1939
It was January 20, 1939, that Volume 1, Number 1 of The New Zealand Beekeeper magazine was published. Prior to that, there had been various other magazines and beekeeping publications. For a time back in the 1920s beekeeping was covered in one section of a magazine also containing poultry and other animals. In the 1930s Mr Percy A Hillary, Sir Edmund’s father, published his own magazine, the “NZ Honeybee”.
The beginning of 1939 brought a magazine “published solely in their interests”, the “Official Organ of the National Beekeepers’ Association”. The magazine was produced by the then General Secretary and now Editor, Mr Gilbert S Kirker (Pungareu, Taranaki) upon the insistence of Mr Len F Robins, the Dominion President.
Marketing was a topic at all meetings of beekeepers in 1939. Disorganised and chaotic marketing, speculation and price-cutting, compounded by widely varying crop size, had affected industry confidence and profitability.
The Chairman of the Honey Control Board had taken a proposal to the 1938 NBA Conference that received overwhelming support. The regulations brought into force by the Government would mean “…the public can be assured of getting an excellent food properly packed at a reasonable price while, by the elimination of the speculator and the price-cutter, together with the rationalizing of packing and marketing costs (including advertising) together with the rationing of internal and external markets, the producer is much more certain of getting a reasonable return for his work and skill in producing honey.” An admirable goal, indeed.
All producers of honey were obliged to contribute one half-penny per pound on all honey sold to the Internal Marketing Division. The Honey Control Board was reconstituted to act in an advisory capacity to the Minister of Marketing, acting as a representative of all suppliers to the IMD. Voting for the Honey Control Board was still restricted, however, to those producers who had had honey exported, with calls being made to eliminate this anomaly.
The three previous members of the Honey Control Board (Mr JR Butland as Chairman, Mr PA Hillary and Mr W Watson) had resigned in early 1938, allowing for the appointment of the new board. That new board consisted of Mr WW Nelson as Chairman and Government representative, and Mr HR Penny and Mr LF Robins as producers’ representatives.
A call was made to have Treasury write off the £5,142/9/2 debt owed through poor trading in the past. The debt was to have been paid off in the late 1930s through annual payments, but as this had not been done, the current Honey Control Board was calling for the debt to be forgiven entirely. The General Secretary said he failed to see why “…a set of producers, who were not in the industry at the time the debt was incurred, should have their honey loaded with charges to pay thousands of pounds or even pennies off a debt for a non-existent asset”
In an introductory message for the magazine, Dominion President Mr LF Robins (also the Producer’s Representative on the NZ Honey Control Board), wrote that the Honey Control Board had provided a subsidy to make the new magazine possible. Other introductory messages came from Mr FR Picot, Director of Internal Marketing, Mr Wallace Nelson, Chairman and Government Representative on the NZ Honey Control Board and Mr WK Dallas, recently appointed Director of the Horticulture Division of the Department of Agriculture to replace Mr JA Campbell.
The General Executive at this time, early 1939, consisted of President Mr LF Robins (Temuka) who was elected for his third successive term, Vice-President Mr EA Field (Foxton), and General Executive members Mr AR Bates (Kaponga), Mr JR Barker (Auckland), Mr LK Griffin (Southland) and Mr AF McArthur (Ashburton). Mr CR Paterson had resigned during the year from the Executive to take up an appointment as an Apiary Instructor at Greymouth, with Mr McArthur appointed to the vacant position.
Membership fees were 5/- for 1-15 hives, 10/- for 16-50 hives 15/- for 51-100 hives and five shillings extra for each additional 100, with a maximum of £2.
The second journal of the New Zealand Beekeeper came out on time on 20 April 1939.
South Auckland branch, in expressing concern at the spread of American foulbrood, suggested that part-time inspectors working under the supervision of Apiary Instructors should be employed. South Auckland made a more contentious proposal that apiary sites should be licensed, limiting and protecting established beekeepers from unfair encroachment on their established sites. It was further hoped the scheme would also discourage the production of low grade honeys.
