STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 43 



not in a position to enforce the law? You need the author- 

 ity, but the question is, how are you going to get it? By 

 cooperation. Lock hands together by uniting all local asso- 

 ciations in Illinois with the Illinois State Association; let us 

 have a plan to work with for that purpose and get your needs. 

 But one word of caution : Get your inspector well backed 

 with authority. 



They changed our law in Wisconsin by a vote of 62 to 8 

 to grant our additional fund, from $500° to $700 per year. We 

 have the capitol to rebuild and other bills to meet this winter. 

 You know the conditions existing in your State, but the 

 thing you must have this winter, is the backed authority of 

 an inspector, and enough of them to cover the district. Too 

 long a term of few officers won't accomplish work like an 

 army of them on shorter terms. Wisconsin, Utah, California, 

 Colorado, Nebraska and Minnesota are some of the States 

 that have foul-brood laws. This winter I expect to go to 

 Pennsylvania to aid them. They met at Harrisburg, Pa., Dec. 

 G and 7. We need an inspector just as we need a State 

 vetejinarian to look after the health of the farm-stock. I 

 believe it is your right to have an inspector, and I believe 

 you can get it if you ask for it. Do Illinois beek-keepers pay 

 taxes on bees? All paying taxes on bees rise to your feet. 

 (4.) 



Mr. Black — The assessor asked me, have you any bees, 

 and how many colonies, but no valuation was placed on them, 

 and whether they were assessed I don't know. 



Mr. Coppin — They have always left bees out for me. 



Dr. Miller — We are switching off the track. Go on Mr. 

 France. 



Mr. France — The question they will ask is, "Are your 

 bees assessed, and, if so, what is the assessed valuation?" 

 There is a law in Utah that causes bees to be assessed, and 

 one in New York and Iowa that forbids bees being taxed. 

 I don't object to bees being assessed. For 27 years my home 

 apiary was assessed. I was out when the assessor came 

 last spring, and I asked him later how many colonies of bees 

 did he put down. He hadn't put down any, and before I 

 went to bed I followed him up and said, "Have you ,got my 

 bees on the roll? Well, I want them there." He was sur- 

 prised. Who ever heard of a man wanting more property 

 on the assessment blank ! Well, I want them in ; put down 

 150 colonies in the liome yard, valuation at $1.50 per hive, 

 about the average of where the receipts were running in 

 our State. 



Now here is the point : The city bee-keepers have made 

 more trouble in behalf of the law than all the rest com- 

 bined. I remember a few years ago the tax-collector said, 

 "France, you have 15 cents road tax to work out in this 

 district." I would rather pay it than work it out. I would 

 rather have bees mentioned on the assessor's books. If you 

 want the good-will of your neighbors, be good to them, and 

 you will find it will pay you to have the bees on the assess- 

 ment blank, I went before the State Board asking that it 



