While in the earlier period HPA members had been loyal in not competing with their association, by 1929 HPA members were using the Association for the disposal of honey only when it suited them. The loss of the higher return on the local market made the HPA more and more dependent on the export market with its lower returns. In order to attract more suppliers the HPA increased their advances, while at the same time both local and overseas prices were beginning to deteriorate.

The 1928/29 honey crop was estimated at 1,050 tons. In total 1,041 of honey were exported.

The London agents, AJ Mills and Co, were beginning to worry over the financial outlay involved in paying advances on such large crops. They were also experiencing difficulties in making sales.

Based on the previous success of advertising campaigns, the Government agreed to provide assistance of £9,000. The change of Government did not alter the position, and the money was duly paid over to the Honey Control Board to provide for increasing export sales.

The 1929 Conference was held in Timaru on 5 and 6 June, with the Vice President Mr PA Hillary in the chair. The local marketing scheme backed by the HPA and the NBA (called the “contract scheme”) was again discussed, including an alternative scheme proposed by Mr WB Bray, primarily involving advertising to increase local consumption.

Mr R Gibb (Menzies Ferry) was elected President, with Mr PA Hillary (Tuakau) as Vice President. Executive elected were Mr AH Davies (Hamilton), Mr AR Clark (Matamata), Mr LF Robins (Temuka) and Mr WB Bray (Barrys Bay).

Mr PA Hillary’s paper on “How to Procure Good Queens of Proved Producing Strain” won the Hopkins’ Memorial Essay Competition.

In July Mr WB Bray began publication of “The New Zealand Honey Producer” magazine, having announced the idea at the conference the previous month. The cover had a photograph of Mr Isaac Hopkins, Mr Robert Gibb and Mr WB Bray, taken in about 1907. Mr Bray announced the motto of the journal as “Better Beekeeping, Better Marketing”, the first use of that phrase within the industry.

The Napier Earthquake had struck on 17 June. To initiate a fund to help the affected beekeepers “make a new and successful start in a more favoured district”, the magazine announced the gift of 200 pounds of foundation wax.

By the time of “The NZ Honey Producers” second issue, there were only 26 paid up subscriptions!

In August 1929 Mr PA Hillary and his wife proposed to the Auckland Central branch that a local beekeeper’s paper be produced. In late 1929 they began publication of “The Alighting Board”.

The HPA had a total of nearly 1,200 shareholders. Efforts were made to get 75% of beekeepers to sign agreements to either sell through the HPA or as agents of the HPA at a uniform price to be fixed periodically, and in uniform packages.

By August, it was claimed that 50% of the 75% had been signed. In fact 250 out of the 1,200 required only signed the contract. When it failed to achieve the required number, the provisions were not longer binding on those who did sign.

The hope was that if the majority of beekeepers would refrain from competing with the HPA, prices could be stabilised. Advertising (at the rate of 1/2 penny per pound of honey) could be used to increase consumption, with all honey consumers paying for it, providing security and stability to the market.

The HPA was in a difficult position and announced that the advance payout for the coming season would only be half of that paid out the previous season.

In the 1929 calendar year the HPA sold 198½ tons in bulk and packed 376 tons.

The 1927/28 honey crop was one of the largest ever experienced. In total 1,029 tons were exported. Many producers sent their entire crop into the grade stores for export, as the local market prices were still low with some producers quitting at any price obtainable, just to get rid of the their surpluses.

By April The Apiarist was being published as part of The New Zealand Smallholder magazine.

Conference was held in Hawera on 29 and 30 June.

Mr R Clark (Matamata) was re-elected President. Mr PA Hillary was elected Vice President. Executive elected were Mr AH Davies (Hamilton), Mr EW Sage (Ohaupo), Mr CA Pope (Staveley) and Mr W Watson (Geraldine). Mr A Ecroyd remained as General Secretary.

