Published once a week in Palmer, Alaska, for the Mat
anuska Valley Farmers' Co-operating Association, for
the purpose of giving nev/s of the Association's work,
problems and accomplishments.
COLON
To the newcomers in the Matanuska Valley, and, especially to the peo
ple who cast thoir lot with the new farm colony in 1935# greetingsi
It is with some pride that we point to the development of the Valley
in the last sixteen years. Palmer was just a "wide place in the road”
in *35• Quite a few people came before the colony was started, but
found it difficult to develop farms with the things that were available
at that time. While it is true that the settlers in the Valley had
many advantages over most other pioneer areas by having timber for
homes and fuel and numerous other uses, and that it was not too diffi
cult to get enough wild neat and fish to fill the larder; and while it
was comparatively easy to raise enough vegetables to carry them through
the winter, it is also true that there disadvantages, as well.
Just the ordinary type of people couldn't adjust thensolves to the
isolated conditions that existed at that time. The hothouse type soon
withered and died or left for other parts. It took persons of the real
pioneer type to develop and build an economy that could endure. We
have no quarrel with the people who like to live in the super-developed
parts of the World. It is useless to argue the points of difference
but it would save them and us a lot of trouble if they were to stay
where they like the conditions that exist, and not try to ruin an un
spoiled country by planting themselves on a community to which they can
not adapt themselves; raising "cain" because things are not just like
they were "back home."
It is true that the colonists who arrived in '35 were not encouraged
to think they would bo able to accomplish the aims that they wore
striving for by the people who had tried it before they came. It is a
peculiar thing that most people seem to think that just because they
havo failed in somo particular task, that others will fail also. For
the first five years in the history of the colony, it was a toss-up
v/hether it could make a <ro of it or not. Truo, most of the people did
not suffer greatly because they lacked any of the actual necessities of
life. The worst suffering of all camo through a great fear that the
project would fail; and a fsoling of inferiority.
All of the colonists were lambasted by the press and radio because of
the actions of a minority. High government officials denounced and
scolded 'the colony which was suffering from the misrule of these self
same officials. In fact, the government officials were so sure that it
was a failure in 1938# that they offered to ship any family back to the
states, give them $300 and get them on state relief rolls again. One
official stated that there was room for only fifty farmers in the Valley
and that all the rest would be removed. We thank the "All Mighty" that
there were enough "dumb, uneducated " colonists and othor Valley resid
ents, who were so stubborn that they refused to leave. The progress
that has been mado in the last fev/ years would have been impossible
without their help and guidanco. When one observes the progress that
has been made in clearing land for crops and pasture; tho breeding of
fine herds of cattlo; the wonderful crops that are being raised; it is
indeed marvelous that so much has been done in the short time that it
has been under way.
The four million dollars that the U.S. Government has spent on this
project was well spent in spite of the fact that a lot of it wont to
people who v/ere not directly connected with the project. When one con
siders how effective most government spending is, it is not too bad. Of
course the politicians had to have their "pound of flesh"; it is called
"squeeze" in China, but It is just plain graft in any man's language.'
Wo had it here, and the people were blamed for that too.
Matanuska Valley peoplo are not rich by a long way. Most of them
continued on page 7