Summary Of The Provinces.

SUMMARY OF THE PROVINCES .

£ s . d . Berks and Bucks 102 7 o Cambridgeshire 57 15 o Cheshire ... 2100 Cornwall .. 99 15 o Devonshire 94 i ° ° Durham 134 8 o Fssex ... •••" ••••2 3 2 o Hants and the Isle of Wight ... 57 15 o Hertfordshire 54 12 o Kent 156 9 o Lancashire ( East Division ) ... 42 o o ( West Division ) ... 6 S 5 o Middlesex 10 io o

£ s . d . North Wales 52 10 o Northants and Hunts 26 5 o Oxfordshire 76 13 o Shropshire 55 13 o South Wales ( West Division ) ... 52 10 o Staffordshire 8 9 5 0 Suffolk 577 19 6 Surrey 138 13 6 Worcestershire 36 15 o Yorkshire ( N . and E . Riding ) 42 o o „ ( West Riding ) ... 225 15 o Isle of Man ... 10 10 o Districts Abroad 6 S 5 0

80 STEWARDS—LONDON ... ... ... £ 2 gSo 13 o 7 6 STEWARDS—PROVINCES ... ... 2374 2 o GRAND TOTAL . £ 5354 15 0

Analysis Of The Returns.

ANALYSIS OF THE RETURNS .

We have been very careful in the articles we have considered it necessary to write on the subject of the ioist Anniversary of the Girls' School to prepare our readers and the Craft generally for a substantial decrease in the total amount of subscriptions and donations . Indeed , it was only last week that we suggested £ 6000 as the extreme limit to which we deemed it possible they might amount . The result is now known , and it will be seen from the list of Returns that the total is some hundreds of pounds short of the figure we named as the maximum which might be reached . The Board of Stewards consisted of 156 brethren , of whom 80 represented London and its lodges , while 76 acted for 25 out of the 45 Provinces and for sundry Districts abroad , the total raised by the London contingent being £ 29 80 13 s ., and that of the Provincial contingent £ 2374 2 s . These , of course , are very different from the totals it has been our duty to analyse

during the past 12 or 15 years , but we have followed our usual plan of examining them carefully , and though they amount to so little , we do not think they are otherwise than a credit to the brethren generally . Indeed , considering that the sum raised last year was in excess of £ 51 , 500 , we are very much inclined to regard it somewhat in the light of a triumph , that the amount of £ 5354 15 s . should have been forthcoming on Wednesday . But to proceed with our task . As we have said , the total contributed by

LONDON was £ 29 80 13 s ., the number of brethren who acted as Stewards , excluding Bros , the Rev . C . J . Martyn and W . H . Bailey , who appear in both sections of the Returns , being 80 . Of these the House Committee , with Bro . H . B . Marshall , P . G . Treasurer , and Treasurer of the Institution , and Bro . Col . Peters , P . G . S . B ., and one of its Trustees , numbered 14 , the

Unattached 18 , and the representatives of 50 lodges and two lodges of instruction , 48 , there being two cases in which a single brother acted as Steward for two lodges . The highest list was that of Bro . Oscar Philippe , Unattached , which amounted to £ 190 2 s ., and included his own personal donation of 150 guineas ( £ 157 10 s . ) , Bro . F . J . Eedle , Steward for the Ivy Lodge , being second , with £ 152 5 s ., and Bro . Major-General Sim , of the

Friends in Council Lodge , No . 1383 , next , with £ 111 6 s . Bro . Col . Peters gave a personal donation of £ 105 , Bro . J . Boulton , of the West Ham Abbey Lodge , No . 2291 , and Bro . R . R . Green , representing the Coborn Lodge of Instruction , No . 1804 , being close together , the list of the former amounting to £ 102 7 s . 6 d ., and that of the latter to £ 102 12 s . 6 d . Bro . C . Hammerton , of the House Committee , completes the array of three-figure lists with £ 100 ,

but there are also a few other good Returns to be noted , such as that of Bro . W . R . Haylock , City of London Lodge , No . 901 , amounting to £ 96 us . 6 d ., and those of Bro . W . Masterman , Steward for Jerusalem Lodge , 197 , and University Lodge , No . 1118 , and Bro . C . H . Freyer , of the Southwark Lodge , No . 879 , which in each instance amounted to £ 7 8 15 s . The contributions of

THE PROVINCES have been subject to the same conditions , and must , therefore , be dealt with in a similar fashion . Last year , they raised so formidable a total for this Institution that even if their abstention at this Festival had been more general , it would be an act of discourtesy , if not of distinct injustice , to notice it very particularly ; while the part they took in the Boys' School Festival on the 27 th June , 1888 , and at that of the Benevolent Institution in

February last , shows clearly enough that their readiness to support our Charities is dependent solely on the means at their disposal . When , therefore , they step out of the way to help one of our Institutions on a larger scale than usual , it is natural , therefore , they should find themselves under the necessity of being less profuse in their donations and subscriptions at some subsequent anniversary . It is for this reason that the Provincial Returns are so considerably below the average , and hence , too , the number of absentees is greater than in ordinary years .

