Editor.
Advertising
Dorothy M. Bell
Harriet Z. Bell
Palmer,Alaska
Published once a week at Palmer, Alaska, for the Matanuska Valley Farmers' Coopera
ting Association for the purpose of giving news of the Associations' work, progress
and accomplishments.
SUBSCRIPTION RATS $1.750 for six months10 i a popy_
WHO IS TO Hi AMT?
Amen.
The latest issue of the Alaskan Agriculturist carries an article which we feel should
be read by all farmers and merchants in the Territory. 7/ith Mr. Baldwin's permission
we are reprinting it in full and wish to add --Amen! Brother Baldwin.
ji' ch ti - *0 7 ko r trip ■rouni the Territ ry wc ;et burned up at the Alaskan produce
seen for sale at the stores.
Dirty funk. Junk that the farmers sell, that the merchants display and allow to rot
and eventually throw out to buy another snail supply and repeat the process.
Ten sacks of ungraded spuds can kill the market for a thousand sacks of number one,
and is doing so in Alaska today.
In the past two weeks we have seen at Fairbanks, Anchorage and Palmer thousands of
tens of excellent eating spuds waitin' for a market.
Yesterday we saw carloads of potatoes unloaded at seward to fill the current demand.
All this because a few lafcy, ignorant farmers are willing to take advantage of the
laxness of the law to kill the market for local potatoes.
A few days ago we stood, in one of the largest stores In Fairbanks an^ watched while
nine 10-lb sacks of Stateside spuds were taken to the cash counter and net one local
spud was even considered an' no wonder the housewives turned up their noses at the
disgraceful display of the local product.
These potatoes were ungraded., ns soft as sponges and utterly unfit to eat. They
were Darker’ as "so an’ so's" special. This merchant was using tlx local culls to
gouge the public on the price '.sker’ for Stateside potatoes.
The price on the locals was 8/ a poun- and were not of course worth 2/. The price
cn the outside spuds was 12/ end they were worth 8/. The difference In cfuality was
so great that the people pair’, the 12/ without cutting up a yell. This happens in
nost of the stores in j.laska.
Who Is to blame? The Farmers? The merchants? The Department of iigriculture? Vie
think all three should be brought to task.
Too many farmers are unwilling to throw' away the 25$ of his produce that will not
make Grade One. In many cases he considers anything he produces ns first grade.
Often he is an old tine producer in Alaska. Ha has always sold his produce this
way. He cannot understand that Alaska Is growing up, that she has a futurp as well
as a’past. He is mad at everybody because he doesn't realize his woes are his own
making. He feels that there Is too much production. This, in spite of the fact that
90 percent of the produce that could be produced here Is shipped In.
He hits the celling If his produce is turned down or if he is paid for the grade he
delivers. The merchant is often greedy and always find.3 it more convenient to send
outside for his goods.
He often uses local culls as a cheap advertisement for the outside products. He can
not understand that his attitude is costing him In that it is killing an Important .
local Industry.
The Department of Agriculture has laws and the power to enforce the grade laws, but
sc far has made nc effort tc do so.
Mr. Clyde Sherman, cur new Commissioner of Agriculture, sale he would after due warn
ing tc all concerned, crack down :n the few who are injuring the many.
We believe Mr. Sherman realizes that until this mess Is cleaned up all other efforts
are useless.