FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IX. 647 



it go when either the loss of a letter from the secretari' or the 

 omission to send it caused a delay, during which time a number of 

 those in the greatest need of cans ordered theirs individually, thus 

 cutting down our estimates too low for a carload. The above mentioned 

 delay occurred about the time the business affairs of the National 

 Association was transferred from Detroit to Northstar. Finally enough 

 later estimates came in to make it apparent that we would yet get up 

 a carload, but it was getting late and we must act at once, so price lists 

 were sent to all those wanting cans with a request to send in their 

 orders at once; accordingly the orders and checks came rolling in and 

 among the first orders received it was apparent that there had been a 

 misunderstanding of the price list. I immediately wrote for the can 

 company to give us a further explanation of some items in their prise 

 list which resulted in a revised price list, making it necessary to write 

 some members having already ordered to send us more money. 1 

 thought it too late to go over the ground again so returned the orders 

 which had been received and let each one order cans for themselves. 

 Co-operative buying of supplies can undoubtedly be made profitable to 

 the members of our Association if we can get together early enough in 

 the season to serve all satisfactorily. 



Several years ago when N. E. France was general manager of the 

 National Association, he sent out to members some printed matter cov- 

 ering some supreme court decisions relative to the rights of bee keepers. 

 I have carefully preserved the copies sent me and last spring I had an 

 opportunity to use them in a most gratifying way. Under pressure of 

 several agitators, the city council of Center Point was about to adopt 

 a resolution declaring bees a nuisance and to pass an ordinance requir- 

 ing their removal without the city limits. The measure had about 

 reached the point of final action before I heard of it. I chanced to hear 

 one of the promoters of the scheme speak of it; I promptly took the 

 matter up and informed him that they could do nothing of the kind. 



The bees in question were the property of Geo. H. Frey, a member 

 of our Association. He keeps about 240 colonies within the corporate 

 limits of Center Point. I requested Mr. Frey to keep me informed as 

 to the progress of the ordinance and notify me of the time of the 

 meeting for final action. When the time arrived I appeared before the 

 council armed with the supreme court decisions and pointed out where 

 similar ordinances had been set aside, showed them the strength of 

 our Association and what they might expect us to do in case they passed 

 such an ordinance. The mayor and council kindly received the informa- 

 tion, read over the supreme court decisions and other legal precedents 

 realtive to bee-keeping, after which the mayor remarked: "Gentlemen 

 of the council, you see what we are up against, we have no money to 

 spend on a matter of this kind. A motion to lay this proposed ordinance 

 on the table will be in order." The motion was forthcoming and 

 received the unanimous support of the council: This settled the ordi- 

 nance question but did not entirely settle a couple of the most rabid 

 agitators. Finding themselves beaten in the ordinance matter they 

 constructed some traps and hoped thereby to destroy Mr. Frey's bees. I 

 made some roundabout investigations and dropped a few strong remarks 



