Prospects Of The Boys School.

PROSPECTS OF THE BOYS SCHOOL .

rriHE brief announcement we were able fco make last week J- as to the splendid position achieved by ~ the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , in having increased the amount of its invested funds to £ 60 , 000 , was by no means

commensurate with what was deserved , but our space was then so heavily taxed thafc we had reluctantly to hold over further remarks in regard to it until this week , when we take the earliest opportunity of heartily congratulating all who are

associated with the School , on the very happy result of the recent working—a result which is self-evident when they are able to speak of so large an invested capital as £ 60 , 000 , over two-thirds of which , ifc must also be specially pointed out , haa .

been secured during the past four years , and that , too , without making any diminution in the benefits conferred by the Institution ; which has happily been able to keep the full number of pupils on its roll , educating , clothing and

maintaining them out of the voluntary donations of the English Craft , and at the same time increasing the investments at an average rate oi some £ 10 , 000 per annum , in face of all the complaints we have heard so often repeated of bad times , depressed trade , and financial difficulties .

Another pleasing feature in connection with this great progress is to be found in fche fact that the other funds of English Masonic Benevolence have not suffered as a consequence of the great success met with in this quarter—in fact ,

almost wherever we turn we find further evidences of success , whether it be in connection with the two remaining great central Institutions of the Craft , or one or other of the many local funds that are now actively and beneficially working in

all parts of the country ; and this feature of true Masonic spirit may be reasonably adduced in support of the oftrepeated utterance that the Order is progressing in our midst , and is truly fulfilling its mission as the greatest of modern

charitable organisations . It should , too , effectually put a stop to the silly nonsense frequently quoted by those who , for some reason or another , are opposed to us , and are ever preaching to the world at large thafc members of the Order of

Freemasonry are selfish , thoughtless men , whose sole aim in life is to secure their own enjoyment , and to squander in feasting and drinking the means with which they are blessed , quite

oblivious of the necessities of those who , being in less fortunate circumstances , are compelled to ask for sympathy and assistance from their fellows .

Having been so fortunate as to accumulate this large amount of money it may reasonably be asked what purpose it can be applied to in order to best serve the objects of those who subscribed it ? and although we fully recognise the

desirability of providing for the proverbial rainy day , we cannot believe it is a wise policy to hoard up the donations of the present generation in order to ensure a 2 } or 3 per cent , return to figure as permanent income , and provide an amount of capital for future generations to deal with as they may

Prospects Of The Boys School.

think desirable—when those who subscribe it have so many calls on their resources , and there is so much to do in theway of relieving the distress of the present . We are fully alive to the necessity of creating a reasonable reserve , but there

is no reason to anticipate any particular falling off in subscriptions in the future , and that being so there is less to be said in favour of continued investment of money thafc is so urgently needed for present day use ; but the question is , what to attempt in order to ensure the greatest benefits ?

We may at once recognise the impossibility of largely increasing the number of pupils at the present School , at Wood * Green , without first providing additional accommodation for them , and we believe all who know anything of the existing

conditions there will agree when we say that expenditure in that direction would be most impolitic , in view of the necessity , that must ere long be faced , of removing the School to some more open , and less expensive district . If this be so , then , it may be

asked , why not at once face the inevitable , look out for a site suitable for the future habitation of the Institution , and at once start on a scheme for a larger School , with such provision for future extension as might appear reasonable after a thorough

consideration of the possibilities of the future ? This would naturally swallow up the whole of the handsome reserve that has just been accumulated after considerable exertion , and it would do away with the permanent income derived from it , and

which permanent income is generally regarded as most essential for the-future welfare of the Institution , but such a result would not be wholly loss , as it is probable that a saving could be immediately effected on the annual cost per boy , and in view

of the fact that the number of pupils is now 277 , that saving need not be much per head to at once make up a considerable part of the deficiency caused by the loss of interest from the invested money . There is a further return to count upon in the

amount realised by the sale of the freeholds and buildings now held by the Institution ; aud although these will probably fetch less than they cost , yet there is no reason to anticipate any calamitous sacrifice being necessary before a removal can take

place . But in dealing thus fully with the question of removal we are perhaps speaking of a matter hardly yet . fully ripe for consideration . As we have before said we look upon that project as part and parcel of the Centenary celebration scheme ,

but in view of the fact that two and a half years must elapse : before that event occurs it may be questioned whether—now thatthe Institution has a reserve sufficient to start operations withthe Centenary might not mark the opening of a new School rather than its commencement ?

Another aspect of the question needs careful consideration in this connection—the effect large investments have on thevoting powers of different subscribers , and the effect they have on the number of votes needed to secure the election of a

candidate . We have recently devoted some attention to this latter point , and have shown how rapid has been the increase in number of votes required to secure the election of a child into either the Boys or the Girls School—the very handsome recent