A committee was set up at Conference develop a local marketing scheme that would work to stabilise the price-cutting that was ruining returns on the local market.

In the 1928 calendar year the HPA exported 177 tons in bulk and packed 325 tons.

The local market was fully stocked with honey, resulting in severe pricecutting.

The 14^th Annual Conference elected Mr R Clark as President, and Mr CA Pope as Vice President. Executive elected were Mr A Bates (Kaponga), Mr AH Davies, Mr R Gibb (Menzies Ferry) and Mr GL Hight.

Revised Apiaries Act.

The first true Thin Super foundation was produced in New Zealand at the “Acorn” factory.

Mr R Clark (Matamata) was elected as President. Mr CA Pope (Stavely) was elected Vice President. Executive elected were Mr R Gibb (Menzies’ Ferry), Mr GL Hight (Hororata), Mr AR Bates (Kaponga) and Mr AH Davies (Hamilton). Mr A Ecroyd was Secretary of the NBA.

In 1927 the HPA sold 155 tons in bulk and packed 249 tons.

In the 1926 year the HPA sold 377 ½ tons in bulk and packed 206 tons.

Mr AH Davies was elected President, with Mr R Clark as Vice President.

In 1925 the Massey Government set up the Export Honey Control Board. While a move toward more orderly marketing, it gave only limited protection when considering that 80% of honey was sold on the local market.

In the 1925 calendar year the HPA sold 293 tons 7 cwt in bulk and packed 261 tons 6 cwt.

1924

In early 1924 an advertisement in The New Zealand Fruitgrower and Apiarist had the apiary of Mr FC Baines, the former editor of the NZ Beekeeper journal, for sale. The advertisement indicated that Mr Baines had taken on secretarial work, preventing him from giving sufficient time to the 100 colonies of 12 frame gear. A letter from Mr Baines in the same issue informed beekeepers that he had resigned as NBA Secretary. Mr HN Goodman was appointed to replace him in the meantime, though by May it appears that Mr TS Winter (on the staff of the HPA) had been chosen as Secretary.

In March the HPA faced still further management changes with the resignation of Mr H Fraser, who was leaving for England on private business affairs. Mr J Rentoul, a director of the company, was appointed manager for the meantime.

Another company had been formed, offering to buy special and light amber grades at 1 d per pound more than the HPA was offering.

The HPA closed their beekeeping supplies department.

The Annual Conference was held in Christchurch on 5 and 6 June. The NBA was at a low ebb, and the lack of funds for magazine, executive meetings and other activities came into almost all discussion.

A primary topic was honey export control. The HPA had been the sole exporter over the previous three years. A board of three members, one each from NBA, HPA and the Government, was proposed as a ‘control’ measure to supervise exports and say in what form they should be sent to England.

Mr AR Bates was re-elected as President. Mr GK Kitchingham (Greymouth) was elected Vice President. Executive members elected were Mr J Rentoul (Auckland), Mr AH Davies (Hamilton), Mr RA Gibb (Menzies Ferry) and Mr CA Pope (Happy Valley).

The statistics indicated that there were 6,289 apiaries in New Zealand, with 89,600 hives in total.

In early December voting papers were sent out to beekeepers to decide whether the Honey Control Board would be formed. Altogether, 401 beekeepers were eligible to vote.

Mr AB Callick was apppointed to replace Mr RW Brickell as manager of the Alliance Box Co, owned by the HPA. Mr Callick had been Mr Brickell’s “right-hand man” in the manufacturing department for the past 20 years.

The first advance from the HPA for the 1923 season’s honey was set at 4½ d per pound maximum.

Prices for Californian honey on the London markets continued to fall, causing concern to the HPA Board of Directors. The Californian Honey Producers’ Co-operative Association failed very badly, losing £45,000 for suppliers, due to bad management. The falling prices were affecting New Zealand honey sales as well.

