STATE PEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 93 



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inspection work, that it was too big a task with the other 

 cares that I have, and that I would resign and ask the Board 

 to put in somebody else. There's a great deal to do; there 

 is going to be a great deal more to do ; and although the dues 

 have been reduced from a dollar to 50 cents on the larger ' 



portion of members, the aggregate is going to keep our treas- 

 ury sufficient so that it will mean capital behind it, and I 

 hope for success for the National. vr 



N. E. France. ~ . 



Mr. Niver — I wish to point out a circumstance that oc- 

 curred to me with this button. The other day I went to 

 deliver a package of honey to a lady, and she said, "Wait. Are 

 you a member of the union? If you are a union member I will 

 take the honey, but if you are not a member of the union, 

 I will not take the goods." I said, "I am," pointing to my 

 Association button! She paid for the honey, and I have the 

 button. 



Mr. Craven — I wish to ask whether there has been any 

 move toward the organizing of the National Bee- Keepers' 

 Association in a commercial way, that is. the pooling of our 

 interests in the honey markets, and whether they have taken 

 into consideration the markets, like the citrus fruit agency of 

 California. 



Mr. France — At the National Convention, Prof. Cook 

 gave us a most excellent lecture on that subject, which is 

 possibly an opening wedge, but the Association has not 

 taken up that matter as yet in a way that we are in shape. 



A Member — They have not thought of taking it up yet. 

 have they? . ! :. 



Mr. France — Oh, various members and societies have 

 thousrht of it and suggested it, but we have not as yet gotten 

 into a practically working situation. For instance, the Cali- 

 fornia Honey-Producers' Association, then in Colorado and 

 the various States — they must develop something in their own . : - 



districts practical to their localities, and finally they will ad- 

 just themselves into the National. I do not think it would 

 be wise for the National to undertake it any other way. I I. 



would say, however, right on that same line, that if the 

 various associations would refer the matter of marketing 

 their honey to the General Manager of the Association he 

 might make a suggestion. For instance, one locality has an 

 abundance of honey and another has little or none. I have 

 thought that it would be a very good policy if the members 

 of the Association could know, each sprine and fall, about 

 what the markets are, where there is a surplus, and inform 

 one another, and avoid, if possible, this overloading some C 



localities and others going short. 



A Member — Mr. France, have you thought of collecting 

 reports of the honey-production of the different parts of the 

 country, and issuing it as a National report to the members, 

 or issuing an official statement through the bee-papers? 



Mr. France — I wanted to get before the members of the 

 Association early the fact that there were parts of the coun- 

 try expecting a good crop, and a great deal expecting a poor 



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