708 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Koveuiber 10. 



hunt the matter up. He has a good many other things to do. 

 He might find another man who could do the work better than 

 he cnuld himself. 



Pres. York — The reason why I put it that way 'was be- 

 cause I think the General Manager should purchase the sam- 

 ples himself, not through some one else, and that he should 

 keep them in his possession until they are analyzed, so that 

 there could be no doubt about it. 



Dr. Mason — I do not agree with that Idea. Just a few 

 weeks ago I was on a jury before which a prosecution for sell- 

 ing medicines with poisonous ingredients contrary to law was 

 on trial in Ohio. I had some conference afterward with our 

 commissioner, who was prosecuting the matter, and I found 

 that he thought It was much better to have some one buy 

 those articles directly, and find out that they were not right, 

 and then let the authorities get after the adulterators. It 

 seemed to work much better than to have the authorities 

 themselves buy them. The purchasers were then called as 

 witnesses before the court, and it had ever so much more 

 weight. It would be lots better if I would go and make the 

 purchase and have Mr. Secor use me as a witness. 



Mr. Secor — That matter should be in the hands of the 

 Board of Directors. 



The motion as amended by Mr. Secor was then seconded 

 and carried. 



Mr. Stilson — I would like to ask a question in regard to 

 whether the General Manager or the Board of Directors could 

 in any way aid parties in different States in preparing and 

 presenting before the different State legislatures bills looking 

 toward the punishment of adulterators of honey or other 

 foods in the different States. Before our legislature this win- 

 ter I would like to present something of that kind. Will the 

 Union aid us by helping to prepare something of that kind 

 that will stand a test ? 



Mr. Masters — As Mr. Whitcomb has investigated the laws 

 of Nebraska in reference to adulterated foods, I would like to 

 have him tell us something of what he knows about it. 



Mr. Whitcomb— We have no pure food law here. The 

 only thing we could do would be to prosecute a man under the 

 law for obtaining money under false pretenses. We have no 

 pure food law. Such laws have always failed somewhere. 

 The only thing we can do is to prosecute under the law — 

 which is very strict — for obtaining money under false pre- 

 tenses — selling something fur honey which was not honey, but 

 glucose. 



Pres. York — Mr. Stilson askt a question as to whether the 

 Board of Directors could aid the bee-keepers in any State to 

 secure the passage of laws against the adulteration of honey 

 and other foods. 



Dr. Mason — Our coustitution provides for that, I think. 

 In the first place, the objects of this Union are stated in Arti- 

 cle II — " to promote the interests of bee-keepers, to protect its 

 members, to prevent the adulteration of honey, and to prose- 

 cute dishonest honey commission men." I think the constitu- 

 tion covers that, without any doubt. 



Mr. Stilson — My idea in asking this question was, that I 

 knew the Union was organized to promote the advancement 

 of bee-culture ; but in this State we have met with this one 

 obstacle every time we have presented this matter before our 

 legislature: There were many of our legislators who thought 

 we were working in the interest of a single industry, while we 

 should ask for a general pure food law covering all products. 

 I wisht to ask whether the Union would aid us in securing the 

 passage of a general law in preference to a law for this one 

 Industry. 



A. I. Root — It seems to be time that other States were 

 following the State of Ohio. This matter of obtaining money 

 under false pretenses is a small thing — a trifling matter. Bee- 

 keepers are made a kind of a side-issue. These fellows are 

 not only swindling by their adulterations, but they are en- 

 dangering human life. You will see that throughout the 

 whole world human life is coming to be held at a higher value 

 than it used to be. We all rejoice over that. The progress 

 of the present time seems to be in defending human life and 

 health. This matter wants to come now with emphasis. It 

 is not because bee-keepers are being hindered or crampt in 

 their industry, but because human life and human health is 

 being endangered. Medical men will tell us that they are be- 

 coming more and more convinced that the greater number of 

 stubborn chronic diseases are caused by impure food. We 

 want the right kind of food. The great point in presenting 

 this matter of getting better laws is that human health and 

 life are in danger ; it is not that bee-keepers are suffering by 

 the frauds, or that somebody is getting swindled. 



Mr. Hatch — Colorado has a law especially against the 

 adulteration of honey. If any one is looking for an easy case 



for prosecution, I think they would find it right in Denver, 

 and without looking very hard, either. 