The HPA Board of Directors sent out a controversial circular letter to shareholders, asking them to dispose of as much honey locally as they possibly could. This was contrary to previous direction, but it was felt that the more that was disposed of locally, the lighter the burden on Mills and Co who were trying to move the backlog of stocks in England.

The 1923 Conference (the tenth annual) was held in the Oddfellows’ Hall in Palmerston North starting on 20 June. The meeting was presided over by Mr AR Bates, the Vice President. Mr EW Sage, the President, was unable to attend due to “family reasons”.

In a turnaround, the Conference voted against the Apiaries Tax that had been supported by previous conferences all the way back to 1913.

Elections resulted in Mr AR Bates (Kaponga) being elected as President with Mr Robert Gibb (Menzies Ferry) as Vice President. Executive were Mr EW Sage (Ohaupo), Mr HN Goodman (Greenfields), Mr TG Clark (Hobsonville) and Mr J Rentoul (Cheviot).

In an open letter to beekeepers in January, Mr CF Ryland, the General Manager of the HPA, warned that the 1921 crop might provide 1,500,000 pounds of honey above that required for local consumption. He called for continued co-operation and support for the HPA.

The February issue of the journal announced the voluntary liquidation of the Bristol and Dominions Producers’ Association Ltd. The Editor claimed it would not affect the HPA shareholders much as “practically no honey was forwarded to them last year to enable them to clear up the stocks that had accumulated since the Armistice was declared.”

Mr CF Ryland for the HPA provided a lengthy statement, saying that he did not expect the liquidation to affected dramatically, with a firm demand for New Zealand honey in England. He did say that a number of shipments had been held up in dock for several months and they had heavy leakage and fermentation. He could not say if there would be loss from those shipments, or whether there would be further realisations collectable from the B & D.

The 1920 crop had been marketed mostly to New Zealand, the United States and Canada, possible only because of a bad crop there. Seeing the possibility of New Zealand honeys finding such favour there, the Americans and Canadians immediately enforced a 3 cents per pound import duty to stifle the trade.

By finding these other markets and doing the business on a ‘cash’ basis further loss had been averted. The 1918 and 1919 honey, however, would not be expected to provide any further return to producers above the advances already paid out. Approximately £30,000 of Imperial Bee honey had been sold in New Zealand in 1920, an increase over the previous year of £15,000. The return to beekeeper reached the figure of 7 ¾ d and pro rata.

The total honey handled in 1920 by the HPA was 500 tons, with turnover of £75,000. Shareholders had increased from 500 to 700, and the subscribed capital had doubled. The beekeeping supplies portion of the HPA grew from £6,000 to £17,000 turnover.

Within months, beekeepers were recognising that the export market had fallen to pieces, and were trying to address the problem of what to do with all the honey. The local market, over which some control could be exerted, was being wrecked “by foolishness, or we will say selfishness”. With reports that HPA shareholders were selling their crops locally, the Editor commented “So the rot has set in badly!”

The 1921 Conference was held in Auckland, and beekeepers were welcomed by the venerable Mr Isaac Hopkins (then 85 years of age), President of the Auckland Bee Club, a branch of the National. The Conference was held at the Chamber of Commerce on 8 to 10 June.

The ‘hardy annuals’ of calling for a Chief Apiarist to be appointed, more inspectors and higher penalties for breaches of the Apiaries Act, and a reaffirmation of support for the Apiaries Tax were topics of discussion. In a practical demonstration, Mr D Franke of Turakina displayed his appliance for extracting thick honey from the combs without breaking. The device was a brush 9 inches by 3½ inches, but with 1½ inch fine nails instead of bristles. The nails were inserted into the cells and ‘stirred’ briefly. The demonstration was successful and impressive to those beekeepers who had “put tons and tons into the river” as being unextractable.

