Relating to Sub-Lodges.

From these figures £241 14s. 7d. has been added during the year to the worth of the Grand Lodge, £239 18s. 10d. of which goes to the credit of the funeral Fund, and £1 15s. 9d. to the credit of Stock. The sum of £57 6s. 3d. has been transferred from the Incidental Fund of the previous year to the credit of the Funeral Fund, making in all £297 5s. 1d. credited to the .Funeral Fund during the year just closed. Perhaps it would be advisable to consider the propriety of reducing the assessment of Lodges to the G. L. Management Fund from 1s. to 9d. per member. This amount would be amply sufficient for general purposes, and would reduce the management expenses of the Lodges.

The number of members in the Marton and Winchester Lodges are not included in the foregoing figures; we have therefore made material progress, which is alike satisfactory and creditable, especially in the face of several Lodges who have sent no returns. Winchester Lodge has sent none since it was instituted, and none received from the Marton since June, 1870. Returns have not been received from the following:—Rangitikei, since June, 1876; Mount Ida, since March, 1877; Star of Otago, and Linden, since December, 1876. The sum of £212 11s. 4d. is owing by Sub-Lodges. It will be your duty to initiate steps at once to alter this pernicious system of neglect. The members that belong to those Lodges who are in arrears of dues must surely know that if any of themselves or their wives died, the Grand Lodge could refuse to pay their funeral claims. It behoves them to bring this matter before their Lodges, so as to settle present debts at once, and send dues promptly every quarter to the Grand Secretary, or else an example will have to be made. This neglect (mainly the Secretaries') is the bane of our Society, and it is impossible, through this cause, to ascertain truly how the Order stands. It is provoking to complain of this matter every Session, but the evil is increasing, and at all costs it should be dealt with without further leniency.