THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



177 



vant and they are principally held re- 

 sponsible for his conduct, therefore a 

 change in the constitution is called for 

 whereby they can always elect him. The 

 directors should be elected as they now 

 are. 



N. E. France says — I am glad indeed, 

 vou have brought up the subject of a 

 button. I feel proud of the good the 

 Association has done for its members, 

 and I assure you every Wisconsin mem- 

 ber is also proud, and that I, and all others 

 of Wisconsin, will be proud of a National 

 button, and will wear it — I wear York's 

 bee-button now. I approve of hexagonal 

 shape, with letters in corners, gold 

 queen in center. But if she is on clover 

 will it show the bee as well? I hope a 

 button will be decided upon. One but- 

 ton for each member. Not one each 

 year. Nomination of officers — I agree 

 with you. 



Ralph B. Daly, Lockport, N. Y. say: — 

 Ordinarily the Review is taken as it 

 comes. We expect a good thing and get 

 it. This time there are two things upon 

 which I wish to put "a word in your 

 ear." I think a silver disc or perhaps a 

 parallelogram of about the same surface 

 as a half dollar, cast or stamped with a 

 design like that on the cover of the Re- 

 view, and the letters N. B. K. A., would 

 make a good, substantial and presentable 

 batlge for the "people" to wear. The 

 greater part of the honey comes from the 

 clovers and basswood, and the section of 

 comb stands for the best there is, and 

 that is what we are all after. 



The dies or molds could be made by 

 the .Association, and the badges sold at 

 cost to the members. I think every 

 member would be willing to pay 50 cents 

 or Ji.oo lor a badge that would last, and 

 one he would not be ashamed to be seen 

 wearing. Cheap buttons will do for 

 campaign purposes but are not taken 

 seriously. This is a very different mat- 

 ter. 



Every man who sees a badge or button 

 draws his own conclusions at once; and 

 cheap, tawdrj- affairs will certainly adver- 



tise the bee business in a very undesirable 

 way; especially when seen by newspaper 

 and business men. After the dies are 

 made they will last, and the cost of the 

 badges or buttons would be simplv the 

 bullion price of silver and the work of 

 making. Give us a good thing, you men 

 at the helm. 



Dr. Mason says — I hardly know what 

 to say about your idea of a button instead 

 of a badge, as explained in last Review. 

 You say "When a man joins, give him a 

 button. Let him wear that button as 

 long as he is a member." What is to 

 prevent his wearing it when he's not a 

 member.'' Heretofore the principle ob- 

 ject in having a badge has been to dis- 

 tinguish members, from those who were 

 not, at conventions, and deny all not 

 having a badge, the privilege of discus- 

 sing matters — just let them be "absorb- 

 ers." Whatever is adopted will have to 

 be suplemented in some way, so as to 

 distinguish who are members at a con- 

 vention. That might be done by using 

 numbers, as has already been done. A 

 decent button, as a permanent affair, 

 would be somewhat expensive if furnish- 

 ed to all our members. It would cost, 

 perhaps I75 to |roo, and then each new 

 member would have to have one, and a 

 record would have to be kept of those 

 having buttons, or else another button 

 would have to be sent when a member- 

 ship is renewed, or else when remitting, 

 one would have to say "I have a member- 

 ship button," and how many would know 

 they were to do that, or do it if they 

 knew they ought to ? I really can't see 

 yet that such a scheme would pay. .\ 

 goodly number might not care for a but- 

 ton, and would not use it if they had one. 

 They might give it to "the children to 

 play with," as you have done with the 

 badges you've had. 



It really seems to me now, without hav- 

 ing given the subject much thought, that 

 a neat, inexpensive silk ribbon badge, 

 for use at the convention, perhaps num- 

 bered, and paid for by the Association, 

 would be the most desirable thing. 



