1916
Mr Cottrell, the NBA President, was not able to preside at the 1916 conference due to the necessity for a major operation. The Vice President Mr J Rentoul was in the chair in his place. One resolution called for the Department of Agriculture to enforce the registration of apiaries. The required legislation had been passed seven years before but no action had been taken in the interim. Another resolution of conference called for the registration of the Association under the Unclassified Societies’ Act and the adoption of a uniform constitution throughout the branches.
Mr J Rentoul was elected as President for the next year at the conclusion of conference, with Mr WE Barker as Vice President. Executive members were Mr HR Penney, Mr EW Sage, Mr A Ireland and Mr WB Bray. Mr RW Brickell remained as secretary, in spite of advertisements for the position that had appeared in previous magazines.
Almost every issue of the magazine described methods of ‘curing’ American foulbrood. Transferring to foundation, removing the queen, cutting out infected cells, the McEvoy, Clayton, Cotterell, Hobbs and Baldridge methods – all variations had their adherents. It is clear that foulbrood was still causing major problems to the industry, even with the reduction in the number of box hives.
In September Mr AB Trythall was placed in charge of the apiary at Ruakura Farm of Instruction. Over the next few years over 200 cadets received tuition in commerical beekeeping, including 108 returned soldiers, 20 returned nurses, 15 male civilians and 69 female civilians.
By the end of 1916 the HPA had several hundred shareholders. Honey exports to the B & D, however, fell 30 tons short of the required 100 ton minimum. Major Norton of the B & D expressed concern, but the company did not take action under the contract that it was entitled to (purchasing a quantity of honey equal to the shortage or recovering damages from the HPA). Major Norton had experienced increased costs and difficulty of obtaining glass containers for packing. In an innovative move, he substituted cardboard containers, which became preferred once the public became used to them.
Both light and dark honeys were accepted by the B & D for sale in England, with all grades realising similar prices. The lighter coloured honey was sold in the southern cities. The darker honey was sold in the north as New Zealand heather honey until the Agricultural Department stepped in to announce that there is no heather in the Dominion! “What harm could it do anyone when we call the honey obtained from the native weeds heathers, flaxes, and manukas, &c., heather honey?” the Editor of the magazine argued.
In late 1916 Mr WB Bray wrote an article for the magazine asking for ‘Co-operation’. With a small crop the previous season, he analysed, if all the honey had been sent to England the local market prices would have soared. This would have resulted in a windfall for the non-HPA members and worked against longer term market stability. He urged HPA members who received word of high local prices being offered to turn the offer over to the HPA to supply rather than filling it individually. He concluded the article “We want to ride in a motor car too some day.”
In November 1916 the Association Secretary Mr RW Brickell found it necessary to hand in his resignation as secretary owing to an early departure from the Dominion on business. A new secretary was to be appointed before the end of the year, with the position advertised at £25 per year.