BEEKEEPERS IN CONFERENCE

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14368, 21 May 1920, Page 5

BEEKEEPERS IN CONFERENCE

STAMPING OUT FCUI. BROOD. NEED FOR MORE INSPECTORS. RESTRICTION UN IMPORTS. The annual meeting of the Auckland Provincial Branch of the National Beekeepers' Association was held al. Hamilton yesterday. There were about 2a delegates present, Mr E. W. Sage (president) occupying the chair. Mr Sage said he was glad lo see a number of new faces, which showed increasing interest in the affairs of Lne Association. He regretted the absence of Mr Westbrook, Government Inspector, as he thought the Association was entitled to a little information from tin' Department on the steps laken to eradicate foul brood, a disease which was causing beekeepers a good ileal of loss. The speaker mentioned thai £6 had been received from the National Association from the subsidy granted by the Government for organising expenses. Mr Sage remarked that he was sorry Mr Hutchinson was not present and Unit that gentleman should have seen 111 lo drop his connection with the Association. II was rather a pity that the sunbranch at Papaknra had lapsed owing lo the secretary leaving the district, and he thought that an effort should b;i made to revive it during the coming season. The secretary (Mr A. H. Davis) complained that while tlie fruitgrowers were able to get Government assistance in the way of loans for building stores and for other works in connection with organising the industry, the honey producers could get nothing. Mr J. A. Young, M.P., had approached the Minister of Agriculture ;n lie matter who had replied lo the -ffect that the Department was in sympathy with the proposal that bcekeiepers should, be granted similar facilities for . raising loans to those granted for the fruitgrowers under the Fruit Preserving Industry Act, but no legislative sanction for such a course existed. In view of the absence of legislative authority he thought the Honey Producers' Association must look to the banks for assistance to build the proposed store at Timaru. Nothing, aI. anyrate. could be done in the way of legislation until next session. It was decided to thank Mr Yuung for the interest he had shown in the industry. Need fop Organisation. Mr Sage dwell upon the peed for organisation if the district was to succeed. The subscriptions were lower this year than they had been tor a long time, and he appealed lo members to pay up early in the. year in order to enable the work to be carried on. A branch had been formed in Auckland and there was ample scope for a subbranch in North Auckland. There was plenty of room fororganisation through.out the province, as the membership of the Provincial branch wis very low compared with the number of beekeepers. The annual report stated thai the past year had been a rather disappointing one for beekeepers, the honey crop throughout, the province being the lowest for many years. This was largely due to the drought in the early part of the season. This, together with the slump in the market with the closing of hostilities, had made the lot of the beekeeper anything but. a pleasant one. The indications were that the market would gradually recover itself, and they looked forward to the future with brightened hopes. The sub-branches, with the exception of the one in the Low r er Waikato, were hi a healthy state. The annual field day was- again held at Ruakura and proved, as formerly, a marked success. The balancesheet again showed a surplus, although smaller than last year, chiefly on account of the heavier expenses of the field day, secretary's salary and the money spent in the starting of a library. The membership was not nearly what it should he. At present the roil stood at fifty financial members. Tins was ridiculously low for the number of beekeepers in the province. It behoved a!i members to induce beekepcrs to Join up. for it was only by having a vigorous association that they could hope to maintain their position and to make the Industry better for those engaged in it. After a good deal of correspondence with the Department the Association had been fortunate in geltiiur Mr Goodin placed on the permanent, inspection staff and Mr Young appointed an inspector, but the Department had seen fit lo transfer the latter gentleman to Christchurch. They hoped to see him reappointed lo Auckland soon. The balanee-sheet showed total receipts at £55 2s, with a credit balance of £3. Fees for the "8mall" Men. Various'sub-provincial delegates reported, on the working of their branches, which showed thai the interest was not exhibited in the work of tfie Association that was desired. Ail were agreed that some more rigorous policy should be adopted for stamping out foul brood and one delegr.le favoured moving for legislation lo prohibit the importation of Australian queens, which were said to be suffering from Isle of Wight disease. The question of the fees chargeable to the 'small men"iwas raided, as it was pointed out that keepers with one or two hives regarded the subscription of five shillings too high. There were otlters who'considered lint if the small men were interested in the industry d all a few shillings was neither here nor there. After some discussion it was decid s I lo take no action in the matter, a motion that, an addition to the call be made of 2s (id for up to five hives being lost. A suggestion was received from the Te Aroha branch that, the Government should be impose a registration fee of 5s annually on all beekeepers with one or more colonies, the fee to be devoted to the control "f disease. The Te Aroha delegates said .there were a large number of small beekeepers in the Te Aroha distr.rts. who had no intention of becoming commercial ke#m>rs, but who were content to get a fe,w pounds of honey for themselves and their friends. These people took no steps to keep down foul brood, an,d were a menace to the industry. 'One delegate slated that it cost him upwards of £-40 lasl year lo keep down the foul brood which had spread to his hives from the bees of other colonies. Mr Smedley believed the imposition of an additional fee would kill tjie small men altogether, and might seriousy injure the industry. Isle of Wight Disease. Mr Sage said that machinery existed for the stamping out, of foul brood, .hut there were not sufficient inspectors to put it into operation. The speaker had urged for some time that a certificate of health should be compulsory before bees were allowed to be transferred from one district, to another. 11, was generally agreed that a stricter enforcement of the Foul Brood Act would meet the position. Mr A. 11. Davis (secretary) urged tpe appointment of additional inspectors. It was useless lo Iry and stamp mil Ihe disease withoul them, anil one fur a district Ihe size of Auckland was absolutely. Inadequale. Mr Jones Pirongial urged Ihe mosl strenuous efforts on Ihe pad of the delegates lo ihe conference to keep Isle of Wighl disease out of l!i i Dominion. The speaker also suggeste 1 amalgamation of the dislrict wilti Dairy Farmers' Unions.

