1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



691 



tlon of a very satisfactory success in his business. When he 

 has to sell the finest honey at three cents per pound, and that, 

 too, in years of scarcity throughout the country, he becomes 

 discouraged, and he has good reason for his discouragement. 



There are only three ways, at present at least, for the 

 general producer to market his products. He must do it 

 through commission-men, or through organization, f. o. b., as 

 it is called, or else he must organize, put his own agents 

 in the general markets and distribute and market his own 

 products. I 



The commission system has been thoroughly tried in Cali- 

 fornia and elsewhere, and has proved itself an entire stranger 

 to success. There is no way for the producer to get his share 

 of the fruits of the market if he deal with the commission-men. 



The f. o. b. system is better, but provides for no distribu- 

 tion in the markets, and so is not found in practice to work 

 well. 



The third system, of putting agents in the field and thus 

 distributing the products where they are needed, looking out 

 that no market is glutted, is founded on common sense, and 

 has been found to work remarkably well. The enormous busi- 

 ness done by the Southern California Fruit Exchange for the 

 past year, when all the agents were new, untried men, was 

 done at a loss of less than one-half of one per cent! This is 

 certainly a marvelous showing for the first year. Previous to 

 last year, the f. o. b. system was in vogue. As the agents be- 

 come known and experienced, the success will be greater, and 

 more, if not all, the producers will join the Exchange. In- 

 deed, the great impediment in the way of success comes from 

 the fact that so many stay outside of the Exchange. Many of 

 them acknowledge, that but for the Exchange, no success 

 would be possible, yet believe that they individually can do 

 better outside. Thus they selfishly remain outside and im- 

 peril the whole system. The fact of these outsiders keeps the 

 commission business alive, and the commission-men circulate 

 reports and do everything else they can to Injure the organi- 

 zation. These are obstacles in the way which time will re- 

 move. How quick such a joyful riddance will come, depends 

 upon the producers themselves. 



I believe the Honey Exchange of Southern California will 

 be able to move on to a bright success. My reason for this 

 opinion is that the bee-keepers of this section, like the fruit- 

 growers, are men of some education and breadth. They will 

 not distrust each other, nor will they expect and clamor for 

 perfection at once. I believe, also, that very soon the bee- 

 keepers will unite with the fruit-men, and thus the machinery 

 which is of necessity very expensive, will not have to be dupli- 

 cated. It will also be much cheaper, from the fact that the 

 agents in the markets of the country will have work the year 

 through. The honey will be sold in early winter ; the citrus 

 fruits later in the season, and the deciduous fruits may go on 

 to the market all through the summer months. The raisins 

 and dried fruit can be used for filling, as they can be marketed 

 at any season of the year. This whole scheme is entirely 

 philosophic. It is founded entirely on good sense. It is neces- 

 sary to the best success of our best people, and so must come 

 sooner or later into general use. Is it not our duty and privi- 

 lege, by word, pen and act, to do all we can to further this 

 plan '? I believe Southern California is already ripe for such 

 action. I see no reason why other sections of the country may 

 not also join us in this good work. I look forward to the 

 time — I believe I shall live to see it — when there will be this 

 general association among all our farmers throughout the en- 

 tire country. I sincerely hope that the discussion which shall 

 follow this paper will do much to hasten this consummation. 

 May we not take courage from the fact that the Bee-Keepers' 

 Union has met with such gratifying success in its good work ? 



I hope that our Bee-Keepers' Exchange of Southern Cali- 

 fornia will receive great help from your discussion and action, 

 and that your sessions will be in the highest degree interesting 

 and profitable. A. J. Cook. 



Following the above paper, at the request of the Secre- 

 tary, Dr. Miller read a paper written by Thomas G. Newman, 

 of San Diego, Calif., on 



Tlie " Union " and Amalgamation. 



Uniting the forces and massing the energies are always 

 desirable when an important undertaking is at hand, provid- 

 ing always that there be a union of sentiment, and the work 

 to be accomplished is based on the same lines of thought. 



In the matter of uniting the "North American Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association " and the "National Bee-Keepers' Union," 

 there has been much discussion, and there are now two dis- 

 tinct parties arrayed against each other — the one for it, the 

 other against it. 



