Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

[ THE EDITOK does not liold ldmself responsible for any opinions entertained hy Correspondents . ' ] THE ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . TO THE EDITOB OP THE FKEE 31 ASOXS' 3 IA . Gi . ZIXE AXD 5 U . S 0 XTC AIIIiEOE . SIB AKD BROTHER . — The contemplated withdrawal of Bro . Farnfield from the office of Secretary to the Royal Masonie Benevolent Institution for Aged and Decayed Freemasons and their

Widows , or his resignation of the clerkship in the Grand Secretary ' s office , which he likewise holds—for rumour is undecided as to Avhich appointment is to be given up—affords a convenient moment for passing under review , not only the future amount of salary to be paid to his successor , but also the remuneration now paid by the Grand Lodge , and by the several Masonic Charities to their respective secretaries and clerks .

Assuming , however , in the first place , that Bro Farnfield resigns the office of Secretary to the Benevolent Institution , I think it will be incumbent on the committee , in selecting a person as his successor , to fix the salary at as low a figure -as will be consistent with ensuring the services of a man of education and good character , and one whose antecedents will bear the strictest scrutiny . Many brethren are already candidates , and some canvassing has taken place . This ought not to be . The minds of the committee ht

oug to be free from every species of outward pressure , whether it be of friends or opponents of those Avho are in the field . Let the fittest man have it—fittest I mean by age , education , ability , and character . From the peculiar nature of our institutions we . cannot avail ourselves of the services of youths at almost nominal salaries , as is not unfrequentl y done by public companies , joint stock banks , & c . As we must therefore have a man of mature age , we must pay more than other institutions .

In considering , however , the amount of salary to be paid , we are bound to have regard to the finances of the Institution and to-the increased demand that may be made upon them when the change takes place . First there will he , or there ought to bis , either a donation or a pension to Brother Farnfield . Next there will be the expense of an office , with fire , lights , furniture , stationery , & c . No doubt these latter charges , or some of them , will lie decreased when the Grand Lodshall erect buildings on the waste

ge ground in Queen ' s Place which was purchased a year or two ago , and which at present makes no return whatever for the money expended in the purchase . And , lastly , there will be the salary to be paid to the next secretary . Lot us reduce these charges to figures : — _ 1 st . A gratuity to Bro . Farnfield , who has held the office from the time of the fusion of the Old Man ' s Asylum into the present

Benevolent Institution . A service of some eighteen years faithfully discharged merits a recompense . The amount must necessarily bo regulated by the amount of funds available for the payment . To grant an annuity of £ 30 a year for life cannot be thought too high a remuneration . It represents the interest arising from £ 1000 stock iu the Government Funds . It could at the outside only decrease the number of the annuitants hy one in each year till the

pension falls in . Instead , however , of an annuity , it may be deemed advisable to give the value of such annuity in money , and that may be estimated at something like £ 500 . In the second place , wo have to consider the , probable expense of an office , its furniture , fuel , lighting , & c . It will not be prudent to estimate this at less than £ 50 a year , this sum thus expended will exclude two more annuitants each year , while the charges are increased .

^ Lastly , we come to the salary to be paid to the new Secretary . Now taking into consideration the rapid growth of the Institution , increasing as it does year by year , with every prospect of stillfurlher increase , and no probability of any revulsion ; and seeing moreover that a very considerable portion of the time of even an active man of business habits must bo spent in the discharge of the duties , I see no possibilit of reducing the salary below what it is at present

y , viz . £ . 120 . _ To avoid , however , henceforth any appeals for startling increases either by way of donations or annual gratuities , or by whatever name the increase may be called , I think it will bo desirable for the committee to consider how , when , and to what amount the salary of the Secretary may be raised . The most convenient , and , I think , ' the most just way is , by an annual increase small in amount , so as not to press heavily on the tunds of tho Institutionbut at the

, same time , sufficient to ensure and retain the services of an able man . I wilt illustrate mv meaning thus : —A ; selected from the competitors by tho Committee anil appointed with the salary paid to the Secretary . At the end of the second or probably the third year let the salary be augmented by ~ 3 , and ] ct this sum lie yearly added till it reaches £ 200 \ Fix that ; AS the maximum . Pass a law at a general meeting of the whole uoily , and get that law confirmed by the Grand Lodge , limitin" the

Correspondence.

