Analysis Of The Returns.

Notwithstanding the severe strain that was imposed last year upon the " Chairman's Province " of SOMERSETSHIRE , and all the different sections of the Craft , in respect of the Boys' Centenary , we , have held firmly throughout to the opinion that when the day arrived for Viscount Dungarvan to make his second appearance as a Masonic Festival Chairman , his

Province would support him loyally , and that the amount of that support would be the most prominent feature in the table of Returns . The Province , as will be seen from the Returns themselves , has n ot belied our expectations . A contingent of 28 Stewards , among whom are included the Chairman himself , as representative of the entire Province , Comp . R . C . Else , G . Supt ., representing the Prov . Grand Chapterthe Stewards from 23 of the 26 lodges , and two brethren

, Unattached , with a total of Donations and Subscriptions amounting to £ 2134 4 s . are evidence of Somersetshire ' s determination that its respected ruler should bs at least as successful an advocate of the interests of our senior Charity as he was of those of our youngest when he took the chair at the Old People ' s Anniversary in 1895 , and close upon £ 14 , 660 was raised for that Institution . On Wednesday the total raised was as we have said £ 21 34 4 s ., the principal individual lists

being those of Lord Dungarvan himself , for £ 635 5 s ., and of Comp . Else , G . Supt , for £ 73 ios ., together with £ 141 15 s . Irom Bro . C . Curd , Royal Cumberland Lodge , No . 41 , Bath , and £ 2221 lis . from Bro . B . A . Dyer , Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 53 . Last year an Unattached Steward returned £ 31 io * . to the Old People in February , while in June , £ 1187 19 s . was raised by the medium of 17 Stewards for the Boys' Centenary . In the two

preceding years of 189 7 and 1 S 96 it did not play its usual part at our Festival gatherings , but this is doubtless to be explained by the service it rendered in 1 S 95 in support , as already mentioned , of Lord Dungarvan ' s chairmanship at the Benevolent Festival , towards the funds of which it subscribed £ 1657 17 s . fid . out of a total raised during the year of £ 1745 3 * . ? d . In 1892 it contributed in all . £ 841 15 s ., of which £ 613 ios . was in respect of the Benevolent

Jubilee , while in t 88 S , thanks principally to the successful efforts of the late Bro . Stothart , it figured in the Girls' Centenary Returns for subscriptions amounting to close upon £ 1000 . We feel sure that the Girls' Institution must appreciate the service which Somersetshire has rendered in supporting thus generously the Chairmanship of Viscount Dungarvan , who for the last nine years has presided over it so greatly to its advantage , and , at the same time , with such an amount of credit to himself personally .

There were only three of the 33 lodges in STAFFORDSHIRE that took part in Wednesday's Festival , but Bro . Col . G . VV . Walker , P . G . S . B ., Dep . P . G . M ., had charge ot the Province as a whole , and these , with Bro . G . C . Kent , Unattached , returned a total of £ 173 5 s ., Bro . Col . Walker's list being for . £ 105 . In February the Province made a brave show . The Earl of

Dartmouth , Prov . G . M ., figured as Provincial representative , and was supported by Lord Burton , then S . G . Warden of England , five brethren as Stewards from three lodges , and Bro . G . C . Kent , acting on his own behalf , the total from all sources reaching £ 420 , of which £ 283 ios . was comprised in Lord Dartmouth ' s list . Last year Staffordshire gave £ 21 to the Old People , / lS 7 ios . to this Institution , and , by the medium of 204 Stewards ,

£ 3845 8 s . to the Boys' Centenary , the year ' s total amounting to £ 4023 18 s . This is vastly in excess of anything it had previously done . In 1 S 97 , for instance , it raised in all £ 640 ; in 18 9 6 , £ 604 lis . ; and in 18 95 £ 692 17 s . fid . In 1 S 94 and 1893 its totals were under £ 430 , but in 1 S 92 and 1891 it subscribed , during the former £ 762 fis ., and during the latter £ 761 15 s . fid ., these being the highest yearly returns previous to 1898 .

