Analysis Of The Returns.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE , were represented on Wednesday , and there were also five Stewards Unattached , the amount which the eight brethren had the satisfaction of raising being £ 331 ifis ., which with the . £ 166 18 s . fid . compiled for the Old People ' s anniversary , gives a total so far for the current year of ^ 49 8 14 s . 6 d . Last year , with 84 Stewards , the Province raised ^ 2723 12 s . for the Boys' Centenary , . £ 47 5 s . for the Benevolent Institution , and ; £ Sg 5 s . for this , the aggregate of

the three being , £ 2860 2 s . In 189 7 the Province distributed . £ 675 iSs . among the three Institutions ; in 1896 ' . £ 544 19 s ., and in 1895 , . £ 59 8 19 s . In 18 94 and 1893 the totals were on a more moderate scale , reaching ^ 428 fis . fid . in the former and . £ 304 iSs . in the latter . But in 1892 Sir M . E . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P ., occupied the chair at the Boys' School Festival , and Gloucestershire loyally supported him by raising £ 1645 *' S . tr > e total for the whole year amounting to £ 1729 lis .

From HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLK OF WIGHT there is a compact body of nine Stewards , of whom one—Bro . John W . Gieveis Unattached and the others have acted for eight of the 48 lodges on the roll of the Province . The total compiled by these brethren is 2356 , the most important list being that of Bro . Chaloner Shentonof the Economy Lodge ,

, No . 76 , Winchester , amounting to , £ 84 . In February , when the Stewards were 10 in number and 10 lodges and two chapters , with Bro . John W . Gieve , Unattached , took part in the work of contributing or raising contributions , the total raised for the Benevolent Institution amounted to . £ 436 2 s ., so that the Province has done its part well up to the present time , more especially as in 18 9 8 , after raising £ 105 for the Benevolent and Girls' Institutions , it figured at

the Boys' Centenary for the handsome total—obtained by the efforts of 56 Stewards—of . £ 3238 13 s . fid . In 1 S 92 , the proceeds of the year's labours reached ^ 1650 17 s ., of which within a minute fraction of . £ 1346 was subscribed for the Benevolent Jubilee ; in 1894 , the total raised was . £ 95 1 gs . fid ., and in 1 S 96 , £ 1149 12 s . fid ., the Boys' School in the latter years being the recipient of rather

more than one half , but in the intermediate years the totals obtained were , w ith one exception , either substantially less than , or about on a level with what has thus far been subscribed during the present year . We must not omit to mention that during these years the Province has been generously supporting an Educational Fund of its own , which has done good service .

ln February , the Province of HERTFORDSHIRE , which has an enviable record during the quarter of a century that Bro . T . F . Halsey , M . P ., has presided over it as Prov . G . Master , raised . £ 3 8 4 ios . fid . for the Old People , there being six of its 23 lodges and the chapters attached to two of them , and ; hree acting independently , who had a hand in compiling this total . On

Wednesday , only live lodges and three Unattached brethren took part-in the proceedings , and the amount they compiled was . £ 179 os . 6 d ., the list of Bro . C . E . Keyser for £ 52 ios ., being the most considerable . Last year , the Province subscribed , £ 343 7 s . to the Benevolent Institution , ; £ i 6 S 15 s . fid . to the Girls' School , and . £ 1614 5 s . fid ., by the medium of 49 Stewards , to the Boys ' Centenary , making a total for the year of £ 2126 8 s . In 1 S 97 , the year produced

£ 1434 7 s . '> m 18 9 6 , £ 1538 6 i . 6 d . ; in 1 S 95 , £ 1120 9 s . fid . ; in . 18 94 , , £ 958 fis . 4 * L ; in 1 893 , when Bro . C . E . Keyser , P . G . D ., presided at the Old People ' s Festival , , £ 2106 14 s . ; and in 1 S 92 , the year of the Benevolent Jubilee , £ 2135 fis . fid . Thus in the period of seven consecutive years we have traversed the contributions from this moderate-sized Province , which even now has only 23 lodges on its roll , have thrice exceeded £ 2000 , and thrice raised between £ 1000 and £ 2000 , while in the

remalnirg yet r , they were only about . £ 4 0 less than . £ 1000 . Thc praiseworthy f . ature about tl ese Returns is that they are regular and well sustained throughout , the smallest total following after two prolific years and then increasing year by year — with one exception—till the third big Return was reached . Considering that Hertfordshire mustered only eight lodges when Bro . Ha ' iscy was installed in ofiice , it is evident there must be a strong regard among the brethren for our Institutions .

