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® Ij £ Jftasnttfc ^ iar - THURSDAY , " ^^^ _ JAN . 17 , 1889 .

• ? ;\\ ^ v KilUe . il In / W . BRO . JAMES STEVENS , " P . M . , P . Z ., Ac , Ac .

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Published every Thursday Morning , price ONE PENNY , and may lie had from all Newsagents through the Publishers . 12 i _ to 125 , Fleet Street . E . G . Subscribers to THE MASONIC STAR residing in London and the Suburbs will receive their copies by the first post on THURSDAY " MORNING . Copies for Country Subscribers will be forwarded by the NifrHT Mail on Wednesday .

TERMS , including postage , payable in advance : — Unit _ Mn _ .. _| . ' . l _>_ . _ ami COUNIvies cu .--vn . _ eU IM _ . ce .. Hut . n _( , e _ K'v .. l couipvi-HMl in tiulin , Pnsiiil Union . Postal Union . via Ui _ i . _ ij . _ i . 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 ' E . G ., to the Printers , Messrs . ADAMS BROS ., 59 , Moor Lane ; London . E . G . Postal Orders and Cheques should be crossed & Co . and all communications concerning Subscription s and Advertisements should be addressed to them .

All other communications , letters . & c . to be addressed " Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . . " , ) . Moor Lane . Fore Street . London , E . G . " Publishing Offices : 123 to 125 , FLEET STREET , E . G .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

e 9 e lV _< 7 o lint hold ourselves responsible , for the opinions expressed Vy oui Correspnnilents .

THE MASONIC CHARITIES . To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . I ' ve , been a little puzzled lately to determine how much really was the amount of the collections last . year for the R . M . I , for Girls , and on reading one of your contemporaries last Saturday I am more

fogged than ever . This says that the ¦• actual amount received in donations and subscriptions during the whole year was only £ 44 . 660 1 Is . lid ., while the total of donations and subscriptions at the Centenary Festival on 7 th of June last , was announced as amounting to upwards of Z ' lOJiiH ) . '' Now , I don ' t in the least mind being classed as a " Silly Critic " ( critics are born , not made , so I am not

to blame for being ,: silly" ) but I have always thought that an " undertaking to contribute a certain sum and it * payment" were one and the same thing . I never have , and cannot find anyone who has , heard of a percentage of promised donations and subscriptions being alirayx in art-car . or that such arrears fluctuated between hundreds and thousands of pounds . What docs this mean . '

Is the pernicious long credit system a factor even in charity 1 If so , it seems many get very cheap advertisement . The writer of the article I quote from talks about' magic power : " and '' stupidity" is his deduction . Here I agree with him : but why lie should say that because " there tire people , who , having no opinion of their own worth mentioning , are silly enough to accept whatever the critics

may choose to say , " I fail to see . Perhaps I have no opinion of my own worth mentioning , but why I should be accused of being silly enough to believe what he says I don ' t know . If he would , as he - ' knows something about these matters , " publish what he knows , I . might consider what amount of credence I could give his statement : but I fancv knowledge of this kind is like Turner ' s

coloring—difficult to communicate . Why should any scribbler be favoured with information more than any subscriber ? He must have been , as he says " he knows ; " I ' m like Montaigne , and don ' t believe in miracles out of church . Do the shekels he gives in charity weigh heavier than mine . ' I trow not . . Yet he " knows something , " and I don ' t . No , no ! This is " not as it should be , and . silly or not , I criticise it as unfair . Whv don't

the authorities speak out : Ihcy are the ones to give the information ; but , like St . Paul , they are not careful to justify themselves , and they show this best not by their speech but by their silence , For myself , 1 don ' t care a button for the feeble attempts any paragraphia !' , may make to show me that I am " wrong "' or silly . ' " or anything else : irhat in- all -want is flic truth pure and inuid ult crated .

I feel that I cannot conclude this letter without thanking you for your article on the Charities . It must do good , for it is * inconceivable that when a bold attempt has oneo been made to expose what is wrong , there should not be an effectual effort made to change a bad state of things into a good . Remember the lines"Tin ; mills of ( . oil Kninl dowlv .

Yd tlii'y Ki'iuil exci-i-cliiig ... lull ; Tho' with patience He stands waiting , Willi exactness grinds Ho all . " It takes some people a long time to realize the meaning thereof Fraternally yours , A SILLY CRITIC .

