GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE EDITORIAL 



THE JANUARY GLEANINGS, in its news 

 items, stated that the proprietor of the 

 ' ' Pelican Apiary ' ' 

 Announcement at New Orleans 

 of a Policy. had been landed in 



the Ohio penitenti- 

 ary, having been convicted of embezzlement 

 at Cleveland. We might have added that a 

 small advertisement of this rogue appearing 

 twice in Gleanings' columns had much to 

 do witii his detection. We are more than 

 well satisfied with so much of the results 

 obtained by this "gentleman" from his ad- 

 vertising efforts in our columns. But that 

 his advertisement appeared at all in Glean- 

 ings furnishes the text for what is here 

 going to be said. 



We asked for and received from this 

 swindler, before accepting his advertise- 

 ment, a reference that we supposed in all 

 right faith to be good. But it was not good. 

 He deceived us, and a large number of our 

 subscribers were swindled to a total extent 

 of a thousand dollars by sending him orders 

 for queens and bees that were never filled 

 nor their money returned to them. 



We shall refund to these subscribers of 

 Gleanings every dollar sent by them to thts 

 dishonest concern as a result of seeing this 

 man 's advertisement in our columns, upon 

 proof of such loss, and that it came about 

 by answering this advertisement seen by 

 them in this journal. 



We never mean to permit an advertise- 

 ment of the least question to appear in 

 Gleanings, and no legal responsibility lies 

 against us in this matter; but we can not 

 evade the conviction that a moral responsi- 

 bility does, for we let a rogue into our col- 

 umns whom we might have possibly dis- 

 covered by more searching investigation of 

 his references and himself. 



In the next issue of this journal we shall 

 announce an advertising guarantee against 

 deliberate swindlers such as the "Pelican 

 Apiary," and state the terms of such guar- 

 antee. These terms will remind our sub- 

 scribers that they have some responsibilities 

 in such a guarantee as well as ourselves and 

 as well as our advertisers, for there is good 

 reason back of that old principle of law, 

 caveat emptor, which translated means that 

 the purchaser shall take good care on his 

 part as to the man from whom he buys and 

 the terms he makes. We can not attempt to 

 adjust trifling disputes between subscribers 

 and honorable business men, nor guarantee 

 against loss by honest advertisers who be- 

 come bankrupts or are unable to fill con- 

 tracts because of innocent misfortune or 

 unfavorable conditions beyond their con- 

 trol. We hope not to have such unfortunate 

 advertisers, but the greatest care may not 

 always prevent it. We shall henceforth, 

 however, guarantee our readers against loss 

 (up to the full amount of investment) that 

 may come about thru our admitting an ad- 



vertisement in our columns of a dishonest 

 man or dishonest company. We will not 

 plead our innocence nor care in the case. 

 We will plead guilty to letting a rogue get 

 by — and will settle with our subscribers. 

 This is as far as any publication can or does 

 guarantee its advertising — and so much we 

 will do. 



We now say to our readers and to pros- 

 pective advertisers in our columns that the 

 most exacting references as to both charac- 

 ter and financial standing are required in 

 every case of parties unknown to us seeking 

 admission to our columns to advertise as 

 dealers in queens and bees, beekeepers ' sup- 

 plies, honey, or anything whatever that 

 presupposes the integrity and financial abili- 

 ty of the advertiser to assure our readers 

 a fair and honest deal. This rule does not 

 apply in all cases of minor advertisements 

 in which our readers can clearly guard their 

 own rights by ordinary precaution, such for 

 instance as the sale of a colony of bees or 

 the bee supplies of a private individual, 

 with no payment in advance asked. 



We require of a new and unknown adver- 

 tiser the signed endorsement of both his 

 good character and financial standing by his 

 postmaster, his banker, and a public official 

 of his home; or, if it is obviously impossible 

 for the would-be advertiser to obtain such, 

 we require three signatures equally as re- 

 sponsible as his postmaster, banker, and 

 a local official, whose responsibility we can 

 establish. 



Altho these strict requirements are meet- 

 ing with the complaint of some seeking to 

 enter our columns as advertisers, we insist 

 on them. We propose to defend our readers 

 against loss and fraud by dishonest and un- 

 reliable advertisers, and to defend our ad- 

 vertisers against the unworthy who seek to 

 share with them the good name and fame 

 that go with admission to our advertising 

 columns. We want it to be said that if you 

 see an advertiser 's name in Gleanings he is 

 unquestionably honest and to be trusted — 

 and we are going to have it so. 



AMONG WELL-INFORMED beekeepers it 

 has been no secret that the National Bee- 

 keepers' Associa- 

 The New tion, having no def- 



Organization. inite headquarters 



no definite policy, 

 no permanent officers, has been on the sick 

 list. Its demise has been expected at almost 

 any moment. But out of the old organiza- 

 tion has now developed a new one with cer- 

 tain definite policies that look good. For 

 particulars the reader is referred to page 

 104. But this organization, good as it is, 

 can not succeed unless beekeepers get back 

 of it in a substantial way with their dol- 

 lars and their moral support. Gleanings 

 wishes the new venture success. 



