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questions of sufficient playgrounds and proper appliances for health THE MASONIO INSTITUTIONS. and cleanliness of the pupils require immediate attention. 5. The Finance Committee should regulate the expenditure under the THB next few days promise to be busy ones in connec- House Committee, and not rest its efforts after merely checking the tion with the three Central Charities of Freemasonry, vouchera and books put before it. 0. The account -* should be kept and it is not too much to say that the events of the coming as recommended by a qualified public accountant, and annually in the annals of published as audited and approved by the Finance Committee. week will for ever stand out prominently 7. The Secretary's duties should be strictly limited to tho office , and Masonic Benevolence. First we may expect that the he should not interfere at Wood Green save as the mere official chan- Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Management nel of communication with the Head Master." and condition of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys If this is the substance of the Committee's views on the will be distributed among the Subscribers of that Institu- several points submitted to them we think that far too tion ; then there will be the consideration of a letter of much alarm is being shown by the supporters of tbe protest drawn np by its House and Finance and Audit Charity, and it proves the evil of forming an opinion on Committees ; next we may look to the sanctioning by the hearsay evidence, or on rumour alone. We recognise tbd Royal Masonic Institution for Girls of tbe expenditure of conclusions arrived at by the Committee, as given above, a sum of £31,000, on new buildings and other matters, as as being somewhat of a serious nature, as affecting the a part of the income of the Centenary Celebration of that Institution and its management, but to say they are as bad Charity—a Special General Court of the Subscribers being as we have been led to believe is absurd . Putting the called for Thursday next, to give the necessary powers ; matter briefly, we may sum up tho conclusions as something and , finally, there is the Annual General Meeting of the like a storm in a tea cup. Tho case that is made out Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution, to be held on shows a want of unanimity among the managers of the Friday, when , if wo mistake not, something more will be Institution, which is to be regretted, but which we regard said on the subject of reform and alteration in the conduct as wholly inseparable from an establishment conducted on of tho business of the Masonic Institutions. the lines of onr Institutions. Domestic friction does, and It is not necessary for us to repeat our remarks of last must occur at all times in so large an undertaking, but it week in regard to the delay in sending out the Report of is only on special occasions that the proverbial '* dirty the Boys' School Inquiry Commission to the Snbrcribers. linen " gets " washed in public. When this does unfor- The Craft is still without copies, and the delay of a week tunately occur—and it is only necessary for our readers to which we then found fault with is now extended to a look around and they will find instances of it in private as fortnight. As a consequence all manner of strange well as public life—it is usual for much to be made out of rumours are afloat as to what the Committee have dis- very little. This has happened in connection with the covered , what they find fault with , and what they suggest. Royal Masonic Institution for Boys, which, if we may We regret we are unable to give any official contradiction judge from the Committee's conclusions, is unfortunate or confirmation of these rumours, but the following, which in having numerous heads, without any one in actual we extract from the Yorkshire Daily Post of Thursday, authority to manage the whole concern. It appears to be bears such a stamp of authenticity as to induce us to the old story over again,—it is every body's business to see regard it as genuine, although why it should have found matters go straight, and as a result no one does it, and its way into a Yorkshire paper, when all information is until some recognised control is assumed by some indi- denied the Subscribers and others most intimately in- vidual or Committee we cannot expect much improve- terested, we are at a loss to understand. Our contem- ment. The Inquiry Commissioners appear to recognise porary says :— this when thev propose ("see No. 3 above) that " the House The conclusions unanimously arrived at by tbe committee are as Committee shonld be able and willing to take and keep follow:— the control in its own hands." This is " 1. The school is in aa unsatisfactory state as regards its manage, undoubtedly ment. 2. The educational staff is satisfactory, tbe teaching good , necessary, and it must be carried out to the letter. and the school discipline well maintained. 3. Tbere is an Without question the present House Committee have antagonism between the educational and domestic staff which been both able and willing to do this in the past, and if seriously impairs the usefulness of the institntion. 4. The effective in this respect they have not proved themselves efficient control has fallen away from the House Committee. 5. The expenditure is extravagant and not properly regulated. 6. The it is becanse they have erred on the side of leniency. feeding and clothing of tbe boys are not such as are represented by They may have allowed small matters to pass unnoticed, the expenditure, and their health and comfort are not satisfactorily rather than be for ever grumbling or finding fault, which, attended to by tbe domestic staff. 7. The Finance Committee as those of our readers who have had experience in exercises no real check on the expenditure. 8. The accounts are managing large establishments will agree, is absolutel not kept on a proper system, and those published are misleading. y 9. The secretary has engrossed the control of the institution into necessary to ensure efficiency. It is not possible among bis own hands, and to this and tbe friction between bim and the so many persons as are associated with the Royal domestic staff on the one side, aud the bead master and his Masonic Institntion for Boys for all to go on smoothly adherents on the other, the great part of the present evils is to be year after year, and if the House Committee or other attributed ." governing body does its work properl it will have We therefore are of opinion tbat— y fco " 1. Au entire change in administration, and a thorough breaking settle the many trivial as well as important grievances away from the present practice, must take place before the manage- which arise ; in doing so it is not always possible to satisfy ment, discipline, and expenditure of the institution will be every one. It is for the governing body to act fearlessly satisfactory. 2. There should be bat one head authority (viz., the and zealously, to make rules and enforce them, without head master) at Wood Green , and the entire establishment there be fear or favour and they will earn the approval of those subjec t to him. 3. The House Committee should be able and willing , for to take and keep tbe control in its own hands, must be in touch whom they act, and will secure an amount of good feeling with the daily life of the school, and give more personal attention which is not possible by any other method. If , on the and exercise an intelligent authority in tbe institution. 4. The other hand, tbey are lenient, and allow eacb and all to manage their respective departments without proper super- which, unfortunately, will not go far among the very large vision or control—as is said to have been the case with number of approved candidates who are awaiting the the House Committee of the BOYS' School, at least in the result of the contest. As shown by the balloting papers opinion of the Inquiry Commissioners—then we may issued for tbe election there are one hundred and forty- expect internal troubles and disagreements, such as have three applicants, with only twenty-seven available annui- caused so much anxiety and ill feeling in connection with ties, and even of this number six are, as usual deterred the establishment at Wood Green. annuities, only payable in the event of the death of some It is perhaps unfair on our part to ask our readers to of those already receiving the benefits of the Institution . wait for the full report of the Commissioners before form- For the Male Branch of the Fund there are sixty-two ing any opinion on the subject, and at the same time applicants competing for the 17 annuities (14 immediate express ourselves as we have done here, bnt, as we have and 3 deferred), while for the Widows' Branch the nnmber said, the conclusions and suggestions given in the of| applicants is 81, and the annuities to be awarded, 10 Yorkshire- Post appear genuine, and warrant our accepting (seven immediate and three deferred). In addition to these them as the actual verdict of the Commissioners, and declared vacancies available for the coming election we accordingly we deal with them.

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