The Government announced it had decided to rebate two-thirds of the Honey Control Board’s debt, the debt that was incurred by the previous Board.
The Gore Branch put forward a resolution calling for honey prices to be fixed by the Marketing Division. In the editorial comment to the issue, Mr GS Kirker did not seem much in favour of the proposal. He pointed out the difficulties brought about by unblendable and distinctive flavoured honeys. Instead, he felt that producers should take the larger view and realise that their future was linked up with the central organisation and any move that reacts against the marketing organisation and lessens its efficiency means loss to the industry as a whole. Beekeepers’ interests in their own local packs must be of secondary consideration to the factors which might determine the success or failure of the IMD.
At this time, it was considered that a beekeeper needed to receive not less than 5d per pound in the tank for honey in order to make a reasonable living out of beekeeping. One half of the total crop in New Zealand was produced in the Auckland province and two thirds of the total crop came from the North Island.
The Dominion President, Mr LF Robins, assisted by Mr CR Paterson, Apiary Instructor, travelled through the West Coast, Nelson and Marlborough districts at the end of March 1939 to meet producers and promote the NBA.
A Convention attended by 80 beekeepers was held by the Manawatu Branch at Massey Agricultural College at Palmerston North, making use of the College Apiary.
It was noted that with the exception of the 1937 season practically no honey was imported into New Zealand in the twelve previous years. A strong feeling comes through that high prices in a season of shortage were of no real use when prices fell to a totally unpayable level when the crop was above average. The IMD was credited with stabilising prices and grades which could never have been accomplished by competitive individual selling in a disorganised market.
Mr EA Earp, Senior Apiary Instructor, retired finally on 31 July 1939. He joined the service as an Apiary Instructor in charge of Otago and Southland in 1911. In 1918 he was placed in charge of the South Island. In July 1923 he was transferred to Wellington and appointed Senior Apiary Instructor and Honey Grader for the whole of New Zealand. He had been involved in the 1914 honey grading regulations that made it compulsory for honey to be exported to be submitted for grading. He also assisted with drafting the 1913 and 1927 Apiaries Acts. He had attended the first conference of beekeepers in 1912, when the Association was formed, and had not missed a conference since. At the 1939 Conference, he was elected an Honorary Life Member in recognition of his services to the industry and the association. He was also presented with a portable wireless set at a dinner during conference.
The Conference held in Hastings in July was the twenty-sixth Annual Conference of the NBA. After the opening in a cold hall, the Mayor invited the beekeepers to transfer the conference to the Hastings Borough Council Chambers! Between fifty-five and sixty-five delegates and members attended the proceedings. The Vice-President Mr EA Field occupied the chair due to the unavoidable absence of the Dominion President after an accident involving his son, his business’ main ‘help’. Mr Field was subsequently elected Dominion President, the youngest man ever to be elected to the office. Mr Robins, who felt he required a change, remained on the General Executive after his three years as President.
Mr LK Griffin (Southland) was elected as Dominion Vice-President. The General Executive consisted of Mr JR Barber (Auckland), Mr WG Short (Manawatu), Mr LF Robins (South Canterbury) and Mr TF Penrose (Canterbury).
Prior to the fourth issue of the magazine in October 1939, the Dominion declared war, and a state of emergency existed. Members of branches were pledging to care for the bees of any member called up and not able to make private arrangements. Apart from brief mention in the editorial sections, the declaration of war received little comment in the magazine. A comment that motor spirit restrictions had not initially listed beekeeping as an essential industry indicated that it had been difficult to obtain licenses for the petrol required. The rationing of sugar, however, pointed toward an increased sales of honey, and it was hoped this would be maintained when peace was once more established and the competition of other foods that would be more plentiful than they were at the time.
A new type of extractor, the semi-radial extractor was described. The extractor drum was made particularly strong, as it was evident that rough handling was experienced in travelling from site to site (at least under Australian conditions!).