Annual Festival Of The Mark Benevolent Fund.

but also in looking after the comfort of the company . The figures which the Grand Secretary had lately announced were a proof of the trouble the Board of Stewards had taken . The extremely pleasant evening they had passed at that social board was also an evidence of the trouble taken by the Stewards . Bro . Major CARRELL , replying , said the Stewards were very much indebted to the Chairman for his kind expression of opinion of the efforts

made for the success of the Festival . The Stewards had been actuated by the same feeling as previous Boards—to do the best for tne Institution . All the Stewards had great regard for the welfare of the . Mark Benevolent Fund . They believed very strongly in its administration , and were always willing to do their utmost for its success . He was very pleased to be on a

Board which had brought up such a very good list , and he congratulated the Chairman on having such a result . He hoped the undertaking would advance and prosper . There might be great claims on it in the future , and he hoped that other Stewards who came on afterwards would have an equally oood result .

The Earl of EUSTON proposed " The Visitors , " but previously heartily congratulated the Chairman on the success of the evening . Mark Masons were always pleased to have visitors , whether they came from near or afar . They had one that night from New South Wales , where he ( Lord Euston )

spent many happy years of his life , a country which had proved it . would come forward and help old England when she was in trouble . He hoped Bro . Spiers would go back to the land of his adoption and of his birth and say he received a ri ght royal welcome from the Masons of England . Bro . SPIERS responded , and the company then adjourned to the concert .

Analysis Of The Returns.

ANALYSIS OF THE RETURNS .

It must be extremely gratifying to the Stewards at the Mark Benevolent Fund Festival on Wednesday to realise that by the efforts they put forth on this occasion the downward tendency which we noticed last year in connection with this annual gathering has at length been arrested . In 1890 , when the present Pro Grand Mark Master , Bro . the Earl of Euston , presided as Chairman , the

Board of Stewards was 179 in number , and the Returns amounted to . £ 2354 is . In 1 S 91 Bro . Viscount Dungarvan was the President of the day , and the Returns compiled by a Board of 149 Stewards fell to . £ 1858 3 s . Last year , the chair was taken by Bro . Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., and the result obtained by the still smaller Board of 130 Stewards reached . £ 1036 10 s . 6 d . On Wednesday the Stewards numbered 150 , and the total sum realised was . £ 2166 19 s . 6 d . And

what enhances the pleasure we must all derive from this result is the fact that the recovery is a fairly substantial one—not merely a few pounds , but an increase of quite . £ 530 . We are thus in the fortunate position of being able to congratulate Bro . Col . Money and the lodges and brethren who co-operated with him on a success which is the more to be appreciated because there were few , if any , who anticipated it .

We have said the Board of Stewards was 150 strong . Of these 11 were ladies and 139 brethren . The extra-Provincial section of the Board comprised the 11 ladies , 15 members of the General Board , 22 brethren representing 22 London lodges , and 13 Unattached , the total , after allowing for one or two brethren who are entered in two of the sub -sections , being 58 . The sums returned by these several classes were . £ 36 15 s . by the ladies ; / 105 by the General Board ; . £ " 442 by the

representatives of lodges ; and . £ 105 by the Unattached ; the most important lists being those of Bro . P . Saillard , the Steward for La France Lodge , No . 459 , for £ ' 85 is . ; of Bro . J . C . Collier , Grafton Lodge , No . 415 , for , £ 69 6 s . ; of Bro . C . F . Matier for . £ 52 10 s . ; Bro . C . H . Driver for £ 36 15 s . ; of Bro . W . H . Glazier , Mount Moriah Lodge , No . 251 , for . £ 29 18 s . 6 d ., and Bro . S . tireen , Onslow Lodge , No . 361 , for . £ 29 7 s . Thus London , with its

5 S Stewards , contributes . £ 688 15 s . towards the general result ; while last year there were 37 Stewards with a total of . £ 431 8 s . ; in 1 S 91 , 42 Stewards with £ 545 3 s . 6 d . ; and in 1890 , 56 Stewards with a total of , £ 600 4 s . 6 d . In making these comparisons , however , we must take into account the increase in the number of London lodges resulting from the break up of the old Province of Middlesex and Surrey .

