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ILLIXOIS STATE BEE-KEEPEBS' ASSOCIATIOX 



79 



measure by having one of my best cus- 

 tomers ive in Illinois not far from Dr. 

 Miller. 



Dr. Miller — That is the way the thing 

 runs. I am bitterly opposed to Mr. 

 Hatdh! Mr. Hatch is a nice man — I 

 have known about him for years, and 

 we ought not to be enemies; we ought 

 to be good friends. 



By the way — if you will pardon me 

 for digressing just a minute — what 

 started the Bee-Keepers' Union in the 

 first place, was, Mr. Hatch's father-in- 

 law got into trouble with another man 

 who had sheep; the bees came and ate 

 up the thing that was in the clover 

 'blossom tlhat made it valuable to the 

 sheep. Some of you know about that, 

 and some don't That is what really 

 started the Bee-Keepers' Union, after- 

 ward uniting with the National Bee- 

 Keepers' Association. A number of 

 us united; I put in $1.00 with 

 no other idea than that it was to 

 help in a law-suit of a brother bee- 

 keeper. There was co-operation there. 

 I don't know enough to know what is 

 the 'best way to do this and to get to- 

 gether, and to get tihe advantages of 

 co-operation, but I do know this, that if 

 everybody is doing it and getting to- 

 gether, there ought to be some way 

 that you and I q,an get together, and 

 in some way have the advantages that 

 would come from such co-operation. 



If the laundrymen can get together a 

 public fund to be spent all over the 

 country for the general benefit of laun- 

 drymen, the bee-keepers of the country 

 ought to be able to do that same thing. 



There is one thing about it, though — 

 I don't know but what we will have to 

 face. In all that has been done hereto- 

 fore (and I believe that the National 

 has done a great deal of good — every- 

 thing that has been done has been for 

 the public at large), you and I as mem- 

 bers of the National 'have paid the ex- 

 penses for the benefit that has been to 

 all. Now I like the idea of being large 

 hearted, and not trying to do for your- 

 self alone, but, as a cold business prop- 

 osition, I believe we have to look out 

 for that and fix the matter in rome way 

 that the money we pay in for this 

 publicity will help us more than it will 

 help the other fellow that has nothing 

 to do with us. I know that is selfish; 

 I don't ilke the feeling, but if we are 

 going to make a success I feel we have 

 to do that and have the benefits to be 



received in some way confined to those 

 who are taking part in it. 



Mr. Ahlers — If I followed this advice 

 given just now I would have to reduce 

 the price of my honey, so I would 

 rather not say anything. But I think 

 the whole thing could be done by get- 

 ting together with the Association, the 

 honey being sold as by the Association, 

 by the members, and make that price 

 the minimum price, and if any member 

 can get a higher price let the Associ- 

 ation give its approval. Have the 

 members joining the Association pro- 

 duce the best honey; blow your own 

 horns; convince the people that they 

 cannot buy any better honey, and the 

 approval of the Association of tihe 

 honey I believe would sell it. 



Mr. Hatch — ^I think he ought to tell 

 that secret^ — 'how to get that extra 

 price. 



Mr. York — Mr. Hatch thinks you 

 would better tell us the secret — how 

 you get that better price — how you do 

 it; I think it is probably through adver- 

 tising! 



Mr. Member — No, I don't know; of 

 course I sell direct to the consumer, 

 and all printed matter that I use reads 

 "Producer of dhoice honey sold directly 

 to the consumer," and the consumers 

 know that I produce choice honey, be- 

 cause I get their orders pretty regular- 

 ly; I simply ask that price. There are 

 lots of people who are willing to pay 

 a good price for a good article, and if 

 you a&k a lower price they will not pay 

 you a better one; you cannot then get 

 a higher price should you want to; if 

 you want to get a good price you have 

 to ask it. I am charging this year l%c 

 a pound higher than last year; I have 

 shipped forty orders more by express 

 than I did last year, up to date. I have 

 shipped quite a lot to Chicago; I ship 

 it all over the country by freight. 



A member^When you add 1% cents, 

 what price would this make? 



Mr. Ahlers — 'Lowest price is 11% 

 cents a pound if you take 60 pounds, 

 and 12 cents a pound for a 10-pound 

 lard pail of honey; I use the Dadant 

 pail. Shipped by express, 13 pounds, 

 12 cents; or 11% cents for 25 pounds 

 f. o. b. cars, andJ less than 60' pounds, 

 freight, % cent higher. It should have 

 been % cent higher. 



A member — I would like to know 

 how you find your customers — I don't 

 want to sell to any of them. 