KENT , wilh its array oi 64 lodge :., has always been in thc fror . t rank of thc supporters of our Institutions , and , strength for strength , will bear favourable comparison with those which outnumber it in their roll of lodges . Cm Wednesday , only eight of i's lodges , represented by seven brethren , with a lady and brother Unattached , lent a helping hand ; but the total , which included a list of , £ 105 , per

Bro . J . VV . Elvin , of the Graystone Lodge , No . 1915 , Whitstable , and £ 150 by Bro . (' . Sheath , of the Shirley Woolmer Lodge , No . 2530 , Sidcup , amounted to . £ 395 18 s . fid ., and is very far from being the smallest that has been compiled by so small a body of Stewards . In February , it took the lead of the Provinces at the Benevolent Festival . On tha ' . occasion 12 of its lodges and a chapter were entered in the Returns , the number of Stewards , including a

lady and a brother Unattached , being 15 , and the amount they . together raised , £ 818 18 s ., so that the total thus far fox 18 99 already exceeds £ 1200 . Last year it did but little for the Benevolent and Girls' Institutions , the amount it laised for them being only . £ 129 12 s . 6 d . But it laid itself out to accomplish great things forthe Boys' Centenary , and was , so far , successful , that its 10 S Stewards compiled a sum of , £ 5542 3 s . fid ., and thereby secured the third place among the

Provinces , the two whose contributions were in excess of those of Kent being West Yorkshire and East Lancashire . As regards its contributions during previous years , we remark that in iSgs it raised in all £ 2399 gi . fid . ; in 18 93 , ^ 2103 12 s . fid . ; in 1 S 92—the year of thc Benevolent Jubilee— . £ 3003 13 s . 61 ; and in 1891 , when its Prov . G . M . presided as Cnairman at the Benevolent Festival , £ 4018 ss .

The two Lancashires are in the unfortunate position of having both of 'hem lost the distinguished brethren who had presided over them so ably and succejsfully for many years , and , though in the case of West Lancashire , a ' successor his been appointed to the late lamented Earl of Lathom in the person of his son and

successor , the piesent Earl , the time is too short Ior the latter to have exercised any material influence . Moreover , both these influential Provinces figured largely at the Boys' Centenary , so that , even had their circumstances been otherwise more favourable , we could not expect from them contributions proportionate to their strength .

LANCASHIRE ( E . ? J . ) , which muiteij 113 lodges , raised . £ 252 for the Benevolent Festival in February , while on Wednesday , live of its lodges , icprcsentcd by as many Stewards , compiled £ 194 ios . including . £ 100 conipiletl by Hro . R . Pinter , of No . 210 . Last year it subscribed £ 215 15 s . to the Old People in February ; , £ 93 14 s . to this Institution in May ; and the following month , £$ 77 a 7 - 6 d ., per 180 Stewards , to

the Boys' Centenary , the total for the year being £ 6081 fis , 6 d . This , though the record year for the Province , is not the only one in which it has won distinction by the magnitude of its contributions , ln 18 95 , it raised upwards of , £ 4000 lor , 1 s own Systematic Educational and Benevolent Institution . In 1892 , it c ' sUibiUcd £ 2824 15 s ., and in 1891 , 1 , 1278 , among our Centra ) institutions , while on more than one previous occasion it , hascompiled < i total of about . £ 3500 .