In Gleanings for Sept. 15, page 669, Dr. Mason states 



that before 1893, the Union was called the " North American 

 Bee-Keepers' Union." This is an error. It never had but 

 one name, and that was and is — " The National Bee-Keepers' 

 Union." The words " North American" were appropriated 

 by the "Association," and wore not therefore available for the 

 " Union," without confounding terms. It would have been 

 appropriate, but as a matter of fact it was never used in con- 

 nection with the Union. 



The " nonsense " which has been published, like this : " I 

 say away with amalgamation, and let the Union set about to 

 re-organize itself as soon as it can" — is simply ridiculous. The 

 Union is all right, and needs no re-organization. It asks 

 nothing but good-will from its neighbor — the North American 

 Bee-Keepers' Association — and can live and prosper, doing its 

 own work — that work for which it was created — without los- 

 ing its head, its temper, or its understanding. Its uniform 

 success, and its excellent financial condition, is something all 

 should be proud of, instead of hurling at it such crazy " shots," 

 or empty and cracked "shells " as the foregoing quotation, 

 and calling it a " poor fizzle," etc. 



Dr. Mason well says in Gleanings, on page 670 : "This 

 country of ours is too large " to warrant annual meetings, and 

 expensive personal representation. That is incontrovertible. 



We must also be careful about forming a " National 

 Honey Exchange" for bee-keepers. I believe that the only 

 way such can be made to succeed is to have a large capital 

 and buy the honey outright from bee-keepers, and then selling 

 it as its own. Where there are too many conflicting interests, 

 there will always be contention and strife. Let the Associa- 

 tion beware. 



To have two " classes" in the Union — one protective and 

 the other non-protective, is impracticable — wholly so. I fully 

 concur in the remark of the editor of Gleanings, who says, 

 " I doubt the wisdom of having two classes of members. If 

 any of them need protection, they aft want it." 



While I am quite willing to coincide with the majority, 

 and work for anything reasonable which may be agreed upon, 

 I advise caution and deliberation. Too hasty action may be 

 regretted later Thomas G. Newman. 



E. T. Abbott — It would seem to be the best possible thing 

 we can do, to have a committee appointed to take these two 

 papers in hand, and give us something definite to discuss. 1 

 move that a committee of three be appointed to take up the 

 subject of a new constitution ; to look over this subject and 

 fix it the way it should be, and report in the morning. 



Mr. Abbott's motion was seconded and carried. The com- 

 mittee appointed was as follows : Dr. Mason, Geo. W. York, 

 and E. R. Root. 



Mr. Abbott— Mr. Chairman, I would like to offer a reso- 

 lution right here : 



" Wherea.9, Mr. Frank Benton has wilfully insulted this 

 Association by refusing to furnish to the printer a copy of the 

 minutes of the St. Joseph meeting held in 1894, for which he 

 received the sum of $25, as per the direction of the Associa- 

 tion ; therefore, be it 



Resolved, That his name be dropped from the roll of mem- 

 bership, and that he be debarred from again becoming a mem- 

 ber of this Association uutil he has made due apology and 

 amends for his unwarrantable action." 



Mr. Abbott — Mr. Benton refused to send his full report to 

 the printer, and would not even return the money. 



A Member — Had I been in Mr. Benton's place, I would 

 have stuck my head into the first barrel I came to. 



Mr. York — Mr. Benton was asked, at the Toronto conven- 

 tion, whether he would send the rest of the report, and he 

 said he would do so. 



A member asked, "Is that correct?" Answered, "That 

 Is correct." 



Mr. York then read from the Report of last year's meet- 

 ing, where, in reply to the question by Rev. W. F. Clarke, 

 " Will you, or will you not, turn over that Report ?" Mr. 

 Benton replied, " I will." And Pres. Holtermann said, " That 

 settles it." 



A motion was made and seconded to drop Mr. Benton's 

 name from our roll of membership. 



A Member arose and said, " Ho is no longer a member be- 

 cause his dues have not been paid." Before the question was 

 put Pres. Root said : 



"I confess I feel loth to do anything of this kind. Mr. 

 Benton is very slow in keeping his promise. I presume he 

 has intended to furnish us with the report, but he is very slow. 

 Another thing, as far as sending the §25 back again, more 

 than one bee-keeper has been slow in sending back money. I 



