42 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT 



I hope you will have as good a law as Missouri will have 

 by next spring, but your inspector must have authority. I 

 went to an apiary and when the man found they were in- 

 fected he wrote for me to come at once. I said, "Are there 

 any other bees near you?" There was another apiary in sight. 

 "Well, let us go over there." I went over there and saw a 

 young man just coming from the field. "Are these bees 

 yours?" "Yes, sir." "May I look at them?" I said I was 

 the State Inspector, sent there by order from the Governor, 

 to see if the bees are healthy. "I don't care," he replied. I 

 looked for something to burn in the smoker. Saw a straw- 

 pile near and started to the straw-stack. I lighted the straw 

 in my smoker and started to the hive. The boy looked on. 

 Soon from some place nearby a man came and said, "Here 

 what are you doing in here? You get out of here and leave 

 the premises right quick." Well, it startled me. I said, "I 

 beg your pardon, are these hives and bees yours?" "Yes 

 sir." "You get off the premises !" "Under what conditions 

 do you want me to leave? I am State Inspector of Bees." 

 "I don't care; you get off right away." 



I simply turned to my Bulletin No. 2, and said, "Allow 

 me to read you this page, and I will get off without any 

 trouble :" 



"If anyone refuses to allow the Inspector of Apiaries to 

 inspect such apiary when necessary, he shall become liable 

 to a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $100, or be im- 

 prisoned in the county jail not less than one month or more 

 than two months." 



When I returned in a few days the man was in the gran- 

 ary. They had sold a car-load of oats and were sacking 

 them. When I got to the granary door a large dog met me 

 and kept me from going further, and while I was petting the 

 dog the man came to the door to see what the dog was 

 barking about and, without speaking to me, called his sons, 

 who were in the yard. I had been warned to take a marshal 

 with me. I said, "I have the authority and power of sheriff ; 

 I don't anticipate any trouble ; I will go around a long way 

 before I will fight." I did not know what he meant by get- 

 ting two big boys, but he said, "You help this man here sack 

 oats ; that bee-inspector is here." 



He came down and pulled off his coat and I wondered 

 what was coming. He said, "Mr. France, I owe you an 

 apology. I was a little too fast the other day. Let us look at 

 the bees." We looked over the- bees to his satisfaction and 

 mine, did what was necessary to do, and then he took me to 

 a train that I might go home, and asked me to come again, 

 and stay over night. Now, without the power to inspect, 

 your inspector is not in a condition to do much good. If 

 Illinois inspectors were ordered off the premises they would 

 have to go. If he were allowed to inspect and give instruc- 

 tions on how to treat the bees, some people would promise 

 that they would follow his instructions, but after he is gone 

 they don't do it. You want your law changed. What would 

 you do with your Health Commissioners at large, if they were 



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