34 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE 



That being the case, I do not see 

 where the National is liable any more. 

 I understand that Iowa is going to 

 .withdraw from affiliation, and, if Iowa 

 land Illinois withdraw from affiliation 

 with the National, the National will 

 be dead because Illinois and Iowa con- 

 stitute a, great majority of the mem- 

 bership. 



Another thing: 



The Board of Directors, while the 

 Review was made the organ of the 

 National Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 were authorized that, whenever the 

 Review published anything, which in 

 the opinion of the Board of Directors 

 was not favorable and in accord with 

 the ideas of the affiliated societies, 

 then the Board of Directors should 

 forthwith discontinue the Review as 

 an official organ of the National As- 

 sociation. 



Now during the past year the Board 

 of Directors would have been war- 

 ranted in taking that step; and the 

 minute the Directors take that step 

 the Review is dead, soi there you are; 

 you can do as you please about it. 



Is there anything further on this 

 question? 



Mr. Dadant — I wish to take excep- 

 tion to one statement you make: That, 

 if the Illinois and Iowa Associations 

 withdraw from the National, the Na- 

 tional will die. Perhaps if you would 

 put it, the present National organiza- 

 tion would die, that would be right; 

 I believe that the National Associa- 

 tion has gone through so many storms 

 it is bound to continue I think mis- 

 takes were made the last few times 

 in organizing as we did. 



The United States are so large it is 

 almost impossible to get representa- 

 tion from all the states to be suffi- 

 cient to carry out the wishes of every 

 state or the bee-keepers from every 

 state. 



When the National meets in the 

 east, the western states are absent, 

 and, when it meets in the west, the 

 eastern states do not respond; we 

 rarely get any representation from the 

 south. 



I have attended so many meetings 

 and I have found that it becomes 

 localized wherever it goes. 



This will not prevent it from con- 

 tinuing those meetings, but one ques- 

 tion is, whether in its present form it 



can continue to do good to the bee- 

 keepers of the United States. 



Mr. Baxter — I will say that we tried 

 to reorganize in St. Louis. Mr, 

 Dadant was there and knows what a 

 stormy time we had; we sat up until 

 after midnight writing Constitution 

 and By-Laws and resolutions and had 

 them adopted by delegates; and then 

 they were fixed up afterwards to suit 

 the purposes of some one; we had the 

 same thing in Denver; and in view 

 of that I am satisfied that the Na- 

 tional will die a natural death; it will 

 never be reorganized, I believe. 



We may organize a new Associa- 

 tion, and I think that is the only thing 

 we can do, but this society will never 

 be reorganized and it is bound to die, 

 sooner or later, 



Mr. Baxter — Mr. Kildow, what have 

 you to say on the subject? 



Mr. Kildow — It is my opinion, wo 

 had better kill it in the form it now 

 is; and then, if they want to organ- 

 ize it and get it in some kind of shape, 

 all right; under present conditions, 

 the way it has been running, it looks 

 like an up-hill proposition; I have 

 thought so for three years but I was 

 with the majority; it has done me no 

 good, so far as I can see; I am will- 

 ing to let it die a natural death. 



Mr. Pyles — I believe a great many 

 will remember that two years ago I 

 made a statement over in the State 

 House, that none of us cared what the 

 dues of the National Association werte 

 — $5 or $10, so that we got $5 or $10 

 or more dollars good of it; nobody 

 cares about expense, if we are getting 

 something for our money, but I can- 

 not see where anyone will get any- 

 thing out of it; some people may get 

 something, but I can't see where I 

 would get any benefit. 



Someone said this morning in the 

 room here that they could buy goods 

 from the National and they were able 

 to advertise in the Review — but I be- 

 lieve Dr. Baxter said he could buy 

 cheaper through some firm in Illinois 

 or Wisconsin; I cannot see where the 

 Review has done any good. I said 

 two- years ago, that when Mr. Hutch- 

 inson died the Review died with him, 

 and we must first raise some one up 

 in Mr. Hutchinson's place with his 

 ability, who will place his stamp on 

 the Review as did Mr. Hutchinson, 

 in order to make the Review w-orth 