LANCASHIRE ( W . D , ) , which has 12 ) lodge : ; 011 its roll , subscribed £ { $ 1 5 s . to the Old People in February , and . £ 140 14 s ., to this Institution tin Wednesday , there being seven Stewards at both Festivals . Last year , with a contingent of 129 Stewards , it

Analysis Of The Returns.

compiled a total of ^ 4451 13 s . for the Boys' Centenary , the figures for the whole year including the minor contributions to the other Institutions , being £ 4525 3 s . Its previous " best" was in 18 91 , when the late Earl of Lathom was Chairman at the Boys' Festival , and the amount raised by the Province reached . £ 6126 14 s . fid ., the total for the year being ^ 6341 14 s . 6 d . In 1 S 92 it raised ^ 1679 14 s . fid . ;

and in 1894 , when the present Earl presided for his father at the Festival of this Institution , the year ' s labours produced £ 2768 2 s . fid ., of which " Our Girls " secured . £ 2500 . In addition to what it does for our Central Charities , it has four Institutions of its own , which it generously maintains , and to very good purpose . Seeing that

LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND is one of those Provinces which helps one Institution in the year , taking each of them in turn , and that in February it contributed . £ 429 19 s . fid . to the Old People , per Bro . C . Bennion , we were not prepared to find a representUive in these Returns . However , Bro . John T . Thorp , Unattached , is entered for 10 guineas ,

and so the Province escapes being included in the roll of absentees . Last year the Boys' School was the recipient of its favours , the sum compiled by seven Stewards ior the Centenary being . £ 546 ios . fid ., which is a capital return for a Provi nee with only 14 lodges . Among its previous contributions may be mentioned ^ 388 ios . to the Benevolent Jubilee in 1892 , and £ 330 ios . in 18 94 , and £ 323 5 s . in 1897 , to this Institution .

MIDDLESEX , considering the effort it made last year for the Boys' School , has done exceedingly well this year . In February its contributirns to the Old People reached . £ 309 us . fid ., there being five Stewards , acting for six of its lodges ; while on Wednesday the amount placed to its credit was ^ 478 3 s ., there being 11 of its 42 lodges represented by 14 brethren , the principal lists being those of Bros . A . Jones , Lodge

No . 1637 , and Geo . J . Perkins , Lodge No . 2536 , each for . £ 100 . Last year the Province did splendidly . In February it raised - £ 273 17 s . for the Benevolent Institution ; in May £ 507 13 s . 6 d . for the Girls' School ; and in June , by the medium of 78 Stewards , . £ 2805 16 s . for the Boys' Centenary , making the total for the year . £ 35 ^ 7 63 . fid . Its record Return was in 1896 , when it raised . £ 3765 15 s . fid . in

support of the chairmanship of Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., Prov . G . Master , at the Benevolent Festival , the total for the year being £ 30 . 67 15 s . fid . Other noteworthy Returns are those of 1897 , which amounted to . £ 1105 iSs . ; of 18 94 , amounting to £ 1043 17 s . fid . ; and oi 1892 , when , including its contribution of £ 1315 9 - t 0 ine Benevolent Jubilee , it raised in all . £ 1619 15 s . 6 d .

Under the able rule of the Earl of Euston the Province of NORTHANTS AND HUNTS has been a regular and liberal supporter of our Central Charities . When in the early years of his Prov . G . Mastership his lordship presided at one of the Old People ' s Festivals , his Province raised upwards of ; £ goo . In 18 93 he occupied the chair tor this Institution , and Northants and Hunts subscribed

. £ 1050 , the year's total reaching . £ 1107 I 0 S . I" , ;! 97 > including , £ 543 7 s . sub-: scribed to the Boys' School , the Returns amounted to . £ 763 12 s ., and last year to . £ 17 84 2 s ., of which , £ 1621 7 s . was raised by 28 Stewards for the Boys ' Centenary . During ; the present year it has raised for the Old People in" February . £ 243 is . fid ., and on Wednesday , / 21 N 15 s ., the numberof Stewards , including Lord Euston , two Unattached brethren , and two lodge representatives , being fi ^ e , and the principal list , that of Bro . T . Phipps Dorman , for , £ 94 ios .