. The represented Provinces were 25 in number , while the unrepresented , •ncluding the Channel Islands , were 20 . BEDFORDSHIRE ( five lodges ) raised nearly £ 100 for the Girls' Centenary , while BRISTOL ( nine lodges ) , which was represented to a small extent at the same Festival , gave close on 5 o guineas to the R . M . B . I . in February . This Province , however , has been recentl y engaged in organising a local Charity Association , nor can it be said to have quite settled down since its change of rulers , so that it would be manifestl y unjust to regard its later Returns as a criterion of its ordinary Work . CUMBERLAND and WESTMORLAND ( 22 lodges ) raised £ 210 for the y'rls' Centenary , and over £ 100 for the Benevolent in February last , while m 1886 it gave £ 500 to the Boys' School , and in the year of the Queen ' s Jubilee £ 1050 to the Old People . DERBYSHIRE ( 22 lodges ) contributed not very far short of £ 800— £ 789 3 s . < 5 d . was the precise amount—to the Girls ' chool last year , and was represented on a small scale at the Boys' Festival Immediatel y following , and that of the R . M . B . I . in February , so that its th £ ° *" s occas ' cannot be wondered at . DORSETSHIRE ( 13 lodges ) , ough a moderate-sized Provincehas been exerting itself to very good

, Purpose latterl y . It raised nearly £ 300 at the Girls' Centenary in 1888 , and Pwards of £ 156 for the Old People in February , and consequently its Sence { rom ty , i ; st on Wednesday is easily to be accounted for . CLOUTS ST f RSHIRE raised £ 521 at the Girls' School Festival last year , and gave the tj ys School 20 guineas ( £ 21 ) a few weeks later , while in February a con-/ ^ erit ° f five Stewards sent up 90 guineas ( £ 94 10 s . ) . HEREFORDSHIRE uve lod ges ) raised £ 68 5 s . for the Girls' Centenary , and will no doubt be an " jPJ ? eanng in these lists of Returns at an early date . LEICESTERSHIRE JUTLAND ( 12 lodges ) is resting from its heavy work at the Centenary

Analysis Of The Returns.

of the Girls' School in June , 1888 , when it figured for the large sum of £ 648 ios ., while LINCOLNSHIRE ( 23 lodges ) , though its total on the same occasion was limited to £ 202 , made a very strong show in February in aid of the Benevolent Institution , raising not far short of £ 450 . We have an idea that MONMOUTHSHIRE is reserving most of its strength for the Boys ' School Festival next month , and that its absence on Wednesday and from

the Benevolent Returns in February may be accounted for thus in great measure , though we must not lose sight of the fact that it raised £ 438 3 s . for the Old People in February , 18 S 8 , and £ 94 10 s . for the Girls ' Centenary in the year following . NORFOLK ( 17 lodges ) raised £ 6 3 for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in February , 188 S , and over £ 214 for the Girls' Centenary in June last , since which it has been

resting . NORTHUMBERLAND ( 22 lodges ) contributed £ 900 to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in February , 188 S , and £ 52 ios . to the Girls' Centenary ; while NOTTINGHAMSHIRE ( 14 lodges ) was represented for a small amount at the Benevolent Festival in February last , for £ 190 at the Centenary of the Girls' School , and for a modest 50 guineas at the preceding Anniversary of the Old People . SOMERSETSHIRE ( 25 lodges ) ,

over which the Earl of Carnarvon presides as P . G . Master , is rarely absent from any of these festive gatherings . It began the year 188 S with a contribution of £ 137 5 s . to the Old People , following it up with £ 946 to the Girls' School , and £ 210 to the Boys ' " School . It is not surprising , therefore , that the only sum it has raised during the current year should be a moderate ^ 51 15 s . in February . S OUTH WALES