amount of salary as just stated , and then , allow of no motions for grants , donations , gratuities , or by whatever name increase of pay may be called , and thus do away entirely with the unseemly steps that have of late years been taken to vote away public money to private friends . For one moment Ave will cast a glance forwards ,. and assume that we have reached the year , 1880 . What will be the drain upon the funds of the Institution for its office expenses . First there will be

the pension to Bro . Farnfield , £ 30 ; next the salary of his successor , about £ 170 ; and lastly , office expenses ( if these are not lessened by the liberality of Grand Lodge ) £ 50 ; making a total of £ 250 . Surely there will be no difficulty in raising this sum without excluding one old man , or one widow of a Mason , from the benefits of the Institution .- I have hitherto been examining only one side of the question . I will now sa ) a word or two on the other

contingency . Should Bro . Farnfield elect to retain the office of Secretary , and surender the clerkship in the Grand Secretary ' s office , many difficulties will be obviated , but an immediate increase to his present salary ought to be made to the full amount recently proposed . The Grand Lodge is able to be liberal to those who have served the Craft long and faithfully . The amount of pension must of course be fixed by the Grand Lodgo , but after more than 30 years service

brethren could not grudge bestowing as a pension , the full pay of the office divested of course of the annual gratuity that has been added to it for some years . The Grand Lodge funds would suffer no diuVmutkni , the extra pay called ti \ a gratuity , would suffice to pay a fresh clerk . I will again make use of figures . At present , Bro . Farnfield receives from the Grand Lodge , a salary of £ 150 a year . He also receives a gratuity of £ 150 a year . Should he retire I would propose that he retain the salaryand that the

, gratuity be appropriated to the payment of his successor . I had intended to make some remarks on the salary of the Grand Secretary , and his clerks generally ; as well as the salaries of the Secretaries of the other Masonic charities , but I have already trespassed so largely on your space , that I must defer what I have to say thereon to a further occasion . I beg to remain , yours fraternally , October 3 , 1 SG 0 . P . M .

DESTurrcTiOjr or ITAMAX FEESCOES . —In a speech at a recent meeting of the Arundel Society , Mr . Layard said— "that the destruction that is going on amongst the ancient frescoes of Italy is really awful . Holes are knocked through them for doors , nails driven in them to hang garments on , " in addition to the ordinary progress of Time ' s decay and routine of accidents to which all things are liable ; to say nothing of that mischief of mischiefs called " restoration" the great enemy of old masters . In speaking of tho risks to

, which the Early Italian Frescoes are exposed , Mr . Layard stated to the society that he had noticed " barbarous names scratched upon the frescoes of Assisi and Spello ; these were the names of Germans who had crossed the Alps many , many years ago , to pillage Italy . Such names he had also noticed on the frescoes of the Benedictine Library , at Perugia . He feared that the mercenary troops of his Holinessthe present Popemade up of Germans and Swisswould

, , , not be more careful of these works of art ; but there were also mercenary painters who destroyed these works as well as mercenary soldiers . The meeting had heard something respecting the Singing Gallery at S . M . Novella , at Florence . He would mention an instance of this vandalism that had come under his notice . In the chapel of S . M . Novella is a beautiful fresco by Filippino Lippi ; a scaffold was , erected in front of it , on which , when lie was there , were three

gentlemen with pails and brushes almost of the proportion of mops . He inquired what they were about to do , -and they replied , ' We are engaged to rinfrescare ( or refresh ) Filippino Lippi . ' There wore also some fine works by Gliirlandajo in the same place ; and he ( Mr . Layard ) had no doubt that they would also , in time , ' refresh' him . In indignation he went to the authorities " , and endeavoured to persuade and argue with them to stop the work ; but they were not moved at his complaintsuntil in desperation he threatened to write

, to the Times , a threat which , strange as it may appear , had the effect of suspending the operation of refreshing Lippi and Gliirlandajo . " A RESCLT or SLAYEEY . —The unavoidable tendency of slavery everywhere is to render labour disreputable—a result superlatively wicked , since it inverts the natural order and destroys the harmony of society . Black slavery is rife in Brazil , and Brazilians shrink ; with something allied to horror from manual employment . In the

spirit of privileged classes of other lands , they say they are not born to labour , but to command . Ask a respectable native youth of a family in low circumstances why be does not learn a trade and earn an independent living ; ten to one but lie will tremble with indi gnation , and inquire if you mean to insult him ! " Work 1 work \" screamed one ; " we have blacks to do that . " Yes , hundreds ami hundreds of families have one or two slaves , ou whoso earnings alone they live . —Eiebank ' s " Life in Prazil . "