The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-21
$ t l I I ISH RITE MEETS IN COUNCIL
Suprme Council Approves Erection Of Modern Ma
 sonic Hospital

SUIllC NUSpIldl
 WASHINGTON, Oct. 20.-The su- preme council, thirty-third degree, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, southern Jurisdiction, opened this week. All the active members of the council were present excee. Alex ander c. Cochran of St. Louis and Horatio c. Plumley of Fargo, both of whom were absent on account of illness.
 The important feature of the open ing session was the a1locution of the sovereign grand commander, John H. Cowles, thirty third degree, in which was given a resume of the develop ment of the Scottish Rite during the last two years, survey of present conditions and recommendations for the extension of the work.
 Among the specific proposals pre- sented was ,recomm endation that in addition to the educational propa- ganda now carried on, the supreme council should build a modern hos pital for Masons suffering from tuberculosis, if funds justify the ap- propriation,
 Asks For Hospital.
 The recommendation states; The progress of a people towards any great objective of moral, religious, political or other truth is often slow and discouraging. We may be doing all that is humanly possible to per- suade the masses, that the most inn portant truth of the era is the ne- cessity of the right sort of educa- tion, Not that kind alone contained in books or in the curriculum of schools and colleges, but that train ing and instruction which will build an ideal citizenhsip of che youth of the land. Such Is the object, the pur- pose, the intent of the program adopted by the supreme council in 1920, and reaffirmed at each meeting since. No greater, better, altruistic work is there to be done, and the op- portunities so many, the field so wide and the laborers so few, for no other organization has adopted such a comprehensive work. It is truly all truistic, too, in the fullest sense, for no financial gain accrues to anyone, no personal fame, no parading of names and if it is accomplished the masses of men will likely not know the pioneers, and little credit will they receive. In this work,
 
 funds now provided may be sufficient to carry on; if no,S more should be appropriated. Our council is pros- porous and, even if more funds are needed for Our Great Work, (the name I like to designate our program by), still we may be able to do some particular thing that is benevolent something in the way of looking after the physical being of un- fortunates. That we may make more comprehensive our work in behalf of the nation. by adding to the mental and moral improvements of the citi- zen, that of the physical also, if the judgment is that our present funds. with prospects as to income In the future, justify it--I would strongly recommend the erection of a modern hospital, for the cure of our brethren who suffer from that dread malady tuberculosis. This terrible disease can be cured by proper treatment under correct conditions, and 1t means so much to restore to health brethren, breadwinners, preservers and protectors of families. The hos pital should be erected where the surroundings and climate are perfect in every respect. and near enough to some city strong enough Mason ically to furnish the right directory and management.
 Emphasis was given to the work in support of the public schools. The grand commander said:
 This question of education is being agitated more and more with favorable results that will be last ing. Much literature is being dis tributed, carrying all phases of the or hp members and organizations equal the best.
 It is too true and too bad that the Towner Sterling bill was never re- ported out of committee in the last Congress. notwithstanding the enor- nous demand that it be put on pas influences. not neces- sary to discuss, prevented. Yet, a new Congress is coming, and a new bill will be presented, having the same general trend as the Towner- Sterling bill. This calls for renewed effort, and the better organization In each of our Jurisdictions, the greater the probability of success.
 Federal aid and guidance is not such a terrible bugaboo as its antag- onists would have the people believe. but it is not to argue the questi6 n here. It is well to send out ltera- ture for the people to read and in form themselves on this most vital of all questions; but reading and be- coming converted is not enough. It Is votes that count and govern, and they are obtained by organization.
 "The free public school is the great equalizer, the remover of all class, the leveler of race and creed where the child of the rich mingles freely with the child of the poor; where the child of the Catholic should freely and without self f-consciousness mix with the child of the Jew; where Mohammedan and Christian Buddhist and heather, Latin and Belt, American and fer eigner can meet and have their minds properly moulded for the fu- ture, so that they can grasp the full meaning of liberty. equality and fra ternity, and thus become full armed with manly vigor and intelligent American citizen of to- morrow?"
 Along with an aroused interest in a department of education and com pulsory attendance on the public schools, the third item of our pro- gram, a national university, has had it's share of attention and favorable le growth of opinion to that item is also noted. All in all, we have req