148 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



March S, 1903. 



Chicago-Northwestern Convention. 



Report of the Chicago-Northwestern Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Convention, held in Chicago, 

 Dee. 3 and 4, 1902. 



BY OUR OWN SHORTHAND REPORTER. 



(Coutiaued from pa^e 135 ) 

 ILLINOIS LAW OF FOUL BROOD. 



Pres. York — Do you wish to say anything: further, or do 

 you wish to take any action by motion ? I think we have 

 probably said enough about the necessity of this law, now 

 what steps do you wish to take towards securing it ? Do 

 you wish to have a committee appointed ? 



Mr. Wilcox — I suppose it is not my business to interfere 

 with the Legislature of Illinois. 



Dr. Miller— You have the same right on that as any 

 one. You can make a motion that a committee be appointed 

 to co-operate with a committee that may be appointed by 

 the State Association, to draft and prepare what is wanted. 



It was moved and seconded that a committee of three be 

 appointed to have in charge the securing, if possible, a foul- 

 brood law for the State of Illinois, to co-operate with a 

 similar committee from the State Association. 



Mr. Swift — Wouldn't it be well to have that committee 

 fortified by a preamble and resolution adopted by this con- 

 vention in favor of such action ? They would then have 

 the fortification of the united action. 



Pres. York — We might suggest that this committee pre- 

 pare such a resolution. 



Mr. Moore — I want to amend the motion by adding, 

 " and also with the National Association to this end." 



Pres. York — I think the mover of that motion will ac- 

 cept that. 



Mr. Moore — I say the National specifically. I have 

 been secretary for four years now of this Association, and 

 there have been a multitude of motions made and carried, 

 ordering the secretary and committees to do a great many 

 things, but they have all fallen to the ground. I want this 

 Association to understand that this thing will always fol- 

 low unless they are carried out in the proper way. Go back 

 when they got their foul-brood law in Wisconsin. If we 

 want a foul-brood law here we have to do as they did and 

 say,," Here, France, we want a foul-brood law in Illinois ; 

 here is S500 to pay your car-fare and hotel bills, and call on 

 all the rest of us for what is necessary." Any mere motion 

 passed, advising and ordering this committee to co-operate 

 with any other Association without funds to carry it out, is 

 as empty as a tin bucket, and I thought I would like to tell 

 you that before you pass this resolution. There is only one 

 way to do it. The National has now about 1000 members ; 

 one of the functions of the National is to aid States to get 

 proper laws on their statute books. Why can't the States 

 do that? Why can't the local associations do that ? Simply 

 because they can't raise the money. The National has 1000 

 members, and if this was done by the National, and prop- 

 erly drafted, having the 700,000 bee-keepers in the United 

 States, and get them to put their money up, then there 

 would be no reason why we couldn't get ten or twenty 

 thousand dollars. You will never get a foul-brood law 

 without some money, with one, two, or five hundred dollars, 

 and the services of some man like Mr. France, that has all 

 his time to devote to the Legislature, and a politician, to 

 push it through. 



The motion was seconded and carried. 



Pres. York — Whom will you have on this committee ? 

 If you will name them we will elect them. 



Mr. Wilcox — It would seem to me much better for the 

 president to take time to inquire concerning them, and then 

 make the appointment, and I will move that he be author- 

 ized to make the appointment of a committee of three, and 

 not to be in haste to do it. Select those men most suitable. 



The motion was seconded and carried. 



Mr. Wilcox — I don't want to do all the talking, but I 

 am thinking all the while with respect to the suggestion of 



Mr. Moore. I think it would be wise to offer a motion here 

 that the surplus fund in the treasury of this Association 

 be applied to defray the expenses of this committee, so far 

 as they may be available. 



Pres. York — Do you make that as a motion ? 



Mr. Wilcox — Yes. We found that difficulty in Wiscon- 

 sin. Mr. France had to advance all the money, and then 

 we had to make it up the best way we could. 



Mr. Moore — I would like to ask for information. Under 

 the present law of the National can money be taken out of 

 their treasury to have laws made in the local States — differ- 

 ent States ? 



Mr. Hutchinson — As I understand it, the funds of the 

 National Association can be used for any purpose that the 

 directors may decide. When we tried it in Michigan we 

 had no doubt but that they would assist us in that way. It 

 was necessary to go at it immediately, and Mr. Root, my- 

 self, and George E. Hilton, were in the effort t%vo years, and 

 Mr. Root and myself paid Mr. Hilton's fare, and he gave 

 his time, and we paid his hotel bills and railroad fare, to 

 get the law through at Lansing. The matter was laid be- 

 fore the National Association, hoping that they would help 

 us out, but when it came to a vote they turned us down ; but 

 I have always thought, and still think, that that is a legiti- 

 mate use for their money. Afterwards, the bee-keepers of 

 Michigan partly made up the money to Mr. Root and my- 

 self ; the rest of it we paid out of our own pockets. It is 

 entirely useless to pass a resolution and send a committee 

 unless you have money back of it. I am in favor of the 

 National Association assisting the different States in get- 

 ting proper legislation on that subject. Some of those who 

 voted against it, said the reason why they did that was that 

 they thought it was going to open the door for every other 

 State to come in. Suppose it did? Why not? I can't 

 see that as a valid objection. 



Mr. France had just come into the room, and was then 

 introduced. 



Pres. York — Perhaps Mr. France can give us some 

 advice as to how to proceed. 



Mr. France — I haven't been here long enough to know 

 the drift of the conversation that has been going on, or 

 what your plans are, but I certainly know this much, and 

 that is, that the State of Illinois needs laws on foul brood, 

 and you want it from the next Legislature. I am getting 

 samples of foul brood from Illinois frequently, asking for 

 help, which I have gladly given. I think it wise for your 

 legislative committee — don't make that committee too large. 

 We lost our effort two years by making the committee of 

 several. Usually when it gets down to business the com- 

 mittee consists ot but very few. 



Mr. Hutchinson — Mr. Moore and myself were making 

 the point that there has to be some money spent. 



Mr. Moore — The question arose of using the National 

 Association's funds for this purpose. 



Mr. France — How much has this convention's treasury 

 to work on ? 



Pres. York— About $25. 



Mr. France — How much has the State Association of 

 Illinois ? 



Pres. York — Nothing. 



Mr. France — Well, you are nearly in the condition that 

 Wisconsin was in to start. 



Mr. Moore — What does it cost ? Suppose the Illinois 

 Association would say to you, Mr. France, " You get a foul- 

 brood law, and call on all of the members," how much cash 

 would it take ? 



Pres. York — How much would jow do it for ? That's it. 

 [Laughter. | 



Mr. France — I don't believe it is as much the cash as 

 every one's shoulder to the wheel. We first attempted it 

 by raising a fund. We raised a fund, and then they said, 

 " France, go ahead and get legislation." It was a drop in 

 the bucket started in the right direction. One man in the 

 Legislature has no influence. I was laughed at all over the 

 Legislature, appealing for the interests of bee-keepers. It 

 was too small a question. Some one even suggested that 

 the next thing some one would want legislation to look 

 after the flies, and, really, one man said they might even 

 want some one to look after the bedbugs I Then I found 

 that it was necessary that each individual bee-keeper see 

 personally, or write, his representative in the Legislature, 

 and have him vote for it, and the vote stood 93 to 2 in our 

 favor. It wasn't money alone. I took $25 out of my own 

 pocket, and I found one legislative committee before whom 

 I appeared suggested the idea that it took money to run 

 things through the Legislature. He slightly hinted that it 

 might take money to buy our way through. I told him I 



