GOOD TEMPLARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 830, 30 December 1882, Page 2

GOOD TEMPLARY.

We take the following extracts from the report on the finances of the Grand Lodge, issued by the committee appointed at the recent meeting at Rangiora :

The financial position of the Grand Lodge is not improved since the meeting,, last year. Then, after the adjustment; of the accounts in Grand Lodge Session, a deficiency was shown and set down at LlO ; now it is shown to be L 74 8s 7d. It is, however, satisfactory to note that the liabilities of the Grand Lodge on ordinary account have been reduced from L 265 X6s 7 3d to LSI 3j 4d, at the same time the value of the stock held by the Grand Lodge has also been reduced from L 263 2s Bd, as estimated in the adjusted accounts of last session, to LX4O X6s 7d., The financial position of the Grand Lodge, when the accounts were closed for theyear, was briefly as follows :—There .was an overdraft at the Bank of LXB 6s 4d, a liability of L2O to the W.G. Lodge on account of tax, and this Grand Lodge Session to be anticipated without any funds to pay the expense, the whole of the Representation Fund and Grand Lodge Lecture Fund having been absorbed „• in the ordinary work of the Grand Lodge. It should, however, be noted that the amounts due t* these funds are nearly covered by the; Grand Lodge assets. What is now to put the Grand Lodge in a sound financial position is the sum of at least L 450. This is wanted t > pay off the bank overdraft, LXB 6s 4d.; liability to Worthy ' Grand Lodge, L2O, and the balance to cover the working account of the Grand Lodge. . .■ . It follows from the above that some special effort must be made to raise the money necessary to the satisfactory - adjustment of the Grand Lodge finance, > Six methods have been suggested, by the adoption of one or more of which it is hoped the finance of the Grand Lodge may bo ralio ed, if not adjusted. These j these methods are the following ; —(a) An increase of the per capita tax. (6) A special levy on present membership, (c) The levy of a specific amount on new members, (d) The raising of the largest possible amount by private subscription, (e) The exercise of the privilege granted by the Worthy Grand Lodge to hold thesession of this Grand Lodge bi-annually. (/) The reduction of the expenditure within the narrowest possible limits, so that a, saving may be effected from ordinary income. Though your committee believe it may be possible to effect a small saving on some items, they cannot recommend such:’ a reduction in the expenditure of the Grand Lodge as will materially relieve the finance without at the same time seriously interfering with the efficiency of the Grand Lodge work. . . . The committee," however, specially recommend the following method for the purpose of raising L2OO per annum for the next two years —(a) The levy of 6d per member on allj new members initiated during the year, this is estimated to yield a return of L 100; (6) The levy of a special tax of Id per* member par quarter, which would yield another LIOO. The money raised by this method, and all other contributions to the above fund, from whatever source received, to be immediately on rece pt paidiuto a separate bank account, and the fund to be used for none other than the specified purpose for which it is subl scribed, and the account .to be operated - on only on a warrant signed by the G. W. S., and countersigned by - the G.W.O.T.