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® Ij £ Jliasmtk ^ iai \ jMjim ^ i OCT . 1888

THURSDAY , ^ gjjgg gg ^ II , . Wiled hi / W . BRO . JAMES STEVENS , P . M . , P . Z ., & c , & c .

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Published every Thursday Morning ' , price ONE PENNY , and may be had from all Newsagents . Subscribers to THE MASONIC STAR residing- in London and the Suburbs will receive their copies by the first post on THUHSDAY MORNING . Copies for Country Subscribers will be forwarded by the NIGHT Mail on Wednesday .

TERMS , including ; postage , payable in advance : — railed Kiiijrilnin and Countries comprised Places not . in ttcneral comprised in Postal L'nion . t'oshil Union . If via Itriinlisi . Twelve Months ... 6 s . 6 d . . . . 8 s . 8 d . ... 10 s . lOd . Six Months 3 s . 4 d . ... 4 s . 6 d . ... 5 s . 6 d . Three Months ... Is . 9 d . ... 2 s . 4 d . ... 3 s . Od .

Post Office Orders , payable at the General Post Office , London , B . C ., to the Publishers . Messrs . ADAMS BROS .. 59 , Moor Lane , London , B . C . Postal Orders and Cheques should be crossed " Alliance Bank . " All communications concerning' Subscriptions and Advertisements should be addressed to the Publishers as above . All other communications , letters , & c , to be addressed " Editor

of THE MASONIC STAR . 50 . Moor Lane . Fore Street . London . E . C . "

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

* * . * ll e do not hold enersclees responsible- for the opinions expressed hi ) om Correspondents . To the Editor of'Ywv . MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . I have read , with a great deal of painful interest , your article of last week on the subject of the Benevolent Fund . Assuming

the figures . you give to be correct , it appears that the shrinkage of what is practically the reserve fund does not arise from any sudden and unforeseen call upon it , but has been , and is . of a steady and regular nature . Since 1 SS 3 it would appear that , like the pertinacious ticking of an automatic clock , account after account has been presented by the Executive , eacli one showing deficit upon

deficit ; and this in face of the great accretion of new lodges and new brethren to the Order during' the period alluded to . Now , it does not require the arithmetical genius of Cocker to calculate how long the . £ 37 . 00 ( 1 now in hand will last , should the experiences of the last five years be continued . It therefore behoves all those whom it may concern to face the difficulty forthwith , by devising ,

and at once carrying' into effect , some drastic scheme of reform . There may be many who will think as I do in the matter—that two courses only exist , one of which must be adopted , //' .. eitherincrease quarterage from lodges in the manner you say has been already suggested , but spurned ; or , a reduction of payments to deserving aptilicants for the benefits of the fund to such figures

as will at the end of every quarter leave something to the good in the account , and not trench on what is really its backbone . The first of these schemes seems to me preferable : the trifling increase of two shilling's for London , and one shilling for country brethren , per annun .. I cannot but think would be readily agreed to by all . You state that this proposal was defeated when made

some years ago by provincial brethren . Perhaps , as thing's have gone from bad to worse since that time , a similar suggestion would now be supported . In the case of reduction of grants , that is a detail which I think can only be dealt with by the Board itself , and I . only mention it as an alternative , in case the sums on the credit side of the account

arc not increased , to make the figures balance—for balanced they must be , as every day brings us nearer to the inevitable . I think , Sir , much praise is due to you for having placed before your readers this grave matter in so clear a light . It ought to have been done long ago . May I , in conclusion , ask you to note the following items which

I perceive in the report of the United Grand Ledge at a quarterly communication held on the 7 th March this year , and which seem to me curious . ' On page ; i . "> 7 I find the following : — " By Benjamin Young , for writing warrants and patents , one quarter . X . I ( i . "is . " On page iJ 5 . ) I lmd ° scheduled to office staff with their salaries ; these in the

aggregate amount to C 2 . (! 00 per annum . It appears to be a very negative compliment to these gentlemen , as well as wrong in essence , that the work of writing warrants , kc , lias to be done by some-one outside the office , and in face of such heavy salaries cause this charge on the funds . Surely there is some one amongst them whose caligraphy is good

enough for such work ! If not—all I can say is there ought to be . I fear I have already trespassed too much on your space , and so will reserve for another occasion some other points to which I wish to draw your readers' attention , and beg to subscribe myself Faithfully and fraternally yours , AGERE NON LOQUI .

Original Correspondence.

IMTiE L'hi . To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR ANO BROTHER . I . hist week , addressed t : > you a communication en above rale , which appears in your issue of Thursday last . I have since then had the privilege of perusing , in the Freemason of Saturday last , a letter , signed "Lex Scripta . " on the subject .

