1917
Mr WB Bray took over the duties of Editor and Executive Secretary early in 1917. In an editorial in April, he spoke against the practice of tolerating American foulbrood levels in commercial bee businesses, saying “We are inclined to think that the greatest problem the inspectors have to face now is getting the frame-hive beekeeper to give up tinkering with disease and tackle the problem of eradication in a whole-hearted way…The man who has had foul-brood and has eradicated it, not merely kept it down, is the best authority…There are districts that have been cleaned up, and have remained clean so far, and we cannot see why these districts cannot be extended, so that the inspectors gradually have less and less ground to cover.”
By early 1917 there appeared to be some problems in obtaining shipping space for honey to England, but the B & D continued to receive honey into grade stores to hold until shipping could be obtained. With sugar under control in England honey prices soared, and the HPA payed out as high as 8 1/3 pence per pound late in 1917.
The HPA was in the process of extending its activities further with the acquisition of a manufacturing plant, the Alliance Box Company’s business in Dunedin. In dividing the profits of the HPA, all profits are pooled. If a trading surplus resulted from such things as was, bees supplies and other lines, it was used to improve the payout for honey. The turnover of the company had increased from £2,000 in 1914, to £6,700, to £8,600 in 1916. It expected the 1917 turnover to reach £12,000. Subscribed capital at the end of 1916 was £3,112, and had been increased to £3,000 by April of 1917, with over 50 new shareholders since the end of 1916.
By early 1917 the NBA had still not been registered under the Unclassified Societies Act, as the Registrar refused to register the Association. He objected to the reference to Branches in the constitution.
In March the Journal commented on the fact that the Department of Agriculture had provided one of the apiary instructors with a “five-seater motor car”. The extravagance went against economical grain of the Editor, who commented that a two-seater would have been large enough.
The Apiaries Division took direct control of the Ruakura Apiary, with a manager appointed to conduct a programme of practical experiments and demonstrations.
The crop for the year was estimated at 1,250 tons, with a value of £60,000 (at 5d per pound). Prices for export had advanced so that £70 per ton was guaranteed for honey of A grade and light amber B grade. The HPA was advancing 4 3/4 d per pound on those two grades.
The fourth Annual General Meeting of the NBA and the Annual Conference of the beekeepers of the Dominion was opened in Edmanson’s Hall In Wellington on 6 June 1917, with Mr J Rentoul in the chair. Mr WB Bray, the Secretary, had been called up to military camp just a week before Conference, and had not been able to complete all the arrangements for the meetings. The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture Mr FS Pope opened the proceedings.
Mr J Allen of Southland proposed a change to the export regulations to allow for the export of granulated honey in boxes similar to butter. He had been using white pine and kauri boxes for six years for the Dunedin market and had found them to be equal in quality but cheaper than tin. The box would hold 64 pounds of honey, and it was suggested that the honey could be cut into ‘pats’ and sold wrapped in parchment as Mr Allen was doing for his markets.
Once again Conference called for the registration of apiaries to be brought into force. A delegation of beekeepers to the Director of Horticulture on the last day of Conference reported that he felt favourable to the idea and proposed to require bees to be registered by July 31 and every three years thereafter.
The Government provided a pound for pound subsidy to the Association for subscriptions paid by members, resulting in total income for the year of £290 18 6.
Elections resulted in a new NBA President following the retirement of Mr Rentoul, Mr WE Barker (Rangitata), with Mr HW Gilling (Hawera) elected as Vice President. Executive members were Mr RH Nelson (Martinborough) Mr EW Sage (Ohaupo), Mr J Rentoul (Cheviot) and Mr RW Brickell (Dunedin). Mr FC Baines (Katikati) became Secretary/Treasurer and Editor of the magazine.
At the conclusion of the war the stocks where shipped to England (Avonsmouth, the modernised port in Bristol promoted by the B and D). In the meantime, however, the sales of (cheaper) Australian and Californiana honey and corn syrup and the like had created a consumer resistance. This combined with a reduced buying power immediately after the war to create an unanticipated situation. Some of the NZ honey in store had fermentation problems, as well, later blamed on tiny splits at the corners in the tops of the tins being used.
The Bristol and Dominion Producers’ Association Ltd went into liquidation, still holding considerable stocks of Association honey. The HPA then had two season’s honey in stock and an overseas market with low consumption due to poor quality honey put on the market during the war, stocks of which were still held by the retailers at prices around 3/6 per pound.