been appointed one of the Hon . Secretary of the movement set on foot in Westminster with a view to obtaining a charter incorporation . THE KE-JJ MENTAL ORDERS of the Inns of Court ( 14 th Middlesex ) Rifle Volunteerj contain an announcement that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales has notified his intern 10 being present at a smoking concert of the corps which , by permission of the Temp will bc held in Middle Temple Hall on December next .