The School Statements Of Account For 1 892.

THE SCHOOL STATEMENTS OF ACCOUNT FOR 1892 .

No one need now complain of there being unwillingness on the part of our School authorities to furnish all necessary information as to the receipts and expenditure of those Institutions , or of there being an } ' lack of clearness

and precision in the accounts they render . Their annual statements of account are now issued with the voting papers for the Spring election , and , to use a familiar expression , " he may run that readeth " them . The account for the ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION TOR GIRLS

for the year 1892 shows a total income from all sources amounting to £ 12 , 738 os . sd ., of which £ 10 , 419 lis . 3 d ., including £ 150 from Grand Lodge and £ 10 10 s . from Grand Chapter , was , in respect of donations and subscriptions ; £ 2012 7 s . 3 d . for interest on investments ; £ 232 lis . 6 d . for musical instruction ; £ 52 10 s . for legacy , by the late Dr . H . E . PRICE ;

and the small remainder for " Interest on Deposits and ' Admissions under Law 87 . " On the other hand , the expenditure amounted to £ 13 , 493 7 s . 3 d ., the principal items being . £ 3566 14 s . lid . for provisions ; £ 1061 3 s . id . for clothing ; . £ 415 ros . for house expenses ; £ 859 17 s . 2 d . for alterations and repairs ; £ 865 19 s . yd . for rates , taxes , and insurance

in respect of School premises ; £ 816 17 s . 3 d . for coals , gas , water , tV-c . ; £ 255 5 s . 4 d . for school-books , stationery , & : c . ; £ 260 iSs . gd . for infirmary account ; £ 411 10 s . fid . for gratuities and outfits to girls leaving ; £ 111 13 s . 4 d . in respect of girls maintained out of the Institution ; £ 105 19 s . 5 d . for recreation of girls during holidays , & c . ; . £ 1992 14 s . 1 id . for

salaries and wages , School , and £ 1101 ( is . for do ., office ; £ 611 2 s . 2 d . for office stationery , postages , & c . ; £ 150 for pension to late collector ; and £ 104 19 s . iod . for grants under Law 101 . The items which have not been enumerated include the amounts paid for laying out grounds , rent , Src , of office , prizes and church

accommodation , examination fees , Stewards visit , votes of thanks to Stewards , election expenses , and Accountants' charges . Thus , there is a balance against the Institution of £ 755 6 s . iod ., which has been met by an overdraft on the bankers . As regards assets and liabilities , the former amount 10 ^ 176 , 041 2 S . Sd ., in which are included £ 100 , 07548 . ind ., for freehold

land and buildings at St . John's Hill , after making the necessary allowance for depreciation on , and additions to , buildings during the year ; £ 69 , 6 37 ins . id ., being the estimated value of £ 5400 Consolidated Two and Three-quarters per Cent . Annuities , and £ 61 , 877 3 s . 3 d ., Local Loans , Three per Cent . Consolidated Stock ; and . £ 7228 7 s . od . for furniture , fixtures , and fittings

at school and office , after allowing for the year's depreciation . The liabilities include £ SS 6 os . 6 d . to sundry creditors ; and overdraft on k bank , less cash in hand , £ 8 S 6 8 s . 2 d . ; the balance of £ 175 , 16 S 14 s . representing the capital account on the 31 st December last . It will be gathered from the foregoing figures that while the Institution is the owner of a substantial

property at St . John's Hill , and has not far short of £ 70 , 000 invested propert ) ' , its permanent income for 1892 amounting , as it did , to but little more than . £ 2000 , and its " donations and subscriptions " and other minor sources of income , were insufficient to meet the outlay by £ 755 . This materiall y strengthens the appeal we considered it our duty to make a

fortnight since on behalf of the Institution in view of the near approach of the date appointed for the celebration of its 105 th Anniversary Festival . We then stated that the permanent income was " within . £ 2500 , " while the outlay was " between £ 11 , 000 and £ 12 , 000 , " whereas in 18 92 , the former was only a few pounds in excess of £ 2000 , and the latter only a few pounds

less than £ 13 , 500 . We , therefore , understated rather than overstated the case , and the deficit to be made good—at all events as regards the year in question—should have been set down , not at about £ 10 , 000 , but at about

£ 11 , 500 . We trust these figures will be borne in mind by the brethren who ire acting as Stewards and by the Craft generally to whom the Institution is under the necessity of looking for the support required ( or the current year . I he statement of account for 1892 in respect of the

