Such action was had at the Annual Communication of that Grand Body in October last.

With a single exception our relations with the Grand Lodges of the world are exceedingly cordial and most fraternal in every respect.

The exception is that the Grand Lodge of Idaho, which at its annual session in September last, severed all Masonic communication with the Grand Lodge of New York, its constituent Lodges and members until such time as this Grand Body, through its proper Officers, shall make satisfactory explanation of the action of Mariners Lodge, No. 67, in invading the territory of Idaho.

On the 25th of May, 1903, the Grand Master of Idaho. complained to the Grand Master of New York that one Harvey E. Taylor, a resident of Idaho, was initiated March 15, 1903, in Mariners Lodge, No. 67, and passed to the degree of Fellow Craft on April 15, 1903. In the petition presented by said Taylor to said Mariners Lodge, he stated that he was a resident of New York City and had been such resident for twelve months last past. The communication of the Grand Master of Idaho was then referred to the then District Deputy Grand Master whose term of office was about to expire and subsequently by that Brother referred to his successor. Immediately upon receiving the complaint the advancement of Taylor was estopped. On June 2, 1903, the District Deputy Grand Master of the Fourth Masonic District, in which district Mariners Lodge is located, was instructed to direct the Lodge to proceed with the trial at once. Charges were accordingly preferred by the Junior Warden of Mariners Lodge and a commission was appointed, which commission requested proofs as well as names of witnesses and suggestions as to proposed interrogatories to be propounded. In December, 1903, these proofs and proposed depositions were forwarded and the commission reached the unanimous conclusion that the evidence was insufficient. In October last, I directed the Grand Secretary to write the Grand Master of Idaho explaining the delay in the trial proceedings and the reason for not concluding the

trial upon the evidence received, with the assurance that under no circumstances would New York knowingly invade the jurisdiction of another Grand Lodge. No response has as yet been received to this communication.

During the year 1905 a number of Lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, with the division of the "Northwest Territories of Canada," part of which became the Province of Alberta, formed a Grand Lodge in that Province. All the constituent Lodges came from the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, whose Grand Master constituted the Grand Lodge of Alberta at the City of Calgary, on the 12th of October last.

The Grand Lodge of Alberta under date of March 22, 1906, forwarded a copy of the Proceedings of the formation of that Grand Body and requested recognition as a Sovereign Grand Body of Craft Masonry. All the proceedings in the matter being in accordance with the ancient usages of the Fraternity, I did on the 6th day of April, extend to it a cordial hearty greeting, and in your name recognized it as a Sovereign Grand Body, and invited an interchange of Representatives.

NEW LODGES.

Dispensations have been issued during the past year for the establishment of three Lodges, viz: Civic Lodge, in the Borough of Manhattan; Roma Lodge, in the Borough of Brooklyn, and Paumanok Lodge, at Great Neck.

It appearing to me that there was a field of usefulness in the several localities at which the Lodges were to be established, and that their establishment would in no wise interfere with the growth and prosperity of Lodges already in existence, I gladly issued the dispensations, and am pleased to announce that each Lodge has given most satisfactory evidence of its ability in the management of its affairs, and the assurance, so far as it is possible for the human mind to foresee, of a splendid and prosperous future. I therefore cheerfully recommend that a charter be granted to each.

TRANSPORTATION.

I called your attention last year to the subject of obtaining better rates from the Trunk Line Association for transportation of delegates to and from the Grand Lodge.

As you are aware, we concluded to accept the best terms obtainable this year in hopes of securing better rates hereafter, when it is learned just what attendance may be expected.

The benefit is yours, for every brother attending Grand Lodge at this communication and members of his family will personally receive the advantage of the reduction.

Section 48 of the Constitution should be amended so that the Grand Lodge may receive whatever advantage may be gained by special rates. The fund thus created would be quite large, and many worthy objects are waiting, that could be helped on to success by the money thus acquired.

CLANDESTINE MASONRY AND LEGISLATION.

Last year a law was enacted by the Legislature of this State making it a crime to obtain signatures to applications or money for pretended secrets of a secret fraternal organization, having a Grand Lodge, without authority from said Grand Lodge.

This law did not take effect until September 1, 1905, under a certain rule of the Legislature. An unsuccessful effort had been made to have the act take effect immediately. The expected happened, and a spurious Grand Lodge was formed in this city, and subordinate Lodges organized to evade the law. While it is not certain that a conviction could not be secured under the law passed last winter, it was thought wise to have more drastic legislation this winter, sufficient to remove all doubt and make it impossible for any one to openly palm off the false for the real. This has been effectually accomplished by an act, a copy of which is herewith submitted. Other measures are also being resorted to which will eventually stamp out this fraud, save the public from imposition, and our Fraternity from more or less annoyance.

To amend the penal code, in relation to the fraudulent use of the name or title of secret fraternities.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. The penal code is hereby amended by inserting therein a new section to be numbered five hundred and sixtyseven-b, and to read as follows:

§ 567-b. Fraudulent use of the name or title of secret fraternities. Any person, firm, association, society, order or organization, or any officer, agent, representative or employee thereof, or person acting or pretending to act on behalf thereof who in a newspaper or other publication published in this state, or in any letter, writing, circular, paper, pamphlet or other written or printed notice, matter or device without authority of the grand lodge hereinafter mentioned fraudulently uses, or in any manner directly or indirectly aids in the use of the name or title of any secret fraternal association, society, order or organization which has had a grand lodge in this state for ten years, or any imitation of such name or title or any name or title so nearly resembling it as to be calculated to deceive, or who without such authority publishes, sells, lends, gives away, circulates or distributes any letter, writing, circular, paper, pamphlet or other written or printed notice, matter or device directly or indirectly advertising for or soliciting members or applications for mem

bership in such secret fraternal association, society, order or organization, or in any alleged or pretended association, society, order or organization using or designated or claimed to be known by such title or imitation or resemblance thereof or who therein or thereby offers to sell, or to confer or to communicate or to give information directly or indirectly where, how, of whom, or by what means any alleged or pretended degree or any alleged or pretended secret work or any alleged or pretended secrets of such secret fraternal association, society, order or organization or of any alleged or pretended association, society, order or organization designated or claimed to be known by such title or imitation or resemblance thereof can or may be obtained, conferred or communicated, is punishable by imprisonment for not more than three years or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars for each offense. Any such letter, writing, circular, paper, pamphlet or other written or printed notice, advertising matter or device, shall be deemed presumptive proof of the fraudulent character of the scheme therein referred to and of an intent to violate this section.

§ 2. This act shall take effect September first, nineteen hundred and six.

MASONIC SANATORIUM.

We cannot escape our responsibility, if we would, and we have no disposition to do so, if we could, in relation to the Masonic Sanatorium for Consumptives.

$9,096.37 in money, and deed of 205 acres of land and necessary consents, have been placed in the hands of the Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund for this purpose.

At the annual communication of the Grand Lodge, in 1904, a resolution was unanimously adopted that when land was purchased and transferred to the Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund free from all incumbrances and accompanied by the legal consents, we would take some action, which its founders had a right to expect would mean more than has already been accomplished.