ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS ASSOCIATION 



6i 



men together and there will be more 

 action. Now I want to hear other re- 

 marks. 



Mr. Victor— It may not be in order, 

 but I think there are other questions in 

 regard to transportation that ought to 

 come up before we settle this. For in- 

 stance, I understand there is a question 

 in regard to rates on bees, and on 

 comb arid extracted honey, and the rate 

 on bees ought to be considered gen- 

 erally. 



Pres. Dadant — This is a matter of 

 importance. The Secretary will read 

 another question on the matter of rates 

 on bees, and we can include this be- 

 fore we dismiss the matter. 



FREIGHT RATES ON BEES. 



"Freight rates on bees from Texas 

 and other states are so very high, Is 

 there any help from the National Bee-- 

 Keepers' Association ?" 



Mr. Bacon — The existing high freight- 

 rates are due to the negHgence of the 

 majority of the honey-producers. These 

 railroad men are not familiar with the 

 production of honey. The best thing is 

 to get your statistics together and show 

 them; get some samples of the ship- 

 ments of honey from your different 

 colonies in Texas, and show them where 

 it will be to their business interest 

 to make the rates lower, so they will 

 figure on this, and, consequently, the 

 shipments will be larger, and this will 

 put some more money into their pockets. 

 These railroads are, as I said, divided 

 into three classifications. First, I would 

 suggest, take the Classification Commit- 

 tee that would cover the greatest move- 

 ment of honey. First, I would say the 

 Western Classification; and if you suc- 

 ceed, then go to the Southern and East- 

 ern Classification, and state that you 

 have got this from the Western ; that 

 will be very influential. If you will go 

 before them in a business-like way, and 

 put the matter before them, they will 

 give you just as cheap rates as they 

 can. I went down to St. Louis last 

 year and got them to reduce the rates 

 to the 6th, which got our rate down 

 one-third, so that we can ship to-day 

 into these Southern States for two-thirds 

 of what we used to. I went down there 

 with my boxes and samples, and I told 

 them the amount of honey that had been 

 shipped out of a certain place in Texas, 

 and these men opened their eyes; and 



I told them what the honey industry 

 was in the South, and they responded. 



Mr. Stone — I believe in all of this 

 discussion, that any committee that we 

 will appoint along this line will do us 

 no good until we begin at the other 

 end, and we learn from our General 

 Manager that the trouble was soon 

 gotten over when they got to the 5-gal- 

 lon cans in a case together, and then 

 it had to be iron-bound, and they got 

 their rates. Now, we will never get 

 rates on comb honey until the bee- 

 keepers begin to do their part. I know 

 men shipping comb honey to customers 

 200 or 300 miles, and they just ship 

 it in 12 or 24-.pound cases with the glass 

 exposed, and not put together ; but you 

 pack your cases in a good box, about as 

 heavy as two men want to handle them, 

 then lay handles clear across the sides; 

 and if the bee-keepers will do this they 

 will have no trouble in getting these 

 rates; we will get them for the ask- 

 ing. This is my experience. I have 

 heard railroad men say that men will 

 break the glass and eat the honey, and 

 we will have to pay for it. I believe the 

 trouble all lies with the bee-keeper in 

 the manner he ships his honey. 



Mr. Anderson — ^You are getting pretty 

 close to me now. Why are we members 

 of the National Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion ? We figure it like this : Because 

 in unity we think there is strength. We 

 think through the united efforts of the 

 bee-keepers of the United States results 

 can be accomplished for the good of 

 the honey-producers of the United 

 States. Now, for instance, Mr. Muth, I 

 understand, says that the Lord gives 

 help to those who help themselves. 

 The good efforts of Mr. Toepperwein 

 did not reach us all; we did not think 

 that we would have to pay full fare 

 to get down here, and when I asked for 

 rates they said, "We have heard nothing 

 from the National Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation." Now, then, we have a good 

 country in the North for producing 

 honey, and there are good localities in 

 the South for the bees, but when we 

 have to pay $450 to transport a car of 

 bees there, we cannot afford to buy or 

 sell them, when you can obtain a car 

 to transport horses and other live stock 

 for $150. I know that through the 

 united efforts of the Association, through 

 the Manager, we can obtain better re- 

 sults. Now, I don't want to encour- 

 age all the bee-keepers in the South to 



