108 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



States as we found out since we went 

 into the honey business. 



We know that manufacturers use 

 carloads of it. 



A branch manager of the National 

 Biscuit Company told us (he was con- 

 ferring with us about honey) that they 

 employed a man who does really noth- 

 ing else but go around and buy honey, 

 and an extra salesman. 



That doesn't look much like honey is 

 a luxury. 



Just before I left Minnesota, the 

 Sanitary Food Company of Minne- 

 apolis sent word over to us if we could 

 manage to quote them prices on twen- 

 ty carloads of honey. 



These are only a few that we have 

 found in a small village like Minne- 

 apolis. What about Chicago, Phila- 

 delphia, New York and the big states 

 in the east, of which we know noth- 

 ing? 



If we discover a demand for car- 

 loads of honey in the far west, what 

 must the conditions be down here? I 

 think we had better change our minds. 

 I said, yes, because the o,ther gentle- 

 man said, no. I would suggest you 

 change your minds and begin to look 

 on honey as an article of commerce. 



We speak about over-production of 

 honey. What do I mean by the words 

 over-production. When there is so 

 much of an article produced, it cannot 

 be consumed. 



I grant, for argument sake, there is 

 an over-production of honey just 

 about this time when the crop comes 

 in. Let us say, in November up to 

 Christmas, an over-production of 

 honey comes to the United States, but 

 if we go to the stores anywhere in 

 March and April, May, June, July and 

 ask for honey you cannot find it; there 

 is none to be had. 



When we speak about an over-pro- 

 duction of wheat, for instance: We 

 may speak of an over-production 

 when our elevators are filled; the 

 farmers say everybody is producing 

 wheat, but remember, next June when 

 there is no wheat stored we have to 

 eat wheat just the same. 



We cannot say there is an over- 

 production of honey until honey is 

 represented on our counters for sale 

 the whole year round and every day of 

 the week; then and not until then can 

 we say we have too much. 



In our experience in Minnesota: We 

 are dealing in honey. 



Just as soon as the fall article is 

 sold, as soon as the people rush in 

 from the country with their honey, we 

 have an over-supply and have to store 

 the honey in storage houses. 



When I left Minneapolis there was 

 80,000 pounds of honey in hand. Any 

 one would say, to look at that, there 

 is an over-production of honey. 



That honey will be sold in March, 

 and in March we stand in the open 

 market and say: "Where can we sup- 

 ply our trade?" 



We supply 600 stores in Minneapolis 

 today. 



We had to, last March, import honey 

 from Michigan and Idaho. 



Before Easter I am sure we will 

 have to import carloads of honey to 

 supply our demands for stores, or quit. 



I suppose certain people that have 

 been eating honey up to March, they 

 cannot get it any more; and they say, 

 "Oh, yes, let's have some Karo syrup 

 or some molasses or other stuff, and 

 they start in to eating karo and mo- 

 lasses in March, April, May June, July, 

 August, and by the time they can get 

 honey again they have acquired a taste 

 for molasses and we have to educate 

 them all over again. 



Moreover, an over-production of 

 honey would decrease the price. I won- 

 der if you all agree on that. It is a 

 paradox, gentlemen. A paradox is a 

 statement seemingls* contradictory. 



Just like a man making a machine: 

 he has it figured out in his -mind 

 just so; he goes to work and builds 

 the machine and it doesn't work; that 

 is a paradox. 



It doesn't work that way in practice. 

 Why, I don't know. 



I will give a few examples: Take 

 butter: 



Butter twenty- five years ago, was 

 eight cents a pound. 



Every wonian churned at home by 

 hand and sent it to the grocery store 

 and got eight cents in trade. 



Some smart heads, as they were 

 called in those days, started a cream- 

 ery. I was on a farm in Minnesota at 

 the time. The farmers gathered 

 around the grocery store, cursing and 

 swearing, because there was to be a 

 creamery — that every fellow will have 

 a cow and butter will be brought to 

 the store and given away; they were 

 all opposed to creameries and were 

 fighting them. 



What was the result? 



