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Provincial Grand Master's Address.

Worthy Deputy Grand Master and Delegates:—

In accordance with what may now be regarded as an established custom, I desire to occupy your attention for a short time while I offer a few remarks on the position of the Otago District as at the end of last year, and direct attention to the more important features of the business done by the various Lodges during 1875, especially in reference to their financial affairs and numerical progress. More detailed information than I shall supply will be found in the Return Sheets compiled by the Secretary, and now laid on the table.

Before entering upon the subject before me, it appears to me necessary to inform you that to a small extent the figures given in the Return Sheets, and those I may submit to you in the course of my remarks, can scarcely be taken as strictly accurate—owing to the fact that three of the Lodges have failed to furnish a portion of the returns; and this notwithstanding the C.S. having appealed to them to send the returns, even if they should be incomplete in some particulars. However, the Secretary has done the best he could to make up the deficiency complained of, and has certainly not overstated anything which he has had to fill up by way of average, &c. I venture to say that laxity on the part of Lodges, in furnishing proper returns, should be very severely condemned, and, as far as possible, punished. It appears to me to be sure evidence that the business of Lodges so failing in their duty, is not well conducted, when Lodges cannot supply the information required in the returns (and which should be easily and readily available) within two months' after the close of the sittings. The District Officers have recorded fines against the Dalton, Oamaru, and Band of Friendship Lodges for negligence in the respect alluded to.

Since my predecessor in the honorable position of Provincial Grand Master addressed you this time last year, there has been one new Lodge—the Outram Lodge, at Outram, West Taieri,—added to the District, making the present number of Lodges 23.

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The total number of subscribing members on the 31st December, 1875, was 1523. The new members joining by initiation during 1875 numbered 238; while the various Lodges accepted clearance members to the extent of 38. Of these last, the Hand and Heart Lodge received nearly one-half of the total so joining. The average age of the newly initiated members was, as nearly as possible, 26 years 51 weeks. The average age of those joining by clearance was 30 years 1 week 2½ days. The average age of the whole of the members comprising the District was 33 years 5 weeks; shewing a slight decrease on the average of December, 1874. It will be seen from the Balance Sheets that the deaths during the District financial half-year, from October 1st to March 31st, have been unusually numerous, comprising five members and two members' wives I regret to say that of the five members deceased, no less than three came to untimely and accidental ends. The total number of deaths in the District for the year 1875 were 12 (of whom two were not entitled to funeral benefits), and six members' wives. The amount paid for funerals during the year 1875 being £260. This is the highest death rate ever experienced by this District. The average age of members died is a little over 36 years. The total number of members experiencing sickness in the 20 Lodges which have forwarded returns, was 120; experiencing a total amount of sickness equal to 802 weeks 5 days, calculated at 6 days to a week.

The total income of the Lodges for the twelve months ending last December was £6,345 0s lid. The total expenditure being £4,449 11s 2d, shewing a saving on the year's transactions of £1,895 9s 9d. The income is made up as follows:—For admissions by Initiations and Clearance, £469 3s 6d; Contributions to Sick and Funeral Funds—including Funeral Payments from District—£2,100 15s 6d; Contributions, &c., Incidental Fund, £2,569 13s; for Interest and Rents, £984 14s 7d; Foreign Lodges and Widow and Orphans' Fund, £220 14s 4d. The expenditure was—Sick and Funeral Fund Account, £1,265 0s 1d; Incidental Fund Account, £3,035 11s 8d; Foreign Lodges and Widow and Orphans' Fund, £148 19s 5d. The amount paid to Sick page 6 Members was £821 15s 3d; being an average of 10s 9½d for the whole membership of the District, and 7½d per member more than for 1874. The Roxburgh Lodge, which in 1874 had the smallest amount of sickness, has, in 1875, had the largest, in proportion to the number of members, while the Band of Friendship Lodge, Kakanui, has the smallest average expenditure for expenditure for sickness. The expenditure for Medical Attendance and Medicines amounted to £1,770 1s 8d. The Lodges return their total assets at £17,981 7s 2d.

The District Officers have still to regret that in some of the Lodges a want of proper care in filling up the Returns continues to display itself. This is the more to be regretted as so much labour and (personal) expense has been bestowed in preparing tables, and organising matters generally, for the purpose of making a valuation of the Lodges. The Finance Committee appointed at last meeting report that "it is found that, in a good many instances, the returns for 1875 will not be so full and complete as they ought to be in order to enable a satisfactory valuation to be made." It may be pointed out that one of the factors in the calculation of Lodge Liabilities and Assets is a return of Members' Wives and their Ages, and it is found that at present this is not nearly fully attainable. Lodges not having supplied this information are requested to open a register of wives and their ages, so as to be in a position to supply full information hereafter. In other respects, also, it is found that the statements given in the annual returns, and the two half yearly returns, when combined, do not agree, as they ought to do. It is hoped that Lodges will see that great care is exercised in the preparation of the returns, in order that when the valuations are made, it may be possible to give justice to each Lodge.

The District Officers cannot fox-bear alluding to the immense amount of labour undergone by D.P.G.M. Leslie, and by P.G. Black, in the preparation of the 4 per cent. tables necessary to made before the valuations could be entered on. It is matter for great satisfaction that, by last page 7 English mail, we received a copy of tables, made for the Brighton District by a member of the Society of Actuaries, and that the 4 per cent, tables therein are found to agree almost exactly with those prepared by the worthy brothers of our own district whom I have named.

My remarks have already extended to a greater length than I had originally intended, and therefore, I will draw to a close, and invite your best attention to the consideration of the various matters of bustness which will come before yon.

The Pro v. C.S. read the Balance Sheets, and Auditor Pert. Sec. Burton read the Auditors' Report.

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