234 THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



A KNOTTY PROBLEM- 



December 



One would hardly think it possible 

 to propound a question relating in any 

 way to apiarian subjects that would 

 l)affle the sages and wise counsellors 

 recently convened at Buffalo. The 

 question-box comprised the whole pro- 

 gramme, or nearly so; and yet, it ap- 

 pears, one little problem, apparently 

 simple, which was tliere brought to 

 light, is now seeking its solution 

 through the medium of the apicultural 

 press. It is none other than a feasible 

 and acceptable method by which direct- 

 ors and general manager of the Nat- 

 ional Association may be nominated in 

 advance. 



That the board of directors of the 

 National Association should be chosen 

 in such a manner as to fairly represent 

 all quarters of the United States, is a 

 point upon which we have dwelt in the 

 past. There is no word of fault to find 

 with any member of the present board 

 — far from it. They are all worthy 

 gentlemen — faithful officers, of which 

 the Association is proud; but that has 

 naught to do with the obvious fact that 

 a more representative board would re- 

 sult beneficially to the Association. 

 Perhaps no one more than the mem- 

 bers of the board themselves, appreci- 

 ate the truth of this fact; but they have 

 been duly elected by the members, and. 

 like good, faithful officers, are doing 

 their duty nobly. One of the best 

 things brought out at the Buffalo con- 

 vention was the fact that this unequal 

 distribution of officials is a necessary 

 result of the present system — a system 

 by which each member is obliged to 

 select some friend or acquaintance on 

 short notice, or cast his ballot for the 

 present incumbent, which has resulted 

 in a very scattering vote, and the elec- 

 tion, sometimes, of more than one di- 

 rector in a state, while a very large di- 

 vision of the Union has been left en- 

 tirely without representation. 



Suppose, as has been suggested by 



President-elect Hutchinson, in the Bee- 

 Keepers' Review, that circumstances 

 should arise by which a change of di- 

 rectors or general manager was neces- 

 sary to the welfare of the Association. 

 Under the present individual, quick- 

 meal plan of making nominations, it 

 would be next to impossible to effect 

 such a change. It is one of those lit- 

 tle things that become more perplex- 

 ing as they are considered. Its solu- 

 tion must come through a suggestion 

 which will result in the nomination of 

 candidates, we should say, not later 

 than July; so that the members will 

 have ample time for thought or corre- 

 spondence before the December elec- 

 tions. 



Our readers are invited to use these 

 columns in giving expression to their 

 ideas relating to the matter. 



The last number of the eleventh vol- 

 ume is in the reader's hand, and we 

 are now preparing to enter upon our 

 twelfth year under more auspicious con- 

 ditions than at any time within the his- 

 tory of the present management. We 

 are grateful for the numerous courte- 

 sies and kind acts extended by cfur pat- 

 rons during the year just closed, and 

 trust our efforts may be deemed worthy 

 of their continuation through 1902. 



That every reader of the American 

 Bee-Keeper may enjoy a Merry Qirist- 

 mas, a very Happy New Year and a 

 prosperous whole year to come, is a 

 sincere wish jointly extended by The 

 W. T. Falconer Mfg. Co. and H. E. 

 Hill. 



Hereafter it is our purpose to mail 

 The Bee-Keeper on the first of each 

 month. If any reader should fail to re- 

 ceive his copy in due time, kindly write 

 us promptly, and another will be imme- 

 diately sent. Address. Fort Pierce, 

 Fla., as the editor will have charge of 

 the mailing list in the future. 



