A scheme for the provision of a worthy entrance to the hall and grounds was formulated as a Memorial to WBro E. E. Smith. A short account of WBro Smith will not now be out of place. He was a member of the lodge from 1909 until his death in 1937, Secretary from 1913 to 1917 and Master in 1918; PProvDepGReg, and PGStdBr. He negotiated for the purchase of West Hill House and was a member of the Building Committee. On his death he left a legacy of £2,000 to the lodge. This became available in 1951 and enabled the lodge to redeem all outstanding debentures.
When West Hill was first purchased accommodation had been provided for the caretaker and this was situated in the part of the building now used for LoI and committee rooms. The caretaker, Mr George Hackney, having continued in service until 1953 when he had attained the age of 76, was retired on a small pension, it being considered that the work had become too strenuous for a man of his years.
It is very clear from the minutes that to maintain the building from the income received from rents had always posed a problem. The legacy from WBro Smith’s will had been the main instrument in repaying the original debentures and also the prudent handling of the lodge finances by WBro S. Message in the years immediately after the war. In 1951 there was a revision of rents and this resulted in an increase of lodge rents from £7 7s to £9 with small lodges of less than 25 members from £3 3s to £5 5s. At this time about eight lodges and two chapters were meeting at West Hill.
These charges were maintained until 1956 when the lodge was again experiencing difficulties. It was discovered that an excess of only £12 had been achieved that year on a total income of £1,480. This was made up of £935 rents (masonic and non-masonic) and £545 from the private domestic income, i.e., subscriptions, initiation and joining fees, profit on sale of drinks and interest on deposit accounts. It must be remembered that at this time each lodge ran its own bar and arranged for its own catering so that the rent was the only source of income to 299.
It was calculated that a tenant lodge paying the same subscriptions as 299 would expect to show a profit of some £300. It was, therefore, apparent that 299 had subsidised the building by some £300 and the same the previous year and by £200 the year before that.
During that year it was considered that the bar room was in need of improvement and that as all tenants were able to make a profit from the sale of drinks, and that even the glasses were provided by 299, the other lodges might assist in this matter. The estimated cost for the work was £253 and it was suggested that 299 should pay £53 and each of the eight tenants should contribute £25. The result was that four lodges agreed and one offered £10. It was decided to increase the rents to £11 per meeting and a surcharge of 1s 0d for dining.
