GLEANINGS IN BP:;E CULTURE 



Those who have studied American co- 

 opei'ation Avill know, without being told, the 

 details — that the step following success is 

 disagreement among the members and the 

 formation of factions within the organiza- 

 tion to strive for control of its affairs. The 

 association had contributed very largely to 

 the success of its members thru its credit, 

 which was equal to the combined credit of 

 all. But when some of its supporters got 

 to the point where they were able to ship 

 out their own honey in carload lots, and 

 even ship in eases in the same manner, their 

 co-operative ardor grew cold. 



There arose a disagreement between the 

 president and manager over a private busi- 

 ness transaction in Avhich the corporation 

 had no part. The details are of no conse- 

 quence. As a result of the trouble the pres- 

 ident and his supporters withdrew their 

 support from the association. The stock- 

 holders elected another president, and con- 

 tinued to prosper. Then came disquieting 

 rumors that the ex-joresident was buying 

 the stock of the disaffected ones for the 

 purpose of securing control of the company. 

 It was an ordinary stock company in which 

 each share had a vote; and to guard against 

 the danger of its passing into the control of 

 one man hostile to co-operation, the stock- 

 holders met and voted to dissolve the cor- 

 poration. 



The stock had cost the shareholders ten 

 dollars a share. The dissolution showed 

 thera to be worth sixteen dollars a share, 

 and that was the sum returned to share- 

 holders. Even the disaffected ex-president 

 was satisfied Avith the settlement. 



Steps were immediately taken to reor- 

 ganize. In the new association no member 

 was permitted to own more than one share 

 of stock. To make up the necessary work- 

 ing capital each was required to loan the 

 association, for five years without interest, 

 a sum equal to twenty-five cents for every 

 colony of bees in his possession at the time 

 of organization. The association bought a 

 lot where shipping facilities were nearly 

 , equal to the old location, aiad promptly 

 erected a larger and better warehouse than 

 the first one had been. 



The affairs of the new association were 

 conducted along almost the same lines as 

 those of the old one had been, and it en- 

 joyed one season of prosperity. Then came 

 the old trouble, with new actors; new de- 

 tails cropped up, and the business of the 

 association began to dwindle. It has been 

 dwindling ever since. It lias now almost 

 reached tlie vanishing-point. 



During its palmy days the association 

 shipped 17 carloads of honey in a season. 



when the entire output of the valley was 

 about 25 carloads. Last year the output of 

 the valley was 39 carloads, of which only 

 three were handled by the association. It 

 lias neither working capital nor credit in 

 the business world. The five-year notes to 

 its stockholders are past due, and there is 

 little prospect of their ever being paid. The 

 association is virtually dead, and sooner or 

 later the courts will preach its funeral ser- 

 mon. When that time comes, the one thing 

 that will save it from complete wreck is the 

 fact that its real estate has trebled in value. 



A few old wheel-horses of the organiza- 

 tion are clinging to the wreck with more 

 fidelity than business judgment. One of 

 these not only gives his time without com- 

 l^ensation to attend to the company busi- 

 ness, but meets the overhead expenses from 

 his private funds in the hope of a regener- 

 ation that will never come. There has been 

 only one quorum of stockholders for moi'e 

 than a year, and that was secured by 

 personally soliciting proxies. 



The passing of the association should be 

 regarded as a calamity to all the beekeepers 

 of the valley, for its benefits have redounded 

 to the non-member as well as the member. 

 The first year I came to the valley I sold my 

 honey at 6^/2 cents thru the association, 

 while very little was sold outside of the 

 association at more than dYo, and much of 

 it brought only 5. During succeeding years 

 there was less disparity in the price because 

 that season taught the outsiders a lesson. 

 The determination of its competitors to 

 undersell it has made the price of bee sup- 

 plies cheaper in Imperial Valley than any- 

 where else in the state. These are facts that 

 even those opposed to the association ai'e 

 compelled to admit. Yet the organization 

 has been permitted to die from lack of 

 support. 



Human nature is the same the world over, 

 and every man wants to have his own way. 

 Only the press of stern necessity will make 

 him willing to yield it to another. Co-op- 

 eration requires a yielding of the individual 

 co-oiDeratoi's, and without the press of ne- 

 cessity it can never be a success. Beekeep- 

 ing in Imperial Valley has been too profit- 

 able to make co-operation necessary. In- 

 dividual prosperity was the rock upon 

 which our co-operative ship stranded. 



There are plenty of dealers in cases and 

 other apiary supplies in Im^Derial Valley 

 now. The producer is no longer forced to 

 look for a carload buyer, tho many of them 

 are able to sell in carload lots. Some of the 

 Los Angeles distributers have a resident 

 agent in the valley who will buy for cash 

 Ruy quantity of honey offert^d. Others send 