THE PROVINCES were represented by 92 brethren whose lists amounted in the aggregate to J . 1478 4 s . 6 d . Last year this section of the Board numbered 95 brethren , and the sum total of their Returns was , £ 1205 2 s . 6 d ., while in the two previous years they were as follow : in 1891 , 107 brethren and . £ 1312 19 s . 6 d ., and in 1 S 90 , 121 brethren and . £ 1744 14 s . 6 d . The following are the leading details of this section of the Board .

Bro . John Smith , representing the Stuart Lodge , No . 434 , BEDFORDSHIRE , is entered for £ 2 $ 13 s . 6 d . The BERKS AND OXON Stewards were three in number , of whom Bro . R . Maples acted for the Province and Bros . G . H . Morland and C . Slaughter for Lodges No . 225 and 235 respectively , the total from the three heing _ £ a 8 7 s . Bro . J . B . Cockburn , Sarnian Lodge , No . 425 , CHANNEL ISLANDS , returned . £ " 5 5 s ., and Bro . Spencer Broadbent , representing the Province of CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND , . £ 30 19 s .

As regards the Province of DEVONSHIRE . 'he Stewards were three in number , Bro . the Hon . H . V . Duncombe , with £ 26 rs ., being Unattached , while Bro . G . S . S . Lowe , as Steward for the Province , handed in the sum of £$$ 14 s . 6 d .,. and Bro . John Taylor , Jordan Lodge , No . 319 , X 16 16 s ., the sum total being . £ 98 15 s . 6 d . Bro . Major W . Watts , of St . Cuthberga LodgeNo . 99 did duty for DORSETSHIREhis list amounting to £ ' 20 .

, , , ''AST ANGLIA , by the hands of Bro . H . J . Sparks and H . P . Hay , representing the Wal pole Lodge , No . 92 , and the Chelmer Lodge , No . 342 , respectively , returned ^ 31 10 s . ; G LOUCESTERSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE , with Bro . R . V . Vassar-Knnith , its Prov . Grand Master , . £ " 5 5 s . ; HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE of WIGHT , w 'tb three Stewards representing as many of its lodges , £ 33 12 s . ; and HERT'ounsniKEwith Bro . Charles E . KeyserUnattachedand the representatives of

, , , 'he Rose and Lily and Hertford Lodges , Nos . 35 . ; and 3 66 respectively , £ 22 15 s . 6 d . Last year EAST ANGLIA and the two that follow it in alphabetical order returned 'ibout the same amounts , but HERTFORDSHIRE , with five Stewards , compiled a total of £ 62 , and in 1891 , when there were only four lodges , the total was , £ " 36 15 s . jn this case , therefore , there is a decided falling off , which wc have no doubt will , ) e made good at some future Anniversary .

rum we now to the Province of KENT , which is next in order of alp habetical sequence . Six out of its 18 lodges were ^ presented by as many brethren , and there was one Steward Unattached , the sum

. ° ial of their lists being . £ ' 84 3 s . Last year live lodge representatives and j brother Unattached compiled . £ 69 . 6 s ., the principal item being the . £ ' 21 of Bro . e Rev . H . Cummings ( Unattached ) . Here again , but to a far more serious Xttnt i there is a falling off to be regretted , not so much between 18 92 and the th r > y ' between these two periods and the year 1891 and 1890 . In 1891 e Province sent up nine Stewards , of which eight , including Bro . the Rev . H ,

Analysis Of The Returns.

