NATIONAL BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14830, 22 November 1913, Page 4

NATIONAL BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION.

— 0 ■ MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. A meeting of the executive" of the National Beekeepers' Association was held yesterday. Present: —The president, Mr J. Allan (Wvndham), in the chair, and Messrs H. Giliing (Taranaki), S. Hutchinson (Waikato), A. lrelanci (Canterbury), and K. .W. Bnckell (Dunedin)." The secretary reported that the sum of £6S had been received in subscriptions, making" an increase of neany £200. Since the conference, the Government had given effect to the requests of the conference. At tho request of the executive, a new departure in land administration had taken place, in that tho Lands Department had been instructed to reserve a number of tenaero blocks for apiary sites; theso would be available for beekeepers who wished to commence or extend holdings. At tho present time three blocks were boing surveyed and examined. A set of rules had "been adopted, which had been prepared for the guidance of honey producers in preparing honey for export, and containing detailed instructions as to the handling of the honey from the earliest to the final processes. The Agricultural Department had been asked to place houey on the same footing as other produce, and to provide one grading and receiving store for honey in each port or centre, and to undertake the grading, branding, etc., at a fixed price, as is now tho case with butter and cheese.

Tho Government grade note came in for a good deal of discussion. It was decided to ask the Department to adopt the note which conforms to the English standard of classification. In order to create a market at Home, enquiries are to be made through the. Agricultural Department and tho High Commissioner's office as to tho methods to bo employed to have New Zealand honey shown" at the London Dairy Show and Grocers'. Exhibition. It is hoped that tho embargo at present existing on New Zealand honey, which is classed as foreign and cannot bo entered lor exhibition, will be removed. During last season tho High Commissioner exercised general supervision over some- consignments of honey to the London market. It was pointed out that Waikato honey was supervised last veiir by this office, and it was a significant fact that this honoy topped the market, at £46 10s per ton. The question of finance and of the soleciion of one form of honoy handling for all New Zealand was left ovor for future discussion. It was felt that "with tho comparatively small export now offering it was inadvisable to have more than on© firm. Soveral firms have offered, if they can got the whole of the oxport of New .Zealand honey, to place a man in England specially for the purposo of getting behind the brokers ring and of finding tho best markets for tho various qualities of honey which arc' produced in tho various parts of the country. If the export is split up, however, between a number of hrms, it would not be worth whilo to take any trouble with it. It had been intended to have a conference between tho executive of the National Association and that of the Canterbury Association, but owing to a misunderstanding: the latter executive had unfortunately not attended. It was decided to issuo tho set x>l rules adopted and the export regulations to every.-, beekeeper in tho Dominion. - . . '.. , it " Tho meeting! closed with a voto or thanks to the chair. •