SUFFOLK , which , for many years past , has been doing excellent work in support of our Institutions , was represented by three brethren , of whom Bro . W . Chapman acted for Ledges Nos . 1008 and 1592 , and Bro . Francis A . Brooks . The three together returned £ 126 , of which Bro . Chapman ' s list contained £ 73 ios . In February two lodges were represented , and together returned £ 6 $ 2 s ., so that up to the present time the 1899 contributions are on a modest scale . But we cease to

wonder at this when we know that for the Boys Centenary in June last 'the 33 Stewards from this Province compiled a total of £ 1510 173 . 61 , which , with the £ 52 ios . raised for the other two Charities , gave a total tor the year of £ 1563 7 s . fid . The highest previous total for any one year was , we believe , that of 1892 , when , including £ 1291 14 s . subscribed towards the Benevolent Jubilee , it reached £ 1419 4 s . In 18 94 the amount was £ 809 5 s ., in 18 95 £ 851 13 s . fid ., and in 18 9 6 £ 647 IS .

Eight lodges , one of instruction , two chapters , and one brother Unattached , did duty for SURREY , and exceedingly well they did it , the total obtained by the 16 Stewards amounting to ; £ S' 5 15 s . 6 d ., of which the principal items were £ 100 by Bro , Weller , Lodge 880 , and £ 90 16 s . by Bro . H . Griffiths , of No . 1347 . In February , Surrey was a good third among the Provinces , the 17 Stewards , of whom 15

represented 12 of the 42 lodges , one a chapter , and one was Unattached , together obtained £ 579 gs . Last year , after subscribing £ 308 14 s . to the Old People , and £ 165 18 s . to this Institution , the Province assumed its best and most < * etei mined form , and by the efforts of 85 Stewards had the great satisfaction of raising within a few shillings the sum of £ 3500 , the precise amount being £ 3490 16 s ., the proceeds for the entire year reaching £ 3974 8 s . This

entirely cast into the shade all its previous successes and they were neither few nor inconsiderable . In 1892 , the total was £ 2817 ios . 6 d ., of which the bulk was raised at the Benevolent Jubilee ; in 18 94 , when the late Colonel Money , Prov . G . M ., presided as Chairman at the Old People ' s Festival , it reached £ , ( > 73 4 s . 6 d . ; in 1895 , it amounted to £ 1043 ios . ; in 18 9 6 , to £ io 58 4 s . ; and in 1897 , to £ 1272 18 s . 6 d .

There were 13 Stewards from SUSSEX , of whom Bro . J . W . Breeze was Unattached , and thc remaining 12 represented 12 out of the 32 lodges , Bro . John Pearce representing the Derwent , No . 40 , and the Hastings , No . 2692 , both meeting in Hastings , while the Tyrian Lodge , No . m 6 , Eastbourne , had two brethren acting for it . The total of the Returns

was * 37 ' 5 s . 6 d ., the principal items being £ 56 14 s . by Bro . H . B . Burghope , Lodge 732 . If wc add this to thc £ 416 5 s . fid . subscribed to thc Old People in February , we have already thc goodly total of £ 7 8 7 11 s ., towards the complete Returns of the current year . In 1898 , the Province did nothing for thc Benevolent Institution , and subscribed only £ 6 3 to the Girls' School , but in June it made ample amends by contributing £ 2869 15 s . to the Boys' Centenary , the number of its Stewards on the occasion being 125 . In 1897 when H . R . H . the Duke of

Con-, naught , Prov . G . M ., occupied the chair at the Benevolent Festival , the total for the year , including £ 1263 2 s . fid , subscribed in support of his Royal Highness ' s chairmanshi p , was £ 1498 4 s . 6 d . In 18 96 , its contributions to the three Charities amounted to £ 1052 ; in 1895 , to £ 1254 9 s , fid . ; in 1894 , to £ 1277 ios . ; in 18 93 , j ? i' 234 16 s . ; and in 1892 , to £ 2227 4 s ., of which £ il $ S (> = ¦ W - "S raised for the Benevolent Jubilee , and £ 1026 3 s . for this Institution , at whose Festival the Duke w Connaught was the Chairman .