Cummings , who raised ^ 94 10 s . from the Province generally , compiled the excellent total of jfi 7 S 3 s ., while in 1 S 90 there were 11 Stewards , and the sum they raised was . £ 117 is . LANCASHIRE , which since the break up of Middlesex and Surrey is far and away the stronges ' of the Mark Provinces , is entered in the Returns for . £ 152 5 s . Only two out of its

30 lodges sent Stewards , the St . John's ( T . I . ) , and the Clarence , No . 447 , the former by the hands of Bros . John Kenyon and W . Hayes being responsible for £ 15 15 s ., while the list of Bro . James de Bels Adam , W . M . of the latter , amounted to ^ , 136 10 s ., in which were included the contributions of Bro . Lord Skelmersdale , the W . M . elect , and the 13 other brethren , who gave their services on the occasion .

This is just double the amount raised in 1892 , when the Stewards were eight in number , one half being Unattached while the other half , including Bros . Kenyon and Adam , were lodge representatives , Bro . Adam being responsible for £ 2 6 15 s . out of a total of . £ 73 10 s . In 1 S 91 the Province raised onl y . £ 57 15 s ., but it showed to greater advantage in the preceding year , when its representatives totalled up the handsome figure of £ igs 5 s .

The Province of LEICESTERSHIRE , DERIIVSIIIRE , & C , & C , which is in charge of the veteran Bro . W . Kelly , the Senior Prov . Grand Mark Master of England , invariabl y shows up well . There are only nine lodges on its roll , but four of these took part in the Festival , and compiled an aggregate of

£ , 87 3 s ., the principal item being the list for . £ 42 of Bro . J . Herbert Marshall , Steward for the Fowke Lodge , No . 19 , Leicester . There were also four brethren Unattached whose contributions swelled the total to ; £ l 02 iSs ., which compares favourably with the preceding three years— , £ 115 10 s . in 1890 , £ 86 15 s . in 1891 , and . £ 82 9 s . last year .

As for LINCOLNSHIRE , it has began well under its new chief , Bro . the Earl of Yarborough , who was in , stalled P . G . M . last year , and who was Steward for No . 117 , Bro . W . R . F . Morton , representing the Province generally , while Bros . E . M . Weigall and J . G . Clarke

did duty for the St . Oswald and Nene Lodges , Nos . 387 and 427 respectively . The total from all sources reached £ S $ 8 s ., the most important list being that of Bro . Morton for . £ 53 iSs . Last year Bro . Jack Sutcliffe , Bro . the Earl of Y'arborough ' s predecessor in office , acting as Steward for the Province , returned . £ 50 , while in the two preceding years the totals were . £ 26 5 s . and . £ 43 is . respectively .

Till as recently as last year ' s Festival the old Province of Middlesex and Surrey might always be relied upon as a principal supporter of the Mark Benevolent Fund . Thus in 1889 , its 30 Stewards compiled an aggregate of . £ ' 411 3 s ., while in 1 S 90 , the success was still more conspicuous , the Stewards-being 41 in number and the sum of their lists . £ 593 3 s . 6 d . In 1891 , there was a tremendous falling off , the amount compiled by 25 Stewards being _ £ 32 S 5 s . 6 d ., while last year with

24 Stewards the total was further reduced to . £ 229 is . On the lamented death of Bro . Col . Sir . Francis Burdett , new arrangements were made by which certain of the 38 lodges in the old Province became included in the London district , while the rest were constituted into the separate Provinces of Middlesex under Bro . Col . A . B . Cook , as P . G . M . M ., and Surrey under Bro . Col . Money . This then is the first appearance of

MIDDLESEX , in its new character of a separate Province , and as the lodges on its roll are but few in number , it is not surprising , that the total should be limited to £ Sj 3 s . 6 d ., the sum total of the lists compiled by Bro . A . S . Brown , Prov . Grand Secretary ,

representing the Province generally , and the representative of four lodges ; the principal return being the , £ 27 ios . 6 d . of Bro . W . Thomas , Sir Francis Burdett Lodge , No . 181 , who is thus worthily assisting in perpetuating the fame of the late respected chief of Middlesex and Surrey . Last year the Province of