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION KOR BOYS sjiows a total receipt of £ 14 , 355 3 - 3 d- > with a total expenditure of * > 72 4 s . 7 d ., the balance to the good being £ 2682 iSs . 8 d . Here the "come included £ 13 , 164 12 s . gd . in respect of donations and subscriptions

cm lod ges and individuals and the grants by Grand Lodge and Grand napter ; dividends amounting to £ 875 14 s . jA . ; interest on deposit ¦ ccount , £ 51 j s , QCJ _ . legacies , £ 142 ios ., and sundry small items . The x Penditure included £ 2774 3 s . 6 d . for provisions , and £ 16 7 6 12 s . gd . for th o- '' £ 3 5 9 s . 5 d . for salaries and wages at the Institution and at e offices ; £ 041 IOS- 2 t j _ for rentj rates , taxes , & c , gas and water ; £ 427

The School Statements Of Account For 1 892.

for coals , coke , and firewood ; £ 140 iRs . lid . for household requisites ; £ 311 8 s . 9 d . for repairs and removals ; £ 116 gs . 5 d . for infirmary ; £ 102 9 s . 5 d . for sanatorium ; £ 173 12 s . 7 d . for postages , telegrams , kc ; £ 111 for maintenance and education of boys out of Institution ;

£ 317 ios . 3 d . for printing and general stationery ; and £ 91 3 s . gd . for travelling expenses . The smaller sums comprise , among others and in round figures , £ 34 for holiday expenses ; £ 46 for advertising ; £ 30 for examination expenses ; £ 40 for gratuities to boys on leaving ; £ 54 for Stewards' votes of thanks ; £ 29 for prizes , and for prize day and Stewards' visit

£ 62 . 1 he special expenditure in respect of alterations 111 Preparatory School , new tar paving , fencing , & c , reached £ 629 iSs ., but of this £ 335 6 s . was met by Income Tax and Inhabited House Duty and insurance premiums refunded , while under the head of pensions there was an outlay of £ 76 ios . Here , then , the income sufficed to meet the expenditure , leaving

a margin in hand of £ 2682 iSs . 8 d ., a state of things which niay , be ascribed principally to the very successful result of the 1891 Festival . But in the case of this Institution , though , under the new regime , it has been making good progress , and though what has been done has had the effect of bringing about a renewal of confidence on the part of the Craft generally in the

governing powers , there is nevertheless a very weak point which is disclosed by the statement of account in question and its accompanying explanatory letter . Of the whole sum received during the past year only £ 1036 4 s . 7 d . was in respect of permanent income , made up of dividends , £ 87514 s 7 d ., and grants from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter to the extent of £ 160 ios .

Moreover the invested funds , including the purchase money received for Five Perpetual and three Life Presentations , sundry prize funds , and the old Sustentation of Building Fund now merged in the General Fund , amount to no more than £ 31 , 732 4 s ., while the estimated value of the land and buildings at Wood Green is only £ 30 , 400 ; the excess of assets over

liabilities being set down in the Balance-sheet as £ 65 , 652 17 s . I id . Here , then , we have an Institution which , though it has fared well enough during the past year—that is to say , it has paid its way , and his a goodly balance in hand after meeting all current expenditure—is at a very serious disadvantage by reason of the very small amount of its invested funds . That a very

substantial addition was made to these funds during the year 1892 , by which they have been raised to their present total , is very much to the credit of the Board of Management ; but a capital of less than £ 32 , 000 is decidedly less than such an Institution should have to rely upon in the

event of a series of its festivals proving unproductive enough for its requirements . We arc not alone in our opinion that the permanent income of an Institution of this character should bear a greater proportion to its total income than is the case with our Boys'School at the present time ; and when the Girls' School Festival has been held and we feel ourselves

at liberty to make the necessary appeal to the Craft without detriment to the interests of the senior Charily , the point on which it will be our duty to insist most strenuously is . the very small amount of its assured resources as compared with the outlay to which it stands committed .

The Dean Of York On Freemasonry.

THE DEAN OF YORK ON FREEMASONRY .

The Defence Lodge , No . 1221 , Leeds , has arranged for a series of addresses to be delivered from time to time on Freemasonry , and they have been fortunate enough to enlist the services of the Very Reverend the Dean of York to inaugurate the series . We have much pleasure in presenting to our readers the address in question : —•

It is a good thing , I am sure you will agree with me , for I speak for the most part to men of business , to take stock from time to time of whatever we have in hand , to recall its professed object , to review its materialism , to reconsider its capabilities , and to acquire a fresh and comprehensive grasp of the subject for our future dealing therewith . Our loyalty to this Order

is , no doubt , unimpeachable , our satisfaction undiminished , our pride , in being recognised members of the Craft , untarnished ; but , nevertheless , we may not be altogether conscious of the opportunities and privileges which we enjoy , or fully estimate , as it deserves to be estimated , the membership of our great and ancient body corporate .

At a time like the present , when for reasons which perhaps lie outside the strict ken of Freemasonry , I am not wont to attend social gatherings , and it seems to me that I can most consistently fulfil the task which your kindness has imposed upon me by dwelling upon a legitimate province and practical work of Freemasonry at the present day . And first let us clear away all misapprehensions of the subject which shall linger and indispose many to join our ranks , though I will not