146 THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



contract with this company to furnish us cans according to the specifications 

 named. In the past bee-keepers had no way of knowing what the proper size 

 for a full sixty pound can was, and what weight of tin it should be made of, 

 and the result was that we found many packages in use that were light weight 

 in tin and short in capacity, so that they did not hold the full sixty pounds of 

 honey. I also found that many shipping cases for sixty-pound cans were made 

 of thin material, and the cases were badly smashed in shipping. The quality 

 of the cans furnished this year has been excellent, and 1 have had many words 

 of praise from our customers. 



According to the Directors' instructions I also took up the question of 

 glass packages for our members, but I found that this was a subject that was 

 nmch harder to handle than the tin packages. Glass factories do so much car- 

 load business that they seem to look with disfavor on the small shipments. My 

 first agreement was with a glass factory through their Detroit representative, 

 and in a short time after beginning to send the orders, they refused to accept 

 them on the grounds that they were not large enough. Later I made another 

 agreement with another factory, and in a short time had a similar difficulty with 

 them, but succeeded in still getting the glass packages by sending in a stock 

 order, having a certain number of packages made up to be held subject to our 

 future orders. 



I am frank to say that the sale of glass packages has not lieen what I had 

 hoped it would be, and I am not very optimistic over this particular line of 

 goods for the members. At the same time I believe it would be advisable to 

 furnish our members glass packages until we know positively the amount of 

 business that can be expected from that source. We have sold during the year 

 $3,535.11 worth of tm and glass packages. Of this amount $3,159.07 represents 

 our sales of tin packages. We have furnished our members the five-gallon 

 square can, packed two in a case; the same kind packed singly; the same kind 

 packed in crates of fifty; the ten-pound friction top pail; the five-pound friction 

 top pail, and in a few cases a three-pound friction top can. No orders have 

 been received for slip cover paih. and I would not recommend the listing of 

 slip cover pails another year. These slip cover pails are similar to the pails you 

 purchase lard in from your local grocery, and are not suitable, in my estimation, 

 for shipping honey. 



During the early part of the year, I saw that my work as publisher of the 

 Bee-Keeper's Review, running it as a private business, would conflict very much 

 with my work as Secretary of the National Association. I also found that there 

 was considerable confusion among the National members regarding the change 

 in membership from 50 cents to $1.00, and also with reference to the establish- 

 ment of National Branches. I saw very plainly that the Association needed an 

 official organ of its own, and naturally it occurred to me that if the National 

 would purchase the Review, much better results could be obtained. W'hether I 

 was right in my deductions or not I am willing to leave to you for your decision 

 after hearing the financial report which I will give you shortly, and also after 

 discussing the matter fully at this Convention. Whatever decision is finally made 

 by the delegates I assure you that 1 shall try to help you carry it out. 



The proposition of purchasing the Review was made to the Directors, by mail, 

 and it required considerable correspondence before an agreement was finally 

 reached. 



Before proceeding further it will be well perhaps to give you a general finan- 

 cial statement of the work for the past year. On January 1st there was in the 

 National treasury, according to a report sent me by Treasurer France, $28.09. I 

 wish to say in connection with this that several of the State Associations, after 

 the Minneapolis meeting, sent notices to their members that if they renewed 

 membership prior to January 1st. they could do so at the rate of fifty cents per 

 member, and this brought in a large number of renewals at the fifty cent rate, 

 which it was necessary to use in clearing up the business for the year previous, 

 so that while we only had $28.09 to begin the year on, we also had a large num- 

 ber of members who had paid their membership fee. From January 1st until 

 May we collected in membership fees $273.59 ; our expenses during that time 

 were $222.75, so that at the time of purchasing the Review, which really took 