Mr TW Kirk (Wellington) was elected President. Mr Kirk had been the Director of the Horticulture Division of the Department of Agriculture until his retirement shortly before Conference. It was the first instance when the Vice President had not been elected as the new President – he was nominated by Mr Sage who would have presumed to move into the President’s role. Mr TE Clark (Hobsonville) was elected Vice President. Mr WE Barker (Rangitata), Mr L Irwin (Woodlands), Mr AR Bates (Kaponga) and Mr RS Hutchinson (kerepuhi) were elected to the Executive.

In October the Poverty Bay branch, with Mr James Adams as Secretary, wrote to the NBA announcing its resignation as a branch of the NBA. The reasons given related to the branch’s opposition to an Apiaries Tax.

After only six months as NBA President, Mr TW Kirk resigned in December. He had been having “a rocky time for several months” but had withheld the resignation as long as possible. From comments made, it appeared to be a general stress related disease which it had been hoped would have been improved by the resignation from the Department of Agriculture job, but this did not improve matters. The Vice President Mr TE Clark assumed the role.

The first issue of The New Zealand Beekeepers’ Journal for 1920 brought a substantial change in appearance. The Editor had the journal printed on an improved grade of paper, much whiter in appearance, and would now provide a small photograph on the cover of each issue. The first photo was of his own home apiary in Katikati, Bay of Plenty.

The subject of apiary boundaries, the proposal that sites should be restricted to avoid overstocking or overcrowding. Mr I Hopkins and Mr James Allan continued their strong opposition to the proposals, with Mr RH Nelson and Mr A Ireland as primary proponents.

The HPA continued to appeal for support from beekeepers. Advertisement titled “Civil War in New Zealand” and “Outbreak of Hostilities – A Warning to the New Zealand Beekeeper” painted a dire picture of the consequences of failing to support the co-operative movement. The return of speculators to the honey markets in the post-War period was bringing renewed attempts to offer high prices in order to attract producers, with the offers being withdrawn after only a few weeks, according to the HPA.

Conference in 1920 was held in Christchurch, the first national conference to be held on the South Island. The Conference was held at the Concert Hall of the YMCA, and was held from 9 to 11 June, a return to the three day conferences of years past. Mr W Watson (Geraldine) was elected President, Mr EW Sage (Ohaupo) as Vice President. Executive elected were Mr R McKnight (Domett), Mr AH Davies (Hamilton), Mr AR Bates (Kaponga) and Mr L Irwin (Woodlands). Among other controversial discussions was the proposal to levy beekeepers £1 each in order to fund the provision of more apiary inspectors. The Minister did not favour the proposal, suggesting instead a proportionate tax of £1 for commercial beekeepers and 5/- or 10/- for the small man or those who did not sell honey.

A controversial advertisement appeared in the July issue of the journal. It purported to offer queen bees from the Isle of Wight for sale! The advertisement stated it was only a matter of time before the Isle of Wight disease (called “Disappearing Trick” in Australia) would reach New Zealand. Stocking hives with bees from strains that had withstood the disease was said to be a means of preparing oneself for the “greatest scourge which has ever struck the industry”. The advertisement was placed by “Schroeder & Schmitt”.

The next issue of the magazine revealed the Editor had received considerable comment! He had received wires from the President, Executive and the Apiary Instructors! He denied being the person who inserted the advertisement, maintaining it had come from “a member of the National and a valued contributor to the Journal.” In a letter in a later journal, they denied the advertisement was simply a “practical joke” but maintained they had placed the advertisement as “the most forcible and efficient way of bringing to the notice of New Zealand beekeepers the very urgent and vital need of having laws in operation governing the importation of queen bees from infected countries”. Within several months, such legislation was in place!

The Dominion’s first automatic foundation machinery was installed at the “Acorn” factory for handling wax in continuous sheets or ribbons.

Mr A Ireland publicly resigned from the National in a letter to the Editor in the September magazine. He cited “studied opposition and discourtesy” from the President (Mr James Allan) when he was presenting the case for apiary boundaries to Conference.