Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

Ail Communications , Advertisements , etc ., intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later than 12 o ' clock on Wednesday

morning . Mr . Hcckcthorn , declined with thanks . The following stand over : —Masonic Medals andTokens ; Bro . Kelly ; Banquet lo a brother at Swansea ; Presentation to Bro . W , Wright , i _ 45- Reports of Lodges

17 6 , 228 , 7 * , 8 , 95 8 , 1326 , 134 S - 1396 ; Chapters 279 , 44 6 , 1000 ; Mark Lodges 9 , 104 ; Red Cross Conclaves 9 ; , 44 , 120 . An interesting account of the Minute Book of the Lodge of Industry , Gateshead , will appear in thc next week's Freemason .

Ar00606

TheFreemason, SATURDAY , TUNE 26 , 187 ^ .

The Balance Sheet Of The Boysschool For 1874.

THE BALANCE SHEET OF THE BOYSSCHOOL FOR 1874 .

\ Vi- have b < _ n favoured by Bro . Binckes with a g limpse at tin- proof balance sheet for 1 S 74 , and we are anxious to call the attention of our readers to it , in anticipation of the annual festival . For the balance sheet for 1874 demonstrates so clearly the need of great Craft sympathy , and

snppoit in 1875 , ^ lat its % ures are more eloquent than words . Two points we wish to call attention to before we pass on to the figures themselves . The Boys' School , be it remembered , h „ s no funded capital , and depends entirely on the freewill offerings of the Craft for its

annual income and , so to say , " keeping up . In order to accomplish a great end , namely , to render the school buildings commensurate with the needs and worthy ofthe prestige of our Order , the House Committee sunk all its available cap ital and much more in the building , relying on

the liberality of the Craft to help them to " weather the storm" in years to come . That they judged wisely in building for futurity , no reasonable person can doubt , and even at this moment such are the increasing wants of the brotherhood , that had they the means , they could readily

receive some thirty or forty more boys . We have in our Boys' School a structure of which we may all be proud , and adapted in this improving age of all educational arrangements , for increased facilities in imparting a sound and useful and practical education . There seems to us to be no

institution with greater claims on our good will and large-hearted liberality , for our helping on labours which are labours of love , and giving encouragement to a high duty , and forwarding a happy result . One other point we must notice , namely , the growing importance of the school to

our fraternity . We must have it ; and each year only serves to warn us , how great a boon and a blessing it is to many , who otherwise might not receive a befitting education . To us the Boys ' School appeals with heartfelt memories of " auld lang syne . " These healthy and cheerful boys

are the sons of those with whom we associated so happily in the festive and pleasant hours of the past , and they appeal to us , andmany more orphan sons of Freemasons appeal to us , by every profession of Masonic teaching and fellowship , to give our mite in our time and generation towards the

best of all objects , the sound and practical education cf the young and often helpless children of our bt-thrc-n . It appears that the receipts of the Boys ' School for 1874 amounted to £ 10 , 284 , 11 s . iod ., of this amount £ 732 14 s . was voted by Grand Lodge and Grand

Chapter , £ 9 8 14 s . were received in musical fees ; , £ 9222 12 s . 7 d . were paid in donations and subscriptions , and £ 7 8 19 s . 1 id . was the balance at the bankers ' , January 1 st , 1874 . The expenditure is as follows : — , £ 500 transferred to Sustentation F ' und •£ i < jy ° i _ s . 6 d .

paid to New Building Account ; £ 736 18 s . $ d . Special Expenditure ; £ ' 6840 9 s . 8 d ., Ordinary Expenditure ; £ 232 is . 8 d ., Emergent Expenditure ; leaving a balance due to the bankers of £ 1-51 tis . 4 ( 1 . If is thei . fore quite clear from

1 I 11- liii . uiei . il statement that nut only is every elliiit li-qtiii . tJ to li . lp forward and maintain in pr < - |)_ r mder and i-iliciency , this most valuable Institution of English Freemasonry , but we must not shut our eyes to the fact , that we cannot expect , with constant pressure for increase in the

The Balance Sheet Of The Boysschool For 1874.

number of boys , that a less income must be supplied by our kindly Order of at the least £ 9000 per annum . This seems a large sum , but it is not too large for English Freemasons , who amid cruel imputations and shameful discourtesies , are always ready to prove to the

world not only that " that loyalty and chanty " are their watchwords , but that they uniformly seek to put into practice the distinguishing feature of Freemasonry , open-hearted beneficence , to all who make a proper claim on their good will , and their kindly aid . May the anniversary for

1875 De a S reat success for the Committee and Bro . Binckes , and may this , our last great festival for 1875 , demonstrate to the world that we are not , as Freemasons , " weary in well-doing , " but that ours is indeed , whatever ignorant writers

may say of us , a real love of our good old Order , belief in its tolerant and philanthropic principles , and a full realization both of our privileges and our responsibilities as Freemasons . We shall cive the actual figures themselves in detail next O * - * week .

The True Teachings Of Freemasonry In Respect Of The Social Question.

THE TRUE TEACHINGS OF FREEMASONRY IN RESPECT OF THE SOCIAL QUESTION .

