BEEKEEPERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10613, 11 June 1920, Page 6

BEEKEEPERS

CHRISTCHURCH" CONFERENCE.. THE RAVAGES OF FOUL BROOD. *PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION. ' CmUbTCaURUH, Jun o 10. liio- BcekeepcrsA Conference to-day jiasscd - a -Jesoinuon ; —- “Tnat the Apiaries Act, as at present administered, nas not accomplisiitd the primary object lor which it was placed upon the Statute Book. ■ it is certain that" foul brood, the scourge that costs the' beekeeping iuausuy thousands in an .attempt ..to.ppra.bat it. is rapidly eu a largo measure to the understathng of the department which has to administer the Act. The annual loss in capital and production due to tho ravages of this disease runs into many thousands of pounds. This conference submitshhat, in view of the necessity - for -- inurcased production, the Joss mentioned-is a national one, and' all- reasonabie-mcans must bo taken to stop tho loss; We submit, nay, more,, .we .demand as a right, that the provisions the. Apiaries Act shall be immediately put. into force; mat a chief apiaries instructor bo appuuued whose duty shall bo to see that the AJct is carried out; that a sufficient number of field Officers bo appointed to assist him in carrying out ms uu.:-. and that ■■the-sole'duties of these field officers shaft - be’the enuunauun oi um, disease in the district to which they are appointed.” Conference also decided to request the Government to place an annual tax of £1 on each person keeping bees in the Dominion, such tax to be used in the payment of additional inspectors for tho prevention of foul brood and for departmental and instructional purposes.