The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-05-30 00:00:00

ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTER& PROPOSED
FORMATION OF A DORSET DISTRICT.

To the
~EctitorL

As an attempt to WAWA' • new distriet of the
Order in this county Is now heieg made by the Wey-
.. Gorki (ore of which has already seceded from
_ donth-Western District, established at Southamp-
ton), and se the mistier is of snob vital importance to
the 16 Courts in Dorsetahire, oomptising about 1,300
members, I beg the favour of your allowing me a
short space in your valuable paper to draw the attention
,of the members to the above subject, and to invite
Ahem seriously to °maim the matter before embarking
in an enterprise which might, and probably would, be
disastrous in its consequences.

I mouth

Mow' s.Ail `bbil-e.itteet to state that the welfare
Ababa Osier le ibrady objeot I have in view.
111buillhoirestsai District to which 15 out of bile
Woes, is the third largest dant*.
I
"Oa Order id numbers between 6,000 and 74000,
rposibera. lls dinancial and general condition b.
ealeettly eatinheiory, as the following figures will.
show :—The invested capital of the funeral fondle
amounts to £3,610 (net yearly increase shout £450), and
the widows and orphans' fund to £174. Nem. —Number)
of widows supported by the district, 96; ditto ell
orphans, 1841 The cod of management, including
gratuities voted to old and distressed members, is about
108. pre member per year.
If then the district hat been got into thoroughly good
working order and is in a prosperous and healthy state,
and governed, as it is, by an excellent code of laws
(the result of many years labour and experience)
why, in she MOND of common mese' attempt to disturb
It, sad leave a eartainty for an uncertainty Out any
pod reasons he anigeed • for the proposed change?
Will thi find' at the astir district increase In • greater
ratio 1 Will theeost of mauagemeet per head be leas
Will a Weymouth district have more influence in
, lostehlishing new Courts than the South-Western
District possesses? To meted all of these questions Inn.
hesitatingly answer "No." I have examined the whole
mattervery earelafty, and will vouch for the accuracy of my
statements. To show the disadvantages of the proposed
change let me Gall attention to one fast. The South-
Western Distriet, numbering 6,000 members, have •
funeral fund of £3,600. What then ought the new
district of, say 1,000 asialiert to have (that is, to be in
ss good a position at 'tasting)? Why the airople avower
lb £6OO. Will this amount be forthcoming? I again
sneerer "No." We should haven) start without • shilling
At the same time hear in Wall we mast take all our re-
eponsileilities with ea andebeald be compelled to leave
behind as the, beds Ishtar!, have for years helped to

Let mwesirsidiftheitnembere of the Dorset Courts
sever to forget thehMustion is strength," and to advise
thus he 're* .aled be thankful," that they have the
privilege of belonging to the third district in the
kingdom, instead of allowing themselves to be deluded
int* • step which, if once taken, eon never be retraced.
Several meetings have, from time to tinie,-bena
tallci by the Weymouth- Courte, to consider the
proposed
an scheme, aad to 'atiastroar to enlist
under thalibsionen The bet ell. tub
ires hied cm the 18th Int- (se averted- Ii the Dim(
papeess a May UN When nine Meat Covitivalp:
ram represented, liner of thew being Weyworiello
Courts 'sea sae Portland. Of. Ulnaelt was MOW&
than*. Win the sneetkag would afford ewer.
lto}t.D,riowon the attlyjult, and enlighten net
oe as the 'sower be be punned; i sun wry, liowatiai,
rozistshe Mot the rryteeintataies of the Reyeasilliti
diC not emir to ameileralead tb• eahY4
tit I. '4ookpreltendr -Ms- West importance.
Mash I however, 1 ...taw. glee them audit Mon .
beiwkilhati wee au dentrweentag cion6dence in Mu
and in tbilmeolves as the promotes& They '
trill us to an in: their vessel, and to erase I.
their guidance; but the question &rims, end most be
, narrowly looked into, whethes.the vessel is sea-worth
end not only no, but whether it is superior to the old
chip Which has weathered the Worm for no many,
years.
senn AUSTIN, No. 9482. '
Cern*, 23rd May, 1883.
letter signed " Portland," in the
of May 23, instead of containing any sound
fawner et establishing a new Dorset derteie ll lyeay ,
the deeper 04 stub • Arr. „ -

bell I

exyynnal
aqmnlptiv

ANMENT OB.DSIt OT FORESTERS.
SOUTH-WIIIITIDIN DISTRICT.
To as /More
["Portland" write. to say that he inadvertently
omitted the following paragraph from hie previous
communioation, which appeared in last week's Empress.
atter 'The general wish was that tbe present spirit of
the South-Western District rules should be adhered to,"
The Pe-"

who belowg
that their
Comte •
, and
tier