ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



93 



Bee-Keepers' Association; several states 

 have followed New York. Some of the 

 individual men, who belong to the Na- 

 tional, still retain themselves in the As- 

 sociation, and several of the members 

 have withdrawn. These men have been 

 members of the National, and many of 

 them will become members as soon as 

 this thing is to be voted upon and they 

 have a chance to vote. Therefore, I 

 am in favor of passing- these resolu- 

 tions in order to give them an oppor- 

 tunity. I think that these men should 

 be allowed to have their say. The claim 

 is made that these various interests that 

 are specified control the National Bee- 

 Keepers' Association for their own in- 

 terests. These resolutions, if carried, 

 will exclude from office the persons 

 mentioned. At any rate, if these reso- 

 lutions are approved, and it is put to a 

 vote by the General Manager, we will 

 have an opportunity to know what the 

 people think about it. Pennsylvania 

 passed a resolution to withdraw, but 

 can not do so consistently. Pennsyl- 

 vania is growing at a very rapid rate in 

 bee-keeping affairs. If these resolu- 

 tions are passed, I feel sure that this 

 Association will not withdraw. New 

 Jersey has withdrawn. Massachusetts 

 is represented by a few members, but 

 they have two societies that will join 

 as soon as it is passed. 



Pres. Dadant — According to the rules, 

 it will be necessary for them to be 

 passed upon and approved. It seems 

 to me that if these people are as weak 

 as they are represented to be, they 

 should give in; if they are strong, we 

 should give in. We are in a country 

 where the minority give in to the ma- 

 jority, an-d that is what makes us great. 



Dr. Bohrer — That being the case, I 

 shall not object to their going before 

 the National Association. I want to 

 be at the next National meeting, and 

 help kill the resolutions so dead that 

 they will never be brought to the front 

 any more. 



Mr. Stone — I don't see where the fight 

 is; I don't see anything they have to 

 fight. Who are the directors, are they 

 all dealers or editors? 



Dr. Bohrer — They would be practi- 

 cally disfratKhised. 



Mr. Stone — I know of several, and 1 

 don't know of any that are supply deal- 

 ers or editors; but I don't see any- 

 thing for us to fight, and as far as that 

 is concerned, I would feel about it like 



voting out all the agricultural papers 

 and all the implement dealers; if I 

 voted them out I would quit fanning. 

 If the bee-supply dealers, editors, etc., 

 were voted out I would quit bee-keep- 

 ing. 



Mr. Rankin — I have been through the 

 West a good deal, in California especial- 

 ly, and this dissatisfaction exists there 

 to a certain extent. There are some 

 who think an injustice has been done, 

 and by giving them this opportunity this 

 will square them. If you give in and 

 do this, the next year they will deny 

 that they ever said it. It seems to me 

 that it is a safe proposition, that the 

 National can not help but win out on. 

 I don't want this Association to divide 

 the States, I want to help the National, 

 because it can not win any other way. 

 For instance, the Fruit Association is 

 composed of fruit-growers; a dealer 

 would not have a voice in these mat- 

 ters. I call attention to the fact that 

 the members in these dissatisfied States 

 do not represent the bee-keepers of 

 those States, nor do they represent the 

 bee-keepers' associations. 



Mr. York — I notice in the list of offi- 

 cers of this Association that there are 

 some supply-dealers. It is too bad they 

 are in, but how did they get in? Mr. 

 Dadant did not do any political work 

 to get in — he was simply elected by 

 the membership of the Association. 

 There are only a few that are dealers 

 or editors. I have been in office my- 

 self, but I never did anything to get 

 in, and I certainly did not vote for my- 

 self. Of course, it is too bad I am 

 the Acting Secretary now. Really I 

 don't see any sense in the opposition. 



Mr. Kimmey — Will the next annual 

 meeting have a chance to pass upon it? 



Pres. Dadant — The Constitution calls 

 for a 45 days' notice. Therefore, if 

 we do not pass this, that would be put- 

 ting oflf a chance for these people to 

 get a hearing, while if we put it before 

 them to-day, they can still have an- 

 other chance to vote upon it at the 

 election. We are giving you a chance 

 to vote upon the amendment to our 

 Constitution. One thing I think the 

 members are forgetting, that we are 

 not supposed to exclude anybody from 

 membership. I expect to remain a 

 member, but I expect to keep out of 

 office. I would be much disappointed 

 if you did not favor these resolutions 

 to-day; it would look as if we were 



