196 EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL EEPORT OF THE 



in attending those meetings would be met from the treasury of the 

 Association so that all sections and all interests could be represented 

 without burdening any one. This Senate would concern itself entirely 

 with commerce and business problems and the administration of the 

 affairs of the Association. Its meetings would be entirely devoted to 

 the discussion and settlement of questions of policy, of the conduct 

 of the businesss of the association, of political matters, the passage of 

 laws, the protection of interests of bee-keepers as a class against thieves, 

 charlatans, commercial pirates and unjust discriminative legislation. 

 It would not need to discuss or devote any part of its time to the dis- 

 cussion of educational or academic matters, or the practical problems 

 of bee-keeping. It would not be concerned with the production of bees 

 or honey, but rather with the protection of the producer and the 

 marketing of the product whether it be bees wax or honey. 



I would then divide the territory under the jurisdiction of this 

 Association into a number of divisions without reference to state lines or 

 other geographical sub-divisions. I would base this division of ter- 

 ritory entirely upon a community of interest growing out of identical 

 marketing problems, harvesting problems, wintering problems and 

 the like, and I would hold conventions to which any member might 

 go once or twice a year at some central point in the division. It might 

 be that two or more states or provinces could well be brought into one 

 such division. The Chicago Northwestern shows what can be done 

 by making a division of this kind. Obviously the meetings of these 

 divisional conventions would not attract the beginner and the back 

 letter except .to a small extent because the expense of traveling and 

 attendance would be too great, but would attract the commercial 

 bee-keeper with large problems, and its meetings while they would be 

 social, educational and commercial would deal entirely with the class 

 of questions which would interest and absorb the attention of the class 

 of men and women who would attend such meetings. These divisions 

 at their annual conventions would also elect two deputies for each 

 division who would represent the division in the Association Senate. 

 They could also have a president, secretary and treasurer and staff 

 of officers. 



Within these grand divisions I would organize locals holding meet- 

 ings once, twice or oftener a year, composed of groups of bee-keepers 

 who could conveniently meet at some common center going there from 

 one or more counties, parishes or districts without reference to political 

 lines, but designing to serve the community of interest concerned in 

 similar problems. These locals should also have a staff of officers. 

 The Treasurer should collect the dues for the Association and report 

 them at convenient intervals to the treasurer of the American Asso- 

 ciation, 



Obviously the locals would reach the bee-keepers with the small 

 number of colonies and their meetings would be concerned mainly 

 with the discussions of the problems which confront beginners and those 

 who are engaged in bee-keeping on a small scale. The Central Or- 

 ganization should be in a position to furnish them with speakers either 

 directly or thorugh Government and state extension services so that 

 at each meeting some one would be there who could answer the ques- 