Analysis Of The Returns.

Seven brethren as Stewards for three of the 32 lodges in WARWICKSHIRE raised £ 84 for the Old People in February , five of them , belonging to the Athol Lodge , No . 74 , Birmingham , being responsible for £ 63 out of that sum . On Wednesday the Province was seen to greater advantage , the number of its representatives being 21 , and the number of lodges for which they acted 10 , the St .

Paul ' s Lodge , No . 43 , Birmingham , having two Stewards , the Bedford Lodge , No . 925 , also of Birmingham , as many as eight , the Holte Lodge , No . 1246 , two , and the St . Alphege , No . 143 1 , three . The total of their lists was £ 393 ' 5 . These are capital Returns under the circumstances . In iSgS , after raising £ 73 ios . for the Benevolent and Girls' Institutions , the Province

sent up a small battalion of 237 representatives , who together compiled the grand sum of £ so 7 g 14 s . fid . Its previous totals were in 1892 , when £ 2410 4 s . was subscribed , of which £ 2186 fell to the share of the Benevolent Institution at its Jubilee celebration ; in 18 95 , when , including the £ 525 subscribed for a Life Presentation to the Boys' School , the amount reached £ 1155 ; and in 1896 , when it stood at £ 981 13 s .

WILTSHIRE , with its roll of 12 lodges ; was represented by its worthy Provincial G . Secretary , Bro . Harry Bevir , whose list amounted to £ 285 . Last year , with nine Stewards , it raised what for so small a Province was the very considerable

sum of £ 539 os . fid ., in addition to the £ 71 is . contributed by one of its lodges to this Institution . This total of £ 610 is . 6 d . for a single year is the highest within our whole experience , the nearest approach having been in 1 S 92 , when its contributions to the Benevolent Jubilee reached £ 483 14 s . In 1 S 93 it raised £ 279 6 s . for the Boys' School , and in 1 S 06 , £ 310 for this Institution .

YORKSHIRE ( N . AND E . RIDINGS ) had an excellent representative in the person of Bro . W . H . Cowper , who has filled the roll of Steward at many previous Festivals , and almost invariably with conspicuous success . His list amounted to £ 64 is ., and as in February , Bro . T . G . Milnes , of the Humber Lodge , No . 57 , Hull , and Bro . T . B . Whytehead , for the Province , together raised £ 137 gs ., the year thus far

has been a fairl y productive one . Last year the Province subscribed £ 78 15 s . to this Institution and £ 563 13 s . 6 d . to the Boys' Centenary . Its most successful years were those of 18 96 , when its contributions , including £ 900 to the B : nevolent Institution , reached £ 1022 19 s ., and 1892 , when it subscribed in all £ 733 4 s ., of which £ 711 gs . was in respect of the Benevolent Jubilee . It has , too , an Educational Fund of its own , which is supported liberally and generally throughout the Province .

As to what YORKSHIRE ( WEST RIDING ) has accomplised for all our Institutions there is little need for us to write at any length . On Wednesday 17 of its 8 t lodges were represented by 35 brethren , and in addition there were seven ladies Unattached the total raised by this band of 42 reaching £ 550 , which with the

£ 503 subscribed to the Old People in February , gives a total of £ 1050 towards the Returns for the present year . In 1898 the total was not far short of £ 8000 , the precise sum being £ 7056 3 s . 6 d ., of which the Benevolent Institution received £ 350 , this Institution £ 1470—including the £ 1260 intended by the late Bro . Geo . Heaton to go towards the purchase of a Perpetual Presentation ; and the Boys'School £ 6136 3 s . fid ., raised by 3 88 Stewards , and obtaining for the Province the place of honour as the largest contributor to the Centenary of that

Institution . The nearest approach to the Returns of this year were obtained , if we remember rightly , in 1894 , when Bro . the Right Hon . W . L . Jackson , M . P ., presided at the Boys' School , and the Province compiled a total of £ 4559 15 s . ; while the contributions to this and the Benevolent Institution swelled thc year ' s aggregate to £ 6697 5 s . It is hardly necessary for us to take our readers through more figures to demonstrate what is known everywhere throughout the Craft , namely , that West YoJkshire is one of the leading supporters of our three Central Masonic Charities .

