PLAINS BEEKEEPERS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4344, 18 November 1921, Page 1

PLAINS BEEKEEPERS.

MEETING AT NGATEA. A meeting of the Hauraki Plains Beekeepers’ Association was held on Wednesday at Ngatea, Mr J. Schmidt presiding over a flair attendance. Mr T. R. Abbott was elected secretary pro tem. Mr Schmidt explained that the association had been asked to discuss some questions which were to be brought before the annual conference. A FIGHTING FUND. Mr Schmidt said the establishment of a fighting fund had been mooted. I.t was proposed to levy a voluntary contribution of is per apiary per year to establish a fund to help subscribe ers in law suits in connection with the. industry. There were favourable expressions of opinion regarding the voluntary fighting fund, and a resolution waspassed accordingly. VOTING POWERS.

Regarding the proposal to reform the constitution of the N.Z. Association, Mi; Hutchinson said that under the old constitution a man with only a few hives had as much voting power as a man with a large number. Though he recognised that the small man of to-day may be the commercial man of to-morrow, he thought the proposed new system would be more suitable.

The meeting unanimously agreed "with the proposed alteration. REGISTRATION OF APIARIES. Mr Schmidt, with reference to a proposal by the Dominion Executive regarding the registration fee -?f apiaries, read an extract from.' the N.Z. Beekeepers’ Journal as follows: “The executive, after discussion with the Director-General of the Department of Agriculture (Dr. Reakes) and the Director of the horticultural division (Mr J. A. Campbell), decided that the proposals for this fee fee modified as follows : That all owners of three colonies of bees and under be exempt from taxation, but not from registration. That the following registration fees are suggested: Up to 10 colonies 5s per year; 11 to ,25 colonies 10s per year; 26 to 50 ' colonies 15s per year; 51 to 75 colonies 20s per year; 76 to 100 coloniss 25s per year. An additional 10s for I each 50 or portion thereof above 100.” | Though the meeting was not unanimously in favour of the principle of I the taxation, a motion was passed i supporting the proposal of the executive. ; RULES. The Hauraki Plains Association, having only been re'cently formed, no definite rules had been drawn up, and as it was essential for the association to work under a set of rules, it was decided to obtain the rules of a kindred body and formulate rules accotd- ! ihgly.