Mr Davis said they wanted a man at the head of the industry who understood bees. At present Mr Kirk was in that position, but he understood little about bees, and simply referred apiary matters to one of his inspectors. Mr Sage said there were some districts that had not seen an inspector for five years. Mr Pearson thought that if a chief apiarist was to be appointed lie should be recommended by the Beekeepers' Associations throughout >\ T ew Zealand. Mr Sage said lie very inuen doubted whether there was a man in New Zealand at the present time capable of lining the position of chief apiarist. It might be necessary to import one. The question was asked whether it would be better to have more inspectors or a chief apiarist. If was decided to recommend to the National Conference that a ch'ef apiarist and additional inspectors be appointed and that the system-of grading should be so altered as to relieve the inspectors, giving them more time lo devote to inspection work. Mr Davis declared that the Government were not, helping the beekeepers to anything like the extent it should in the way of organisation the arrangement of markets and the freighting of produce. At present beekeepers were paying twice as much to send their honey from Hamilton to Auckland as any other farm produce.. A recommendation from the Te Aroha branch was moved to the, effect that a uniform system of judging at shows throughout the Dominion he introduced, whether in liquid, granulated or comb form, and also bees-wax, and that tickets similar to those in use in New South Wales be printed and supplied to the National Association for u. ; ;e at shows. No action was taken. Romlts to Conference. Mr Stewart moved that it be a recommendation* to the National Conference that the Government he urged to prohibit the importation of honey and used appliances from any country where Isle of Wight disease is known to exist. The motion was carried. It, was decided also to forward trie following remits to the National Conference: —"That the Foul Brood Act be so amended that it will be unlawful for any person to remove be;;, hives or appliances from one district to another without having first obtained a certificate of health" from a Government inspector, the penalty for a breach to be substantial." "That all auctioneering firms be given written notice by the Department that they shall not put up by auction any bees, hives or appliances unless the owner has first obtained and presented to the auctioneer a certitlcat i of health signed,by a Government inspector, the penalty for a breach to :>o substantial?" The following officers were elected: -—President, Mr E. W. Sage; vicepresident, Mr G. Smedley; secretary and treasurer, Mr A. 11. Davis; committee, Messrs Horn, Grainger, Peavson, Forsythe, Copsey, Gresharn, Stewart, Banks and .lones. Mr E. W. Sage was appointed delegate to tin; National Conference to be held in Christehureh in June, and Mr A. H. Davis was appointed representative of the Association on the National Executive.