There were also six FOREIGN STATIONS that contributed towards the success of Wednesday ' s meeting , and of these Egypt , with his Excellency Idris Ragheb Bey , M . W . G . M ., and Bro . R . Rodd , of the Grecia Lodge , No . 1105 , Cairo ( E . G . ) , contributed £ 52 ios ., while a further £ 52 ios . was received from the Stewards that represented other Stations augmenting the total under this head to £ 105 . '

CONCLUDING REMARKS , We have completed our work of analysis , and there remains for us nothing else than to express the hope that what we have said will prove , as it is intended to be , void of offence to those more immediately interested in the Festival

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

Royal Commemoration Lodge , No . 1585 . This lodge met at the Holborn Restaurant , on Wednesday , the 3 rd inst ., to carry out , if somewhat small , yet a very important amount of business . Bro . Keene , P . M W . M ., called the lodge in very good time and in due course proceeded to pass Bro ' Bonner in a very creditable manner . Bro . Robinson , P . M ., in a few well-chosen words ' presented Bro . A . I ' . W . MacCamley for installation , and having bsen obligated the

brethren delow the thc Degree of an Installed Alaster retired . Bro . Thomas PM continiud the pleasant duties of installing the W . M . elect . The Board having b-en closed , the brethren were re-admitted and saluted their new VV . M ., who then proceeded to invest the following brethren as his officers for the ensuing year : Bros . S W Kecnp P . M ., as LP . M . ; Barber , S . W . j Fortescue , W . M ., J . VV . ; Collick , P . M , Treas ^ Robinson . P . M ., Sec . ; Sharpin , S . D . ; Sier , J . D . ; MacNaghton , I . G . ; loseph Cox , P . M ., D . C ; John Cox , Org . ; Wyatt and Charles Knight , Stwds . ; and Gregory

, Tyler . I'he addresses were given by Bro . Thomas , P . M . The Audit Committee presented their report and spoke most favourably as to the way the accounts had been kept The ballot having been taken for Mr . Joseph Kirkpatrick , the newly-installed Master then very ably initiated him in such a manner as afterwards , at the banquet table to have some very llattering remarks passed on the way hc had done the ceremany ! Indeed , we may congratulate the lodge on having chosen such a Worshipful Master ' who already shows such ability as to rival many of his predecessors . '

"Hearty good wishes" having been given , thc lodge was clos ; J , and the brethren adjourned to a sumptuous banquet , served in the usual style at the Hulburn Restaurant .

In giving the toasts , the W . M . seemed almost as practised a hand as thc oldest Past Master present . The toast of "The Visitors , " who , as usual , were in considerable nurnhp ^ was replied to by Bros . Austin , W . M . . 44 ; Facey , VV . M . , 765 ; Cannon WM * 1044 ; Williams , P . M ., P . P . G . D . Middx . ; and Taverner , P . G . A . P . Berks besides these brethrtn we noticed amongst others , Bros . Hist , P . M . ; Campbell . P M ¦ ' Fran ™ P . M . ; Langford , P . M . ; and Morerid / e , P . M . V ' ' r ** nc , s

The other toasts having been duly proposed and replied to , the brethren dispersed after having spent a very pleasant and enjoyable musical evening . During the evening ihe handsome jewel of the lodge , which was manufactured bv Bros . George kenning and Son , was presented to lieu . Keene , P . M who i * , ii » acknowledged the gift . *