TH£ BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



163 



larger societies and that under the proposed 

 mode of electing otticers there is not any 

 chance for the abuses that sometimes pre- 

 vail. The above plan is but crudely stated, 

 but can we devise a plan that will be more 

 co-operative and representative than some 

 modification of the above ? Of course the 

 North American and present State associa- 

 tions would have to be reorganized under 

 this system. We know that the old system 

 is not a success. What is the matter of this ? 

 Chapinville, N. Y. Jan. 21, 1895. 



Shall the Bee - Keepers' Union Show Up 

 Frauds and Swindlers. 



J. B. CASE. 



¥HILE the Bee-Keepers' Union is no 

 doubt doing good along a certain line, 

 it does not have the members it would if all, 

 or nearly all, bee-keepers were satisfied that 

 it would be to their advantage to become 

 members. I submit >for discussion an 

 amendment somewhat as follows : 



1st. That it shall be the duty of the man- 

 ager to examine complaints from members, 

 and to employ counsel if he shall deem it 

 necessary to bring to terms any person or 

 firm when it shall appear that such person 

 or firm is trying to defraud, swindle or cheat 

 in any way such member of the Union. 



2nd. That the names of such persons or 

 firms who swindle, defraud, or whose busi- 

 ness methods are not satisfactory, shall be 

 printed, giving the cause of complaint, and 

 a copy mailed to each member of the Uuion. 



Of course the above is only a rough draft. 



The following persons would be interested : 

 Bee-keepers who ship honey on commission ; 

 who purchase supplies ; who buy queens ; 

 publishers of bee-journals ; supply dealers ; 

 queen breeders, and all buyers of honey. 



A few words on the advantages of such an 

 amendment. 



1st. The expense to the Union would not 

 be great. 



2nd. There are swindlers among honey 

 dealers, or, at least, those whose methods are 

 unsatisfactory, those who do not keep their 

 promises and make shippers a great deal of 

 trouble to collect their dues, even if they do 

 get them. There are cheats, dead beats, 

 frauds or swindlers, who perhaps have been 

 in the business for years, and who write such 

 jAausible letters and are so honest (?) until 



they get credit and then they patronize some 

 other fellow and the creditor cannot even 

 get an answer to his letters, or he is coolly 

 told that it is impossible to pay. 



Now if these parties knew that the Union 

 would get hold of them they would be more 

 careful if they were /to»ies< (?) and if they 

 were swindlers their game would soon be 

 up. They would be compelled to stop busi- 

 ness or appear honest. 



I have lost more or less money every year 

 for four years by parties who wrote very 

 plausible letters promising to pay on receipt 

 of queens, or at the end of the month or 

 something of the kind. A few are adver- 

 tisers. None, I believe, ever complained 

 about the queens bought of me. I know 

 some of these parties have served other 

 breeders the same way and will probably 

 continue until exposed. 



It is aggravating to have some party prom- 

 ise to pay a bill by a certain date and never 

 even write about it until one or more letters 

 are written to him in reference thereto, long 

 after the time has expired. 



Many times it is a great accommodation 

 to have a short credit ; but in my experience 

 there have been too many losses. A bee 

 journal can, in a measure, protect itself, as 

 the public may be warned against a dead 

 beat ; but the great mass of bee-keepers 

 have to "grin and bear it." Bee-keepers 

 have enough to discourage them without 

 losing more or less of their hard earnings by 

 dishonesty. If the editor approves, let's 

 have a discussion on this line. 



PoBT Orange, Fla. Jan. 26, 189.5. 



Sugar Cakes and the Winter Problem.— A 

 Reply to Mr. Heddon. 



EMEESON T. ABBOTT. 



f f pRES. ABBOTT read an essay at the late 

 I N. A. bee convention upon wintering, 

 in which he laid down very positive direc- 

 tions for bringing our bees safely through 

 the long, cold period of unnatural confine- 

 ment. It must surprise those who have read 

 the essay to find no mention of bee diar- 

 rhcea." — Heddon. 



Mr. H. does not seem to get a clear con- 

 ception of the drift of my talk at the N. A. 

 In the first place, I did not write an essay 

 for the N. A., but put my views on paper af- 



