374 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' JiEVIEW 



another Union, or society, for the specific 

 purpose of fighting adulterators. I3ut it 

 was urged, and with reason, that it was 

 foolish to start a new society for each pur- 

 pose that required united action — better 

 strengthen the Union that already existed 

 and so change its constitution that its funds 

 could be used for any purpose in the in- 

 ferests of bee-keeping. This was done, but, 

 for some reason, or reasons, nothing has 

 ever been done in the way of prosecuting 

 adulterators. I think the General Manager 

 would have acted if some defiuite case with 

 good proof had been brought before him, 

 but this proscution of adulterators is a case 

 of ' what is everybody's business is no- 

 body's business. ' There is a lack of defi- 

 nite, personal interest in the matter. When 

 a man is sued because someone considers 

 his bees a nuisance, he takes some interest 

 in the case. If some one should sneak into 

 this man's honey house and adulterate his 

 honey, he would then feel like hunting up 

 the transgressor and securing his punish- 

 ment. But this same man sells his honey 

 to a dealer, and thinks of cares very little 

 what the dealer will do with it. There 

 must be an intense, selfish, personal motive 

 to induce men to act. I think it is this 

 point that explains, or partly explains, why 

 nothing has been by the Union in prosecu- 

 ting the adulterators of honey. 



But the adulteretion of honev is an injury 

 to the bee-keeping interests. It works in- 

 jury in three ways. As a rule, it impairs 

 thequality of the honey. It increases the 

 amount of honey put upon the market. It 

 prejudices consumers against buying it: 

 and there is no subject connected with api- 

 culture upon which there is now so much 

 need of united action as that of checking 

 the adulteration of honey. In order to have 

 the Union do anything in the line of check- 

 ing adulteration, there must be some clianges 

 made either in its constitution, or its man- 

 agement, or both. It must be made the 

 business of .so?)ie one to f«rret out and pros- 

 ecute adulterators. The bee-keepers of 

 this country could well afford to keep a 

 trained detective busy the year round in 

 hunting out adulterators of honey and se- 

 curing proof against them, and then in 

 bringing them to justice. But this would 

 be expensive, much more than the Union, as 

 now manased, could pay. And this brings 

 up the subject nf amalgamation. The 

 North American Bee-Keepers' Society was 

 organized many years ago, for the purpose 

 of bringing together bee-keepers from dif- 

 ferent parts of the country that they might 

 discuss subjects pertaining to the bee-keep- 

 ing industry, exchanging views and experi- 

 ences, and enjoying the good that comes 

 from the friction of mind upon mind; but the 

 dissemination of knowledge through the me- 

 dium of literature and has now largely strip- 

 ped these meetings of their value. Now here 

 are two societies that havp, in a measure, out- 

 lived their usefulness. The Union has won 

 all its suits until no one now dares to sue its 

 members, and when the North American 

 meets it finds but little now to talk about, 

 as it has already been told in the journals. 



At the same time, the honey markets are be- 

 ing damaged because of adulteration, and 

 be J keepers are doing nothing to put a stop 

 to the practice — simply making matters 

 worse by contiually talking but doing noth- 

 ing. Smce these societies were organized 

 tnere has been a change of conditions, and 

 these clianges should be met by a change in 

 the societies. There is no necessity what- 

 ever for two societies. It would seem as 

 though this point did not require argument, 

 that it would be patent to the simplest mind. 

 That amalgamation, with a change of con- 

 stitution to suit the times, should be pro- 

 posed is one of the most logical things that 

 ever happened. We cannot afford to waste 

 our time, talents, and money in sustaining 

 two societies, when only one is needed. In 

 union there is strength. When the North 

 American made overtures for amalgamation 

 they were rejected. Of course, no vote has 

 been taken, but the published expressions 

 of some of the members of the Union show- 

 ed that they were proud, independent and 

 scornful. Not only this, but the whole mat- 

 ter seemed to be misunderstood. There 

 seemed to be a feeling that in some way the 

 North American was planning to reap what 

 the Union had sown — to in some manner 

 get hold of the money that the Union had 

 raised, and squander it. Nothing could be 

 farther from the truth. All of the objections 

 brought against the uniting of these two bod 

 ies have been born of prejudice or ignor- 

 nnce. Not a single objection has been 

 brought that has not been answered or over- 

 come. 



Two different proposed constitutions ha ve 

 been gotten up by the North .\merican to be 

 submitted by vote to the members of the 

 U ion. The first one is my personal pref- 

 erence, but the second one has now been 

 adopted by the North American and it may 

 be that it is better than the first one. The 

 General Manager has criticised it quite 

 sharply, and some of his criticisms are well 

 takpn, while others are a little far-fetched 

 or hyper-critical. If we wait until a con- 

 stitution is formulated in which no flaws 

 can be found, amalgamation will never take 

 place. It will only be by actual experience 

 that we will learn exactly what kind of a 

 constitution is needed. Without experience 

 it, is doubtful if we get up a better one than 

 the North American has now adopted, at 

 least, not enough better to recompense us 

 for the delay. We need to get to tvork. 

 Another feature is now coming up that needs 

 U"ited action, and that is the prompt expos- 

 posure of dishonest and unreliable com- 

 mission men and dealers. See what bee- 

 kpepers have lost through Horrie & Co., and 

 Wheadon & Co. Not only have the men lost 

 who sent them honey, but this honey has 

 been sold nt almost any price in order to 

 move it off quickly and this has weakened 

 prices and demoralized the marlcet. Refer- 

 ences and merohantile reports are an aid, 

 but they are not an absolute safeguard. 

 Bradstreet rfportfld Wheadon & Co., as 

 worth from $10,000 to $20,000. Rogues can 

 put money in a bank and sret rating and then 

 take it out again. The Union should send 



