1932
Though economics of the industry were not particularly sound, bee colony numbers grew for the third year in a row, to 110,635, and a total of about 7,500, an increase from the mid-1920s.
On 26 July, at a meeting immediately prior to Conference, the HPA placed itself into voluntary liquidation. At a subsequent meeting it was decided to reorganise co-operative marketing under a new company. Mr J Rentoul, Chairman of the Board of Directors, presided at the meetings
The new company was to be called New Zealand Honey, Ltd. It would have a share capital of £12,000, to be allocated on the basis of five £1 shares per ton of the producers’ whole crop, estimated on an average of three years’ production.
One-tenth of the first year’s crop was to be retained toward liquidation of the share capital plus deduction of one-tenth penny per pound on the whole of that year’s crop. Shareholders could be obliged to supply up to 50% of their crop to the company.
Provisional directors of the new company were Mr J Rentoul (Chairman), Mr SD Cooper (Auckland), Mr AB Callick (Dunedin), Mr F Smith (Palmerston North), Mr LF Robbins (Temuka), Mr W Nelson (Otorohanga) and Mr HR Penny (Taranaki).
The 19th Annual Conference was held in Wellington, in the the Chamber of Commerce Hall, on 27 and 28 July, with Mr PA Hillary in the Chair.
Mr Hillary characterised the previous season as having two outstanding features – the failure of the honey crop and the failure of competitive open marketing. Price-cutting had been so serious that again beekeepers were almost unanimous in their determination to organise marketing to stabilise prices at an acceptable level.
Mr PA Hillary (Tuakau) was re-elected as President and Mr CA Pope (Springburn) re-elected as Vice President. Executive elected were Mr GL Hight (Hororata), Mr W Watson (Geraldine), Mr W Nelson (Otorohanga) and Mr HR Penny (Taranaki).
In a paper presented to Conference, Mr W Nelson of Otorohanga proposed first proposed the use of a ‘seal’ to be fixed to containers of honey sold as part of a marketing association. Advertising the “Sealed Honey” would assure the public of superior quality while providing to the beekeepers the stability of the marketing organisation.
As 1932 drew to a close, the NZ Honey Ltd settled into take the place of the HPA. Weaknesses in the previous association were identified, and the new group attempted to fix them. Articles of Association were drawn up and contracts signed by members to supply definite proportions of their crops and sell at not less than the Association’s listed prices. Members also agreed to affix a seal indicating a paid levy of 1/2d on each pound of honey sold by them directly. Three Acts of Parliament, the Restraint of Trades Act, the Trade Union Act and the Anti Trust Act, had to be taken into account when forming the articles. The results were somewhat contradictory and there was doubt about whether they could be enforced legally if members chose not to keep their agreements.
Mr Robert Gibb, former President of the NBA, died at his Menzies Ferry, Southland, home in September 1932. He had been the first appointment as a North Island inspector in 1907, which he did for two years.
In December 1932 the Honey Control Board met and decided to take absolute control over all honey exported to Great Britain, Irish Free State, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The Board would ship all honey to these countries and the payments pooled, with payments made by grade.