1922

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Mr J Rentoul, Chairman of the HPA, announced the summary dismissal of Mr CF Ryland, the General Manager of the HPA, for “complaints of neglect of correspondence, etc”. It appeared that Mr Ryland had been instructed to buy as little as possible, make all economies possible and be very strict about extending credit.

Mr Ryland was replaced by Mr Hugh Fraser, previously secretary-accountant to the HPA.

Mr RA Spindley had been sent to England the previous June, and was still there. He had been the HPA’s auditor, and was also a provincial organiser for the National Party. His initial brief had been to identify a suitable agent to handle New Zealand’s honey, with AJ Mills and Co being suggested as most likely.

While in London Mr Spindley met up with then Prime Minister, the Rt Hon WF Massey, who was very interested in what efforts beekeepers were making to control the sale of their honey. The meeting was later credited with being the impetus for the Honey Export Control Act in 1924.

Spindley remained in England for nearly a year, arranging promotional displays and writing articles for food industry trade journals. He was also there to determine firsthand the position regarding the still unsettled claims and counterclaims related to the B & D’s liquidation. While it was not admitted at the time, the losses to producers were ultimately revealed to be about £10,000.

The Editor described a beekeeper who did not support the HPA or who competed with it while being a shareholder variously as a drone, a cheat, a traitor or a dead-beat!

Statistics provided in the April issue of the Journal help to put the industry’s growth in hives and honey production, despite a drop in beekeeper numbers, into context.

In April the HPA announced the purchased of the Alliance Box Co Ltd, previously managed by Mr RW Brickell who remained as manager of the supplies department for the HPA. The continued expansion into beekeeping supplies was seen by the HPA as a way of assisting the profitability of its shareholders. The HPA had received 422 tons of honey to date for the year. Paid up capital was just over £6,000, with about 800 shareholders. Honey exported last year was 878,455 pounds, with 266,348 pounds sold to date.

In May the Hon W Nosworthy, Minister of Agriculture, announced that the Government would not proceed with the proposed Apiary Registration Fee (as it had become known).

Mr D Franke announced an improvement of his appliance to extract thick honey. Rather than a single set of nails to stir the honey with, he developed the idea as a set of two semicircular faces from which sets of (steam heated) nails projected. Both sides of the comb were ‘pricked’ at once, with the comb drawn between the faces as the handle was operated.

The Ninth Annual Conference was held in Dunedin at the YMCA Hall from 31 May to 2 June. The Conference had originally been planned for Christchurch for 7 to 9 June but was changed to meet the wishes of South Island beekeepers. Mr TG Clark was in the chair, replacing Mr TW Kirk.

Sir William Fraser opened the conference in place of the Prime Minister. The remits considered were for the most part the same that got considered the previous year – the call for a Chief Apiarist, better enforcement of the Apiaries Act and discussion on the Apiaries Tax proposal. By this time the Apiaries Tax had been extended to allow for 20% of the money collected to be used by the NBA.

As with other conferences of the time a number of papers were delivered on topics of practical beekeeping, beekeeping politics and marketing. Mr Isaac Hopkins as elected a life member of the National by a unanimous and enthusiastic vote. Interestingly, the constitution did not provide for life memberships…

Mr EW Sage (Ohaupo) was elected President for the coming year, with Mr AR Bates (Kaponga) as Vice President. Executive members were Mr J Rentoul (Cheviot), Mr TE Clark (Hobsonville), Mr R Gibb (Menzies Ferry) and Mr HN Goodman (Clutha Valley). A change to the constitution for the first time made the Secretary-Treasurer a permanent officer, a non-voting member of the Executive to be appointed by the Executive.

The October 1922 issue of the Journal contained the announcement that it would be the last. In the future the official organ of the NBA was to be the NZ Fruitgrower and Apiarist magazine. All correspondence regarding subscriptions and other industry correspondence was to be directed to the Editor of that magazine. Mr I Hopkins had written for the Apiarist for some years and handled the editorial views with a fairly heavy hand. In selling their magazine, the NBA agreed to not start another one for ten years.