Dr. Miller — I believe that the one thing in which we have 

 made more mistakes than any other has been in considering 

 our own interests alone, and trying to push things with refer- 

 ence to bee-keepers alone. If we are going to do anything, 

 we must try to go in along with others and make a big thing 

 of it, and make a big strike all together. I think Mr. Secor is 

 right in his idea ; unless we are pretty sure of carrying a case 

 to a successful issue, we ought not to touch it at all. 



Mr. Secor — I was going to suggest that I regard it as one 

 of the legitimate purposes of this Union to secure pure food 

 legislation in the States where there are no pure food laws. I 

 would suggest that if it is possible we should get a general 

 pure food law, saying nothing about honey especially, and if 

 possible getting a pure food commissioner. I think that is a 

 great point. 



(Continued next week.) 



Report of the Utah Bee-Keepers' Couveution. 



The Utah Bee-Keepers' Association held an interesting 

 meeting in Salt Lake City, Oct. 6, the merits of the industry 

 being pretty thoroughly discust. 



The first question presented was the purchase of sections 

 and other supplies. R'^marks were made by Vice-Pres. Hone, 

 Messrs, Dudley, Swanner, Terry, Schach, and others. As a 

 result it is expected that the bee-keepers will club together 

 and get them at the lowest rates. 



Foul brood, pickled brood, and kindred diseases, were dis- 

 cust. A general discussion as to the best methods to be 

 adopted for the production, putting up and marketing of bee- 

 products, showed pretty clearly that by acquiring a practical 

 knowledge of the business, and by adopting the best approved 

 methods, as a rule the bee-keepers were usually more success- 

 ful than those pursuing other industries of the State. 



THE PAST A PECULIAR SEASON. 



President Lovesy said that as far as the bee-industry is 

 concerned, this has been a peculiar season. While the honey- 

 flow in some localities has been excellent, from the best infor- 

 mation obtainable as a rule the flow seems to have been either 

 short or rather poor. The spring in some localities was wet and 

 cold ; then when the fine weather came it cleared up for good. 

 This made the flow all right for awhile. Then later, as a 

 rule, where the supply of water for irrigation was abundant 

 the honey-flow was all right, but where the supply of water 

 gave out, the honey-flow also fell off. 



BEE-DISEASES — IN UNION IS STRENGTH. 



While many have been successful others have been un- 

 fortunate with bee-diseases. There ssems to have been a 

 lack of interest in getting the bee-law in force in some coun- 

 ties. Disease has broken out in some instances, and no one 

 having any authority to look after the matter, it has caused 

 some distress and loss. This, and also a lack of interest 

 among bee-keepers in purchasing their supplies and disposing 

 of their products, has demoralized prices, while under proper 

 conditions the shortness of the crop should have had a ten- 

 dency to have advanced prices materially. 



Some bee-keepers ask if it is to their interest to join an 

 association. It should be plain to all that it the bee-keepers 

 and other societies would unite for their own benefit they 

 could accomplish almost any desired reform. They could pre- 

 vent unscrupulous dealers from buying glucose for two cents 

 and selling it as honey for 10 cents ; they could at least pro- 

 cure laws that would cause all packages to be plainly markt 

 as to what they contained. Again, many of our practical bee- 

 keepers credit much of their knowledge of the industry to at- 

 tending the bee-meetings. In union is strength, and without 

 it little if any reform can be accomplisht. 



GOOD REPORT FROM OMAHA. 



A number of our bee-keepers f urnisht honey for the Trans- 

 Mississippi Exposition at Omaha, and we have sent a credit- 

 able exhibit. We have kept up the reputation of the State as 

 a honey-producer. The report of our exhibit is 95, as follows : 

 Flavor, 45, on a scale of 50; clearness, perfect, 10; ripe- 

 ness, perfect, 20; color, 10; general appearance, 10; total, 

 95; perfect, 100. This is considered an excellent showing, 

 as flavor is more or less a matter of taste. 



YIELDS OF HONEY, ETC. 



W. E. Smith reported an excellent flow of beautiful white 

 honey In Keysvllle, Hooper, and vicinity. Mr. Jacobson, of 



