232 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



if he had ten or twenty tons of honey, but a 

 delegation representing hundreds of tons 

 would be respectfully listened to, and might 

 have their petition granted. Even in these 

 two ways the Union might save to each bee- 

 keeper many times the cost of membership 

 fees. 



Now I have been giving the "dollar and 

 cent " side of the question, or a part of it, 

 at least, but it seems to me while good, prac- 

 tical work may be done along these lines, 

 that the most good to bee-keepers at large 

 may, and should, come from the meetings 

 of the Association. 



The only time I ever attended the meet- 

 ings of the North American, was in Phila- 

 delphia in 1S7G. It seems to me that long, 

 dry, scientific essays and the question box 

 should be relegated to the journals where 

 one has choice of reading them or letting 

 them go. A lecture on some subject might 

 do, by a master of the subject, if interesting 

 and not too long. 



How many essays are read I wonder at the 

 meetings of the Sugar Trust, or Standard 

 Oil Co., or when the managers of the K. R.'s 

 meet to confer ? They meet io plan Itow to 

 furward their common interests and to com- 

 pare results. 



How many of the fifty or seventy-five 

 thousand delegates to the Y. P. S. C. E. at 

 Boston went with the exi)ectation of listen- 

 ing to dry essays ? I think they went to 

 2}lan how tliey could increase their society, 

 compare and correct the mistakes of the 

 past ; to gain enthusiasm for the future ; 

 and to get in touch with the aims of their 

 leaders that they might increase the useful- 

 ness of their society for tl;e future. 



Unfortunately there are some very utiprac- 

 ticable ideas in this world ; instead of saying 

 or doing that which is right to the point, 

 such a roundabout way is taken to express 

 what is meant, that, like the multiplicity of 

 terms that give the lawyers and courts so 

 much trouble, that the decisions are gener- 

 ally in favor of the richest client, as they can 

 bring so many phrases and clauses couched 

 in so many obscure terms that it is not dif- 

 ficult to decide in favor of either side, and 

 the most money wins. 



This is a practical age, of practical ideas 

 in many ways, and those who are not practi- 

 cal are getting left : old fashioned ideas and 

 ways won't do. 



H the Bee-Keepers' Union and North 

 American be united for a practical object in 



a practical way, and run by practical men, it 

 seems to me the union would be desirable. 

 I do not intend to relioct on any person in 

 the above, as I believe the Union has done a 

 good deal more for bee-keepers than we 

 realize it has, but we want its usefulness ex- 

 tended so that all may feel benefited and the 

 work of members so largely increased that 

 when we need legislation we may be in a 

 position to demand it. 



Some people have cried for years, " It's no 

 use trying to do anytliiug," and while they 

 have been crying, others have been doing 

 the very thing said to be impossible and have 

 accomplished wonderful results. Some 

 things badly need being overhauled and 

 brought up to dale. 



In answer to Mr. Heddou I would say I do 

 believe in calling things by their right 

 names. I believe a man wlio uses a place of 

 trust — for instance a bank officer — to steal 

 (embezzle) should be called a thief and 

 jnmished as a thief, yet how often his crime, 

 robbing the widow and orphan of perhaps 

 their all, is condoned and he goes forth un- 

 punished and is looked up to in admiration, 

 while the poor man unable to get work, 

 steals to obtain food for self or those depen- 

 dent upon him, is severt-ly punished. The 

 law may be interpreted lo shield thu guilty 

 rich, but how rare to so interpret it for the 

 poor and outcast. 



I can not agree with Mr. H. that fraud 

 should not be published. It is just this 

 "false sentiment" of calling thieves, em- 

 bezzlers if that makes their guilt less — con- 

 doning crimes among the rich, exhibiting 

 sickly sentimentality over murderers, pro- 

 tecting gulity i)arties and practices because 

 the parties stand high, straining the laws in 

 certain cases and bringing in quibbles, that 

 has caused the law to lose its majesty. If a 

 person is capable and honest he deserves 

 that it sl'.onld be known. If a person is 

 tricky and dishonest, people have a riglit 

 to know it. Bradstreet and Dunn and all 

 the rest do not give an inkling of a man or 

 firm's honesty; notwithstanding tlieir rating, 

 banks andiirms/d// in business. 



One class of pecplo I had reference to 

 were those who live in small towns or in the 

 country and are not quoted, many of them 

 perfectly good, who wish to t)uy on short 

 time, and send for a small bill of goods 

 pomising to pay in 80 or t>() days, or may wish 

 a can, or case, or barrel of honey. Now 

 nearly all are honest and pay up on time ; 



