Mar. 3, 1904. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



167 



with bee-keepers' supplies, and sell honey for bee-keepers, 

 and do the business on business principles, for bee-keepers 

 who would like to share in the profits, just as the dealers 

 are doing- for themselves. If they are not making any 

 money at it then we will know it pretty soon, and we can 

 turn the whole thing- over to them again. Then, on the 

 other hand, we would very likely not get all the business 

 anyway, for I notice that on the Eastern Slope there are 

 other supply houses besides the Colorado Honey-Producers' 

 Association, and all doing good business, perhaps. 



There are those who look upon organizations, which 

 seek to better their conditions, with distrust. They seem 

 to fear that the manager, or the officials, may prove them- 

 selves to be dishonest or unqualified to do their work prop- 

 erly.; and yet they must admit that there are cases where 

 such organizations have weathered the storms ; that the 

 officials have been honest, and are as apt to remain so as 

 the heads of any other business houses. If there are any 

 other bee-men on this side of the Rockies who would hesi- 

 tate to join an organization on these grounds, I wish to say 

 this : Confidence is the basis of all commercial enterprises 

 these days. If you were treated in like manner by every 

 one you could not do business, unless it would be on a very 

 ^mall scale indeed. You may misplace confidence, and you 

 may lose thereby, but in the long run you will find that con- 

 fidence wisely bestowed is a good investment. Now, don't 

 you know, that these men who have hobbies for paying 

 " cash at the producers' depot," and who are so very busy 

 " helping producers find a market for their crop," because 

 they have " an unlimited demand at the right prices," are 

 not moved by philanthropic motives, or because they think 

 it's the right thing to carry this cash system clear through 

 to the end ? No, indeed, these men know our weak points, 

 and wish us to hold such views, oecause a little bit of cash 

 looks so large to most of us. 



Let me tell you what happened to me a few years ago. 

 My crop of honey had been produced, but I was taken sick. 

 The consequence was that I did not get it ofi' when the bulk 

 of the honey was moved. It was late in the winter when I 

 finally did get my honey ready. Of course, I needed cash, 

 and I tried to sell my crop. Our local house couldn't use it 

 at all. Had no market for honey then, and especially none 

 for the 35 cases of extracted honey in the lot. It was then 

 that I received an offer from the firm just spoken of. They 

 said that prices had been pretty good earlier in the season, 

 but that at such a late date they did not see anything better 

 than 9 and 10 cents for No. 1 and No. 2 comb, and couldn't 

 use the extracted at any price. 'Wasn't that a pretty how- 

 de-do ? And an unlimited demand, too, at right prices ? 

 Well, I had written to Mr. Rauchfuss, of the Colorado Honey 

 Producers' Association, and notwithstanding the fact that 

 I did not know him from Adam, I did, on the strength of 

 what I could learn, ship that car of honey to him. Now, 

 mark you, my returns didn't come post-haste. It wasn't 

 cash at the depot, but it was about $2.40 per case tiei, after 

 taking out 10 percent commission and freight. The ex- 

 tracted honey netted me about 5 '4 cents. 



In speaking of S2.40, I mean that much for both No. 1 

 and No. 2. The offer of 9 cents and 10 cents would have 

 made it about SI. 80 for No. 2, and $2.10 for No. 1. Don't 

 you think that the confidence in the Association paid me ? 

 I think it paid me about $135 worth on the comb honey 

 alone. I certainly admire Mr. Rauchfuss, from what I 

 know of him, and I believe he understands his business, 

 but I don't feel like paying him quite such a compliment as 

 to believe that he was so much better informed on the con- 

 dition of the market that he could place my honey at an 

 average of S2.40 per case net to me, when the other gentle- 

 man could see but about SI. 95 in it. 



When I remember my experience, and then turn to that 

 page in the last number of the American Bee Journal for 

 1903, where this same firm goes for Mr. York about talking 

 so much of 14! 2 -cent honey when he should be getting after 

 bee-keepers' associations on the free advertising subject, it 

 is then that I can see the strong point of the cash at pro- 

 ducer's depot at right prices. 



Don't you think it's time bee-men of this side get to- 

 gether and cut out these profits which might as well belong 

 to us ? Don't you think it desirable to get what we can of 

 the margin which supply men and honey men work on ? 

