TtlE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



m 



Conveutions. No couveution can be a suc- 

 cess iu the highest degree without a goodly 

 atteudauce ; and this cannot be secured 

 without low railroad rates. For this reason, 

 conventions, unless they number sufficient 

 in themselves to secure reduced rates, ought 

 to be held during the holidays ; at the time 

 and place of some exposition ; or something 

 of this sort that will secure reduced rates. 

 Hotels will grant reduced rates, and often 

 furnish a room free for liolding the sessions. 

 In many places, a public hall, or room, may 

 be secured free of cost. Having reduced all 

 other expenses to the minimum, let the frrs 

 be doubled, the best man possible secured 

 for secretary, and jnt id <i (jood salari/. Par- 

 don us friends, if we now relate something 

 that sounds a little egotistical. Tlie Detroit 

 meeting of the North American Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Society has been jironounced one of the 

 best, if not flu' best meeting, that the Soci- 

 ety ever held. Not all of those who enjoyed 

 that meeting knew of the hard work behind 

 it. As secretary, we kept up a "running 

 corresi)ondence " all the summer and fall, 

 and during the three weeks previous to the 

 meeting gave up our time ivliollij to com- 

 pleting the arrangements and attending to 

 the correspondence. In all, more than HIXJ 

 letters and postals were written. Then 

 came the work at the convention, and after- 

 wards the transcribing of the shortliand 

 notes and the preparation of the report for 

 publication. For this work the convention 

 voted us $50. But friends, out of this came 

 ij|;;>0 to pay for stationery, postage, telephon- 

 ing, telegraphing, and traveling expenses in 

 making arrangements for the meeting. So 

 we actually received, from the Society, %'M 

 for as hard a month's work as we ever did. 

 We are not complaining. With its jiresent 

 rate of dues, the Society could pay no more. 

 But suppose the dues were raised to !ii;2.(X), or 

 even itj^l.^O ? The secretary is the soul of an 

 association. It is he that must enthuse the 

 members with a desire to attend : must ar- 

 range for railroad rates ; get \x\t the pro- 

 gramme ; and, with quick ear and nimble 

 fingers, furnish a report of all important 

 sayings and doings. Without such work on 

 the part of the secretary, a successful meet- 

 ing is the exception; and it often happens 

 that the man best iitted for this position is 

 the least able to f//re the society so much 

 time and labor. It ought not to be expected. 

 An additional fifty cents from each mem- 

 ber would pay a secretary so well that he 



could afford to put in a month's work in 

 "getting up the meeting;" and its useful- 

 ness would be enhanced many times the 

 cost. The American Nursery mens' Associa- 

 tion this year pays its secretary .fl.'SO. In 

 this society the annual dues are if^.OO. Re- 

 ferring to this society reminds us that, two 

 or three years ago, it expended !|;!(M) or $40() 

 in sending its best men to attend the meet- 

 ings of railroad ollicials, with a view to se- 

 curing a new classification of imrsery stock 

 and a consequent lowering of rates. After 

 an immense amount of labor and many te- 

 dious delays, their requests were granted, 

 and thousands of dollars have since been 

 saved to nurserymen in freights. Bee-keep- 

 ers may not need anything in this direction, 

 and they may. but the illustration used 

 shows what may l)e done by association, by 

 united effort and a little moiwii. As Bro. 

 Newman remarks: "If tiie Bee-Keepers' 

 Union had money, it could coDipcl the news- 

 papers to tell the truth about honey." Mon- 

 ey talks. After a l)ody of 1(K) or more bee- 

 keepers have paid, upon an average, say !|10 

 each, in attending a convention, one or two 

 dollars more from each would lie a compar- 

 atively small burden, but, in the aggregate, 

 it could be made to work wonders. We have 

 three International Societies. The Bee- 

 Keepers' Union. ( and its manager ought to 

 have pay) that defends ils members against 

 unjust attacks ; the American International 

 Society, that holds conventions for the ex- 

 cliange and diffusion of apiarian knowledge; 

 and the Honey Producers' Exchange, that 

 aims to furnish its members with prompt 

 and reliable information as to the honey 

 crop. To be a member of all these societies 

 one year costs ^."'..OO ; would it be better if 

 they were consolidated under one manage- 

 ment, with annual fees of !||;:5.00? We know 

 this idea has been broached before, but, 

 after a little discussion the matter has been 

 dropped. We know there ai-e obstacles in 

 the way of such a combination, but, if it is 

 desirable on the whole, they can be removed. 

 We feel sure there are many important ad- 

 vantages that bee-keepers may secure by a 

 grand combination, earnest united eftort, and 

 the judicious expenditure of a little money ; 

 and it is with a view to this end that we invite 

 a most thorough discussion of the matter in 

 the next Review ; then when the fall and 

 winter conventions are held we shall be pre- 

 pared to discuss the matter still more intel- 

 ligently and to (/(' something. 