In treating on this subject , confessedly somewhat difficult per se , we do not wish to appear either too egotistical or too dogmatical . We are most anxious to avoid any appearance of laying down too austere or ascetic a rule of the subject , and we do not presume to deny the right of others

to hold a different view from ourselves on this wide and important question . For we should not forget , that we all may fairly take somewhat different grounds on a point which is after all more or less personal . And as we do not all see things in the same light , in respect of many

other questions and even persons , we cannot be expected to hold an uniform opinion on this " vexata quajstio . " We said last week , that there was a Masonic heresy on the subject , and as that necessarily pre-supposed a true teaching , we presume to submit our explanation of it , in

the present issue ot our journal . And so in all deference and submission we propose now to do so , premising once more , that we have no wish , and no intention " to Jay down the law " to any who do honestly differ from us . We think that Freemasonry teaches us this distinctly , that refreshment is to be subordinate to work , and instruction . We should not be content to make all

our arrangements centre on the refreshment hour , nor to consider that the most important of our duties in Masonry is the K . and F . Degree . There are some good brethren of ours , who , as we know only drop in just in time for the Junior Warden ' s call . They take no part in the work of the

lodge ; they take no interest in instruction ; they do not care for lectures ; they do not profess to read Masonic literature , but , as boon companions they are A . 1 . Our worthy brethren , Brown , J ones and Robinson , look upon Freemasonry merely is a pleasant reunion , as a social club , alike

agreeable and hilarious . They have no patience , as they say , with those who render Freemasonry too dry an affair , and for them Freemasonry has , and Freemasonry always will have but one attraction , the banquet and the convivial gathering . Now though we do not object to the festive

assembly or friendly reunion , though we freely admit , that to many a hard-worked brother , the social aspect of Freemasonry has a great and abiding charm , yet we should ever bear in mind that all these things are only pleasant accessories to Freemasonry , and are not Freemasonry . The

great objection to the purely social view is its expense and in its interference unavoidably with the claims of chanty and benevolence . With those who advocate the purely social and " prandial" theory ever of Freemasonry , there is too often a very small amount of Masonic benevolence , and an almost

untellable quantity of " sack . " Now do not let us be misunderstood . We accept entirely the Masonic adage , that " refreshment follows work , " and we shall be sorry to see the day when , by an overstrained theory of Masonic abnegation , brethren should be stinted or deprived ofthe allowable and proper relaxation , sanctioned b y the rules ^ of our lodges and our Order . Many

The True Teachings Of Freemasonry In Respect Of The Social Question.

a firm friendship has been cemented round the Masonic table , and many pleasant hours of innocent gaiety and improving companionship have been spent by us all in the " interieur " of our lodges , and in a pleasant circle of friendship and good will . So that while we adhere firmly to . the

true teaching of Freemasonry , " subordinate refreshment and sociability to work and instruction , avoid late hours , and irregular habits ; let not Freemasonry be blamed for your want of self control j" we shall not give up the " liberty of refreshment , " in obedience to any fanaticism of

the hour , but we shall use it , and not abuse it . We shall all regard this subject from our own point of view , and on none is the right of private judgment so unlimited , for no one can presume to lay down a rule which is suitable or applicable to all , and of all things we should seek to keep

out of Freemasonry , anything like a pandering to hurtful and illogical fanaticism , any allowance of dictation by a noisy minority to a careless and apathetic majority . If in the words we have uttered , in the arguments we have employed , we have induced any brother to think the matter

over , our end will be gained , as we do not write for any purpose , though the Freimaurer Zeilung says we do , of Pharisaic profession , or pedantic pomposity , but with a heartfelt desire to assist , and to inform , to help , and if possible to edif y our numerous and friendl y readers .

Provincial Funds.

PROVINCIAL FUNDS .

We often hear a good deal about our Masonic Charities and the like , but very little is told ! us about our Provincial Funds , which , how . eyer , constitute no inconsiderable item in our general Masonic system of receipt and expenditure . Why thus it should be , we know not , as there

is no " reticence ' on the part of the provinces , which publish the amounts For the most part annually . Probably it arises from that apathy about many Masonic matters so characteristic of our good Craft , and which like that of some of our buoyant and verdant youth is inclined to

take a Dundreary view " de rebus lathomicis , ' and to set many little particul ars down , as being things a ' ¦ fellar can ' t or can ' t be expected to un derstand . " But yet if all our provincial returns were perfectly tabulated , the " tottle " of the whole receipt and expenditure would startle not a few of those lackadaisical critics who almost

seem to think that Masonic finance , like Masonic Archaeology , is a matter of no importance at all . If , however , we are , as we should be , fairly alive to everything that can illustrate our common Order , we shall feel the deepest interest in all such returns , which enable us to sound and mete

out the actual depth of our remarkable provincial system which , in its activity and reality , and fulness , is peculiar to English Freemasonry . We take the balance sheet to May , 1874 , of the Province of Lincolnshire as an illustration of what we bave been saying . The normal annual

income from fees and quarterages on the two amounts , the Benevolent and General Purposes , may be estimated in round numbers at £ go per annum , 18 lodges making up the Province of Lincolnshire . The interest on money invested in freehold securities may also be estimated in

round numbers at £ 2 $ so that the actual reliable income from all sources may be put at £ 120 . The invested property amounts apparently to __? 5 , $ o . The province began with a balance , on both accounts , of £ 97 15 s , jd .,

snd ended with a balance on both funds of s £ u 3 us . 6 d . The income from all sources uptoMay , 1874 , ( one item exceptional ) amounted to £ 262 12 s . < 5 d . The expenditure was as follows , Grants to widows and necessitous brethren

_ £ . 36 4 s . 8 d . j grant to Masonic Institutions , - _? 6 4 s . •expenses , ( which aro very small ) £ i 7 > in round numbers invested s £ 8 o ; the remainder constitutes the balance . The province of Lincolnshire has , with its lodges and brebhren , 397 life votes for the Boys' School , and 16 annual

votes •82 life votes for the Girls' School , and 15 annual votes ; 71 life votes for Male Annuity Fund , an ^ d 38 annual votes •24 life votes for the Widows •and 23 annual votes . But thejjreturn for the year 1875 will greatly increase the number ol votes . It will be seeu that while the