I note with pleasure that the writer of such letter is practically at one with , me , but some of his conclusions seem wide of the mark . He commences by admitting that there is nothing in the Constitutions to compel a Brother either to vote or to leave the Ledge . Good ! but why then import either Bro . Robertson ' s or Dr . Oliver ' s disquisitions and discussions into the matter . ' Such appears to me to be ultra -vires .

Aothmg , to my mind , could be more fair or proper than his statement that , of those who hear the question of exclusion discussed , and practically , by not voting , admit their non-conviction , should be counted as negatively voting in favour of the accused , and the figurative instances he adduces arc cogent proofs of the wise

forethought of those who framed Utile 210 . The next point in which I join issue with "Lex Scripta" is this . He says : ' Refusal to vote in the affirmative is a plain proof either that they do not consider the complainant has proved his ease , or else that they are unwilling to in flirt sue // an e . rtrrmr sentence a * e . reluxi . )))^

No : I do not conceive that such a factor as unwillingness to inflict just punishment exists in Craft Lodges . The members are far too fair for this , and . being true to themselves , cannot necessarily be false to others ; this they would be . were they to place their own personal feelings in front of what is due to their fellow-members .

It is , as I said last week , and as "Lex Scripta " repeats , simply the Scotch verdict , " Not proven , " which non-voters give on this vital ( personal ) question : and no other feeling is , or ought to be . brought into the matter . Pray pardon my troubling you with these remarks , but I feel

that so many may be led to do an unwitting wrong through false notions on this subject to some brother who may incur the ill-will or displeasure of some other brother , that I ask you to present the foregoing views on the subject for their careful and friendly perusal Faithfully and fraternally yours . VERITAS

JEWELS . To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . Will Bro . Milledge kindly give his authority for his assertion in your last issue , that a P . M . Jewel if wirehaned- by the wearer , should be of silrer , but , if presented to him , of gold or silver gilt . '

This is quite new to me and other brethren to whose attention I have called the letter . I : ' thu-e is any such authority . I fear there are many hundreds of P . M . ' s who are quite ignorantly infringing it , and many hundreds who will continue to do so in tlie future . Yoars fraternally , 8 th Oct .. 1 S 88 . ASPIRANT .

lie MASONIC BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATIONS .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . It is a well-known fact that large sums of money are subscribed to the three Masonic Charities by Benevolent Associations which otherwise would never be obtained . These Associations , as a rule , when being formed , choose one of their best members as Secretary .

upon whom falls the heat and burden of the work : a great deal of the success which follows is due almost entirely to his iniiuenot and tact . Now , what I wish to call attention to , is the fact that he does not receive any recognition from head-quarters , and after all his work is done , he is not even thanked : at least 1 have not yet heard any letter read at any meeting at the close of an Association to that

effect . I am strongly of opinion that the services rendered by these brethren should be recognised by the Charities , by making them either Life Governors or Life Subscribers , this being the least they are entitled to . Is it possible to bring the matter forward in such a way as it may be fairly discussed and decided . ' We know that the Secretaries of the three Charities are well rewarded for what thev do . but where would ihev be without the

help or : the said brethren : and surely , if they are . rewarded , the Secretary of the Benevolent Association should also be in sonn degree . It would be doing a great service if you would open youi columns to a free discussion of the case on its merits . Allow nn to say that I am not a Secretary of an Association . Yours truly and fraternally . JUNIOR WARD EX

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

A . !• :. l _ ,.. Xcw Wandsworth .-Your favour of lliclini received , cud will bo considered We shall probably discuss 1 lie question yon propound in a special article al an early date . Meanwhile , we respectfully . submit to yon that von are quin mistaken in your views on the subject " . W . II . I ' oi'i :, Secretary , So . 17 S 5 . Thanks foryonr letter , which wodonot publish The subject is having our earnest attention , as ynu will observe in the nexi Number .

EIFI : Gov HH . N ' OR . -We are cordially with you in regard to your observations re laiing to the . Masonic Charities in so far as principle i . » " concerned : but tin \ unfortunately point unm . stakeably to an individual , and we will noi at an ' \ time admit in our pages any attack m , persons . Smry to decline the letter I ' . I so good a friend ; but wo have laid down a rule for our guidance and mtisi adhere to It .

A . I I ., Soiithsea . —We quite agree—but que vcuh-:: eons ? We must set our sails to _ meet the prevailing wind . In a week or two probably you will see tie effect ol your letter . Slcnnwliilo lei lis suae thai in iclcici . ee to yiiiireiiqiiii v as to the working of the l- 'iftccn Sections lately at the Doric f . odf : ~ e of Instiur lion , the questions were all put by the pn siding W . M ., and the answcis given by the respective brethren named . We were under the impression that alt Freemasons who knew anything of Masonic working knew that this is Unorder of tuition in a Lodge of Instruction .