E. H. ADDINGTON

10 APPENDIX—REPORT OF COMMITTEE
but it seems to us that it is bad practice to do that which it says its
Lodges cannot do. A parent should set a good example to his children.
The report of the Grand Treasurer, V. W. Bro. Edward Coleman,
shows a considerable diminution in his balance, some nine thousand dollars.
But we note the taking of five thousand dollars worth of stock in
the building association, and the payment of $13,500 for heating apparatus
for the Home.
The Grand Lodge voted the erection of a Temple in San Francisco to
cost $700,000.
The Grand Lodge modified the decision above referred to so as to
provide that a Lodge must be closed when the business for which it was
convened has been concluded. This modification was adopted so as to
warrant the continuation of a meeting after midnight, that is, the extending
of the session into another day without a closing at midnight
and an almost immediate opening again. It seems to us that an identification
of a Masonic day with the commonly accepted secular day is an
instance of very severe strict construction. And further, it seems to
us that the modification of the Grand Lodge is an opening of the way
to a nullification of the principle underlying the decision. Under it it
would be possible for a Master of a Lodge to state at any time during
the conducting of a meeting that it was inconvenient to continue work
and that the meeting would be called off until an hour of the week following,
when that particular business would be resumed.
It seems to us that the best provision would be the prohibition of calling
off a Lodge for more than a definite time, say two hours. Calling
offfrom labor is frequently a necessity, but the refreshment for which
it is called off could surely be obtained in time named. If not, then
three or four hours might be named.
But when the work assigned for a day, whether to Grand Lodge,
or Subordinate, is done, then the Lodge should be closed, and not left
open, and, presumably, unguarded.
The Grand Lodge adopted the following very sensible Eegulation:
'' No Lodge shall confer a degree at the request of and on behalf
, of a Lodge belonging to the jurisdiction of any other Grand Lodge,
unless the request of such Lodge be attested by the Grand Secretary of
such jurisdiction and bear the seal of such Grand Lodge attached.''
It seems to us that this sufficiently' guards against a request from
a clandestine Lodge, and does away the very unnecessary employment
of what is generally merely "red tape," the correspondence with and
between the several Grand Masters.
The Oration was pronounced by W. Bro. Charles A. Adams. His
theme was "Masonry in Business and Politics." His arguments are
so closely woven that it is difficult to make extracts from the paper
that would be fair to the Brother. He emphasizes the truth that while
we should not bring business into Masonry, we ought to carry Masonry