Original Correspondence.

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . The craft are indebted to you , both for opening your columns to a discussion of this subject and for the excellent article with which you have introduced it . The signs of the storm which you prognosticate have been long visible to many who take an interest

in our charities , and some liberal supporters have been in past years anxious that attention should be called in a temperate and friendly spirit to the expenses of their management . The House Committee of the Boys' School deserve credit for their proposition to place the condition of the institution fully before an independent committee of enquiry . You will possiblv be

supplied with an official reply to the letter in the MASONIC STAR of 10 th inst . signed "Life Governor Jt . M . I . B . : "' but it may be a satisfaction to your correspondent and others to hear from an outsider unconnected with the management of the institution , that the committee sat on several ( I believe about ten ) days ; that they heard patiently any evidence tendered , and in the opinion of

brethren who took an active interest in placing fully before them complaints against the management , made a thorough and painstaking investigation . Their report is awaited with much confidence that it will be full and complete , and ultimately prove valuable to the institution . By the terms or the resolution appointing the committee , they are to report to " a Quarterly Court , " and

probably you will be able to tell us that it may be expected on 25 th inst . May I also add a word in reply to the letter of " P . M . " His experience is of Metropolitan Associations , as to which he is no doubt right . Provincial Associations are formed on a jnvinanent basis and usually make their payments annually only . Though names may be placed on a steward ' s list , and thus included in

the sum announced at a festival , no votes or privileges are allowed by the institutions until the money has been paid in by the treasurer of the association . In collecting subscriptions over the extended area of a province , whose members are unable to meet with the regularity of a town lodge of instruction , an entirely

different system is necessary . I will not trespass on your space by entering into details . I shall be very happy to forward to "P . M . " a copy of our last local report and statement if he desires it . Yours fraternally , 1 J th January . 188 !) . PROVINOTA I . _

lie It . M . B . INSTITUTION . To the Editor of TUB MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . With reference to the commission allowed to the collector for the above on all monies paid over to the charity , allow me to suggest that each subscribing brother should , before sending his

donation or subscription make the stipulation that no deduction be made for collector ' s commission , and that on this understanding only the money would be sent . With regard to the statement of receipts , may I ask why the expenditure is not given . ' Surely there is not a shareholder in any company in the world that would accept such a bare statement from

their directors , and why should we , as Donors , be expected to accept receipts only without seeing the other side of the ledger 1 It is high time that this state of things should be altered , and properly qualified auditors appointed to go through the accounts , and issue a balance sheet in the customary way .

I remain , dear Sir and Brother , Faithfully and fraternally yours , January "! 4 th , 18811 . JUNIOVWARDEN . P . S . —Of course , I consider the collector entitled to receive the c ommission on all monies he collects personally , but why he should eceive it on monies sent to the offices passes my comprehension .

' To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . I am engaged on the troublesome job of getting votes for a candidate for admission to the Girls' School . Hunting through the list of subscribers . I came across pages of names under the heading '' Addresses unknown , " though many of them appear as recent donors .

Can you tell me what this means . ' Are any proxy papers made out in these names . ' and , if so , what becomes of them l The same curious entry , I find , occurs in the book of the Boys' School subscribers . Do you think I could obtain any of these votes by applying for them ' . ' If yes , who ought I to apply to 1 Yours fraternally , J . C . H

ADDRESSES UNKNOWN .

FREEMASONRY , TEMPERANCE AND THRIFT . To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . With regard to Bro . Green ' s remark on the above , it is very difficult to get any place to hold a lodge other than an hotel or public-house and does no harm to Freemasonry ; but the harm is

done by those who abuse it . With regard to signing a petition to Grand Lodge , what can it do in the matter ! There tire Temperance lodges , and if a brother does not like to meet at a public-house , resign , and join a Temperance lodge . Brethren should read the Book of Constitutions with regard to antient charges , and then

follow out the sound masonic advice laid down , and if that is done there will he no reason to ask how to act , but follow out the four cardinal virtues , viz .. Temperance , Fortitude . Prudence , and Justice . Yours fraternally , Wimbledon . Jan . 11 th . 1 KS 1 > . W . II . WINCIFI ELD . P . M . 1300 .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

DOUR 1 . —Your letter on the "Three Losoor Lights ' Is i" typo , but is crowded out this week . G . M . TwunuELL . —In typo , probably next week ,