( East Division , 16 lodges ) did great things at the Benevolent Festival last year , at which Bro . Sir George Elliot , Bart ., M . P ., P . G . Master , presided as Chairman , and its subscriptions amounted to £ 865 , and it gave a further 25 guineas ( £ 26 5 s . ) at the Girls' Centenary , so that its absence since the latter Anniversary is easily to be explained . SUSSEX ( 27 lodges ) , which is among the most regular attendants on these occasions ,

raised within a fraction of £ 1148 at the Girls' Centenary , besides £ 31 ios . for the Old People , and £ 30 14 s . for our Boys , and in February last it compiled a total of £ 229 ios . 6 d . for the Benevolent ; while WARWICKSHIRE ( 31 lodges ) contributed over £ 1440 at the Girls' Centenary , and £ 147 at the Benevolent Festival in February . WILTSHIRE ( II lodges ) figured in the Centenary list of Returns for over ^ 340 , and in that of the

Benevolent Institution in February last for £ 168 , so that if it renders no further help this year it will still have done extremely well for so small a Province . The CHANNEL ISLANDS ( 5 lodges ) and J ERSEY ( 7 lodges ) comp lete the list of absentees , but Bro . Col . de Carteret , P . G . M , of the latter , acted as President of the Board of Stewards at the Boys' School Festival last year , and his list exceeded £ 215 . From these particulars it will be

seen that every one of the Provinces unrepresented on Wednesday has done good service , according to its ability , during the past and present years . Jersey and the Channel Islands being virtually one group , though Masonically divided ; and as in the majority of cases , the totals obtained were very largely in excess of their average , it is not strange that they should have

put in force their claim to an occasional respite from charitable contribution . Nor must it be forgotten that very many of them will be found entered as usual for the Boys' School Festival , which is now so fast approaching , and in behalf of which a strenuous attempt is being made to restore its funds to that condition of equilibrium which was so greatly disturbed last year by the Girls' Centenary .

Turning now to the Provinces which were represented by Stewards , we find the Returns have been very materially affected by the circumstances to which we have referred already in the early portion of this article , and many of those which in ordinary years are looked upon as certain to subscribe a tolerably round sum , have this time found themselves unable to bear the strain which has lately been put upon them . The first in order as published is the Province of

BERKS AND BUCKS , three of whose 24 lodges—for the purposes of this Festival , no account is taken of the lodge consecrated the other day—sent up Stewards with lists amounting in the aggregate to £ 102 7 s . In February , one of the two brethren who acted as Stewards handed in a sum of £ 23 2 s ., but last year

the amount raised and distributed amongst the three Institutions was £ 947 4 s ., of which the Girl's School received £ 711 8 s . In 1887 , £ 779 was raised , of which the Girls' School received not far short of one half , so that this Institution has every reason to be gratified with the support it receives from the Province .

Last year CAMBRIDGESHIRE , which has exactly half-a-dozen lodges on its roll , gave its undivided attention to the Institution for Girls , the total of its contributions being £ 362 5 s ., or an average of over £ 60 per lodge . In 1887 , all three Charities had a share of its favours , the Benevolent and Girls' School each receiving £ 200 ,

and the Boys' School £ 137 us . ; while in 18 S 6 the total for the three was slightly higher , and amounted to £ 547 5 s . This year the Benevolent Institution has had £ 94 ios ., while the Girls' School , on Wednesday , was benefited to the extent of £ 57 15 s ., the Steward being Bro . A . W . English , and the lodge he represented the United Good Friendship , No . 809 ,

Wisbeach . Thus up to the present moment Cambridgeshire has raised in 188 9 over £ 150 , and it is quite possible this figure may be very largely increased before the year is out . But even if our anticipations in this respect should prove erroneous , the Province will have done well , considering the amounts it raised in the years 1886 , 1887 , and 1888 . Only two out of the 40 lodges in

CHESHIRE , namely , the St . John , No . 104 , Stockport , and the Earl of Chester , No . 1565 , Lymm , were represented on Wednesday , the brothers who acted as Stewards being Bros . W . H . Pugh and Kain , and the amount of the latter's Return , £ 21 . In February , two brethren , acting for Lodges Nos . 336 and 1576 , took up between them £ 3 6 15 s ., while at Zetland

the Boys' Festival in June last , Bro . j . H . Wilde , for the , No . 537 , Birkenhead , raised £ 39 18 s . At the Girls' Centenary , the Province , headed by Bro . Lord Egerton of Tatton , contributed over £ 459 , the contributions from four Stewards at the Festival of the Old People the previous February being £ 63 . We are aware that these figures can hardly be considered to represent Cheshire , which is a strong Province , at its best ; but then , as we have again and again pointed out , it does , locally , a very large amount of charitable work , its Educational Institute being a means by which very many of the children of indigent or deceased Cheshire Masons are trained at schools in the neighbourhood of their homes . This arangements necessarily takes much of the pressure off the Central Schools , so that , on the whole , Cheshire does its fair share of duty , though only one part of it is in aid of the General Masonic Schools .