One of the 32 lodges in NoRTHUMliERI . AND was represented at Wednesday ' s gathering by Bro . VV . Seager , whise list realise I ; £ 47 Ss ., this , with the . £ 3 0 subscribed by another lodge to the Old People in February , being the extent of the support given at the Festivals that have been held during the present year . At the Boys'Centenary the Province was

represented by eight Stewards , far and away the most prominent being the Prov . G . Master—the Right Hon . Sir M . White Ridley , Bart ., M . P . — the total , including his list of £ 1124 us ., amounting to . £ 1290 9 s . The previous noteworthy performances include the contribution of £ 2315 5 s . to the Girls' School Festival in 1895 , supplemented by ; £ iS 6 18 s . to the Boys' School in the following June ; and , £ 1304 4 s ., including . £ 1050 paid for a Perpetual Presentation , to the Boys' School in 1891 .

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE took no part in the recent Benevolent Festival , but on Wednesday Bro . \ V . ) . Rorke had charge of the Province as a whole , while Bros . VV . Bradley and Ashurst were Stewards for two of its iS lodges , the sum total of their lists being £ 189 , towards which Bro . Rorke raised £ 63 , and Bro . Bradley . £ 84 . At the Boys' Centenary thc Province sent up nine Stewards , and

contributed . £ 777 . In previous years Nottinghamshire has been more or less regilarly represented at one or two , sometimes all three , Anniversaries ; the total it distributed in 1 S 97 amounting to . £ 309 4 s ., and in 1 S 96 10 / 397 65 ., the Benevolent and the Boys' Institution sharing in the former , and the two Schools in the latter . In 1 895 the Boys and the Old People received between them . £ 274 us . 6 d . As regards

NORTH WALES , the familiar name of Bro . C . K . Benson greets us as a matter of course , while associated with him is Bro . R . T . Powell , as Steward forthe Square and Compass Lodge , No . 1336 , Wrexham , their lists amounting to . £ 47 5 s . In February , Bros . . Benson and Coxhead , Unattached , together returned £ 21 . At the Boys ' Centenary 25 Stewards did duty for the Province and had ths satisfaction of compiling the splendid total of , £ 108 9 ios ., Bros . Tuxford and Porter , having as

Stewards Unattached , together raised . £ 294 for the Benevolent Institution in the preceding February , and Brc . Benson having given . £ 10 ios . to this Institution in May , the total for the yeir reaching the record sum of 1 * 1394 , which as there are but 20 lodges in the Province and many of them are small , cannot be too highly commended . In 1 S 97 , the total for the three Festivals was small , but , in 1896 , it reached £ 397 15 s . 6 d ., while in 1895 , it only just exceeded . £ 300 , but in 1894 , it was some shillings over . £ 400 , in 1 S 93 , . £ 474 18 s ., and in 1892 , " £ 495 12 s . As usual

OXFORDSHIRE is well represented , si . v of its 12 lodges sending up seven Stewards , whose lists amount in the aggregate to , £ i 8 , S 4 s . 6 d . In February , seven lodges together raised , £ 141 . | s ., so that up lo the the present time the year 1 S 99 promises to yield at least an average Return of Donations and Subscriptions . As far as our memory serves us , 18 9 8 must have been thc record year for this Province . In

February , thc Earl ot Jersey , Prov . G . Master , took the chair at thc Benevolent Festival , and Oxfordshire compiled a total of . £ 505 I 2 i . 6 j . In May , the Girls' School was assisted to the extent of , £ 73 14 s ., while in June , the 17 brethren who acted as Stewards had the pleasure of compiling . £ 33 8 7 s ., the total for the three Anniversaries amounting to £ 917 13 s . 6 d ., or more than £ 76 per lodge . The previous yearly

totals have been invariably high for a Province of such moderate size , and , what is of Still greater importance , the figures have been well sustained . ThuJ in 1892 , the total was within a fraction of , £ 662 , of which . Cp 8 7 s . was raised for the Benevolent Jubilee ; in 18 93 , it reached , £ 440 61 . fid . ; in 18 94 , , £ 312 is . ; in i 8 y 5 , £ 382 18 s . 61 ; in 189 , 6 , £ 351 . 85 . 6 d . ; and in 18 97 , £ 476 is . 6 d . These constitute a series of figures of whiph Oxfordshire has ewery reason to be proud .