NORTHUMBERLAND AND DURHAM raised by the medium of three Stewards—of 'Nhoin Bro . Hans B . Olsen was onethe sum of . £ 114 5 s . On Wednesday , the same Bro . Olsen , as sole representative of the Province , returned the far smaller total of . £ " 84 . NORTH WALES , with Uro . G . G . Warren as Provincial Representative , and Bro . T . H . Summerhill , Steward for the Hunter Lodge , No . 324 , compiled a total of , £ 31 10 s . ; NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , per Bro . W . Percy Payne , is entered for . £ 21 5 s . ; SHROPSHIRE , per Bro . Rowland G .

Venables , W . M . of the Shropshire Lodge , No . 444 , for £$ 5 s . ; and Somersetshire , per Bro . B . H . Watts , Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 177 , for . £ 31 ios . This last contributed . £ 6 3 ios . last year by the hands ot Bros . Arthur Duckett and A . G . Hayman , while in 1881 , when Bro . Viscount Dungarvan , the Craft P . G . M . for Somersetshire , presided as Chairman of the Mark Benevolent Festival , the amount raised was . £ 164 7 s . We now come to the Chairman ' s Province of

SURREV , which has undoubtedly acquitted itself well . As regards past years , what we have said in connection with the new Province of Middlesex is applicable here . Comparisons , therefore , are out of the question , and the one duty we have devolving upon us is to congratulate the newly-organised Province of Surrey on having made so successful a start under its new chief , Bro . Col . Money , C . B ., who , moreover ,

was the Chairman if the day . The number of brethren acting as Stewards was 13 , including Col . Money himself . Bro . A . H . Bowles , Prov . G . Sec , was Steward for the whole Province , compiling a total of £ 42 , while the remaining 11 brethren who acted as representatives of eight lodges had the satisfaction of raising by their conjoint efforts £ , 152 18 s . 6 d ., the total from all sources , and including Bro . Col . Money ' s own list of . £ 5 2 ios ., being . £ 247 8 s . 6 d . The principal lodge list

was that of Bro . John Barnett , representing the Crystal Palace Lodge , No . 450 , who is entered for . £ 42 ; Hiram Lodge , No . 13 , contributing by the hands of two Stewards £ , " 26 5 s . ; and the Croydon Lodge , No . 198 , with three Stewards , , £ 27 6 s . With such a result , Surrey must need be proud of its day ' s work . Bro . A . F . Lamette , doing duty for SUSSEX , contributed , £ 5 5 s ., while in

the case of WARWICKSHIRE the total was £ , 40 6 s ., the Province being represented by Bro . the Rev . W . T . Perkins , and three of the six lodges by as many brethren , Bro . T . Rowbotham of Charity Lodge , No . 430 , being responsible for £ 22 is . out of the amount raised by the whole Province . Four out of the 11 lodges on the roll of

WEST YORKSHIRE sent Stewards , the aggregate ot whose lists reached £ 11 ios ., Bros . H . S . Holdsworth and R . Hodgson of the Fearnley Lodge , No . 58 , together raising . £ 15 15 s ., Bro . G . H . Parke , Integrity , No . no , being entered for £ 31 ios ., and Bros . A . E . Smithies and T . G . Howell , of Truth , No . 137 , for . £ 15 15 s . The

result is a decided improvement on 1092 , when the total from the Province was only £ i 9 18 s . WILTSHIRE , by the hands of Bro . the Earl of Radnor , P . G . M ., figures tor £ , " 5 5 s ., and W ORCESTERSHIRE , per Bro . Murray Haynes , for £ 15 15 s ., while the Degree of Royal Ark Mariners , per Bro . E . Mallard , and Constantine Council , No . 2 , of R . and S . M ., per Comp . Robert J . Voisey , figure for , £ 84 and £ j is . respectively .