54 



FOURTEENTH ANNUAL, REPORT OP THE 



get during the season. We three who 

 have this in charge will have to corre- 

 spond and will probably have to go to 

 Hamilton some time during the early 

 summer and make arrangements for 

 this meeting — so that we want to have 

 as full a discussion as possible on any 

 points that occur to you. 



Mr. Stone — Mr. President, I have a 

 letter here from the Secretary of the 

 National; I don't know but that it is 

 as good a time as any to read it now. 



To the Affiliated Associations of Bee- 



Keepers: 



With pleasure I greet you in your an- 

 nual gathering, and, it would afford me 

 still greater pleasure to meet with you in 

 person, as I surely meet with you in the 

 spirit of endeavoring to uplift our be- 

 loved vocation. 



In our efforts to enlarge the sphere of 

 usefulness of the affiliated Associations, 

 there are conditions constantly arising 

 that require changes in our policies so as 

 to be able to meet the changed conditions. 

 The policies of twenty years ago in any 

 business are not at all competent to meet 

 the conditions of today. Especially is 

 this true in methods of publicity for food 

 products, and it is to our needs in this 

 direction that I wish to especially call 

 your attention. 



In our product we have a delicate, de- 

 licious, wholesome, cheap and nutritious 

 food, relished alike by old and young, in- 

 valids and those in health, peculiarly val- 

 uable as a food product, and a stable 

 delicacy not to be su^pas^3ed. yet we have 

 seen it gradually decrease -in comparative 

 price and consumption until scarcely 

 profitable to produce in ordinary localities. 

 It should be selling in greater quantities 

 at a better price. 



It is our business as producing bee- 

 keepers to "get together" in some way 

 and remedy this condition if it is possible 

 to do so. 



As Secretary of the National Associa- 

 tion it devolves upon me to call the at- 

 tention of the affiliated bodies to this 

 condition, that the brightest minds of 

 this and other affiliated associations may 

 "get together" and suggest the proper 

 policy to remedy this condition. 



I would suggest that one session, of 

 your meeting be devoted to the consid- 

 eration of this matter in the endeavor to 

 decide on the policy to "Increase the con- 

 sumption, stimulate the demand, and 

 stiffen the price of honey." 



Would it not be to the interest of the 

 fraternity to adopt a plan by which part 



of the work of the Association could+he 

 discussed and passed on by the affiliated 

 sessions? The state and local Associa- 

 tions are attended by the producers 

 themselves, while the National ^s made 

 up more largely of delegates an^ mem- 

 bers whose income is derived from 

 sources that do not depend on the price 

 of honey up, or honey down, andi' conse- 

 quently, do not feel the urgent [need of 

 action along this line as keenly is some 

 of the rest of us do. \ 



As it now ife, the Association ^s ham- 

 pered by lack of authority and funds to 

 meet the changing conditions, i, regret 

 to say that your Secretary has jhad to 

 turn down many opportunities tliajb would 

 have been of much value to the members 

 because we had no funds available.. Some 

 way should be provided to increase the 

 amount of revenue. Instruct you!r dele- 

 gate as to your will in regard to these 

 matters and let us make the National 

 Association what it should be, a powerful 

 and effective means of bettering the con- 

 dition of the honey business. | 



The Review is proving a wonde^'ful in- 

 strument of good to us, and its (Circula- 

 tion should be greatly enlarged. ! It is 

 aiding the producers in effecjting a 

 stronger organization. Efforts ard being 

 made to drop it and leave us witliout an 

 official organ. Those who are clamoring 

 for this look at matters from another 

 viewpoint than that of the producer, and, 

 while they are likely sincere ir< their 

 views, it could be nothing shorl of ao 

 calamity to lose the support of ^uch a'' 

 paper as the Review, which is a paper 

 all our own, "dedicated to our exclusive 

 interests. I would urge that every affili- 

 ated member be solicited to support the 

 Review. 



We are taking for our watchword this 

 year "GET TOGETHER AND BOOST 

 HONEY". We trust that your Associa- 

 tion will excel in doing this. Many have 

 already gotten into liine and are hard at 

 work devising plans to further this de- 

 sired end. Ifour Secretary feels his feeble 

 efforts to be futile except to "shake up" 

 the boys, and get them to work. I have 

 found some of the brightest minds I ever 

 met among '.he bee-keepers, and I know 

 that their combined efforts will better 

 present conditions; and I will feel amply 

 repaid for all my work to see this come 



about. 



With the best of wishes for the success 

 of your affiliated Association and the 

 National, I remain, 



Tours, 



GEO. W. WILLIAMS, : 

 Sec. N. B. K. A., 



Redkey, Ind. 