 The work before us is not new. We have the Colorado 

 Honey-Producers' Association as a model, or as a strong 

 arm to lean upon. 



And I want to say that it is not merely a question of 

 saving in commissions which would grow out of an associa- 

 tion of bee-men, but what is even more important, the repu- 

 tation which our goods would secure for themselves if the 



business be rightly managed. There lies the secret of the 

 whole thing — the one thing above all others worth working 

 for ; the thing most desirable, because it is lasting. It is 

 also the most difficult part of the business, but we can do it, 

 and when once the machinery is in full operation, you and I 

 will wonder how we got along without it. 



There are some who believe that the Colorado Honey- 

 Producers' Association should reach out and handle the 

 product of the Western Slope direct. But they forget to 

 take into account the difficulty of such a course. In the 

 first place, they must of necessity have a car of honey as 

 the smallest amount which they can handle at any one time. 

 To make up this quantity it becomes necessary for several 

 producers to go in together unless conditions are such that 

 they feel almost compelled to do so. If they were asso- 

 ciated together they would be more inclined to look to this 

 part of the business. 



In the second place, the Colorado Honey-Producers' As- 

 sociation must be quite certain that the honey in the car is 

 graded alike, and up to their standard. Under the present 

 system they can not practically supervise this part of the 

 work, and right here the local organization will perform its 

 most important work ; that is, attend to the proper grading 

 of the honey, so that the loaded car will come up to the full 

 standard. 



When it comes to how best to effect an organization of 

 bee-men over here, and what the nature of such an organi- 

 zation had best be, I must confess that I have little to sug- 

 gest. 



It has occurred to me, however, that each county might 

 have its local organization, each having the same object in 

 view, and working under the same rules ; each have a local 

 manager to look after the grading. 



But I want to say that I am not clear about how those 

 feel who have given this subject much thought regarding 

 an organization over here ; whether they have contemplated 

 a sort of branch business for the Western Slope, or whether 

 an entirely independent organization was contemplated. 



Personally, I would prefer to see each county organiza- 

 tion over here a branch of the Colorado Honey-Producers' 

 Association, although Montrose and Delta might work well 

 together. Mesa County is large, and Grand Junction is 

 some 80 miles from here. I fear it would be too costly to 

 get together. 



However, the main thing is to make a start. If a num- 

 ber of bee-men of each county, who feel deeply interested, 

 would meet at their respective county seats, or any other 

 central point, and go prepared not merely to talk but to act, 

 something might be done this winter. 



I do not know of anything better than to have some one 

 man get himself thoroughly informed as to how the Eastern 

 Slope organizations are formed, or have been formed, how 

 they work, and what the attitude of the Colorado Honey- 

 Producers' Association is in the matter. We could then act 

 intelligently, and do it quickly. ' In this we have a great 

 advantage over our Eastern Slope friends. 



It is my hope that there will be a great many represen- 

 tatives from over here at the convention, who will interest 

 themselves personally in this matter. But if there should 

 not be, and it would be necessary to send some one to Den- 

 ver to post up, I really think we could well afford to chip in 

 and help defray the expenses. 



It will cost money to get the business going. We must 

 put up cash. Everybody knows that money is what counts 

 after all the rest has been done. And now I shall ask this 

 convention to ventilate this matter thoroughly, as time will 

 permit, for it certainly concerns the Eastern Slope bee-man 

 as much as any other one thing, to see the whole State 

 fully organized and working along the same lines. 



Fr.\nk H. Drexel. 



Pres. Harris— Several years ago some of us at Grand 

 Junction formed the Mesa County Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion, and brought down the prices of hives to SI. 00, and 85 

 cents, for four or five years. Then we got into a mix-up as 

 to who should be inspector, and ran into politics. Two 

 years ago some wanted to combine with the Fruit Associa- 

 tion. It turned out just as I predicted. We paid a higher 

 price, a bigger commission, for handling by the Fruit Asso- 

 ciation than if we had done it ourselves. Now, we can not 

 get together down there. The buyers are slick, and the bee- 

 keepers have confidence in no one for a leader. They have 

 not been willing to dig down into their pockets, and it has 

 cost them hundreds of dollars. But I feel proud of out 

 State Association. I believe that with true men and women, 

 and the proper organization, we can sell and buy for our- 

 I selves, and the trust won't throttle us. 



