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4A FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT 



A TALK ON FOUL BROOD AHONQ BEES. 



Mr. France — I am here to help j^ou in your legislative 

 problem. Conditions are much different here, and I don't 

 know how to approach the financial part. When I was sent 

 by our Association to ask for our Bill, the first thing that 

 confronted me was, "How many bee-keepers are there in 

 the State?" I don't know. And we had to confess to the 

 Legislative Committee we didn't know. "Give us an estim- 

 ate. What does the bee-business amount to in your state, 

 anyhow?" We had nothing to show, and they said, "What 

 are you asking for money for, if you don't know your own 

 business?" They moved indefinite postponement, and we 

 were turned down for two years. Get facts ! 



Two years later we came again. Same problem on the 

 start. "How many bee-keepers have you got in the State?" 

 There are 10,500 bee-keepers who are voters and tax-payers, 

 and who by their votes helped to send you here. They are the 

 ones asking for their respective rights. Suppose you had all 

 the honey for one year in your State put together, what 

 would it amount to ? It would be 150 car-loads. K in 4 1-4 

 by 4 1-4 pound section boxes, and boxes touching, they would 

 form a walk of comb honey from Madison to Milwaukee and 

 back, or a distance of 150 miles. Then I took the State map 

 and drew a line across it representing the valuation of the 

 honey product, compared with other agricultural products. 

 It became interesting, and at the close the committee report- 

 ed in our favor. Another committee was to be heard from 

 in a few days and we thought everything was nice, but, alas ! 

 we met a new problem. When I went before the committee 

 the Chairman was sick, and the temporary chairman was 

 opposed to the Bill. He made light of it when the Bill was 

 called up for consideration. He did not know whether it 

 was bees, flies, bed-bugs or what, but said, "as the majority of 

 the committee is here, I guess we can 'do this man up'." I 

 was asking in behalf of the State organization of bee-keepers, 

 delegated by them as a committee of one. I did not want to 

 plead before that committee with this chairman opposed to it. 

 After considerable time pleading to have its continuance they 

 were going to move for indefinite postponement. My last 

 dying chance. I said, "Gentlemen, if you vote on this Bill, 

 I ask a copy of every man's ballot which way you vote. I, 

 and the bee-keepers, who helped to send you here, want to 

 know iiow every man on this committee stands." If you want 

 to hit a politician ask him how he votes. 



I went immediately from that committee room to the 

 hotel, and from a list of the Wisconsin bee-keepers I wrote to 

 all tlic bee-keepers in the county from the district, of the 

 temporary chairman who was opposed to the Bill. When I 

 went back the next week the chairman was there with the 

 temporary chairman, and he said, "France, did you ever go 

 to a revival meeting?" "Yes, sir." Well, I am converted. 

 Hew did you get all the bee-keepers of my county down to 



