Published once a week at Palmer, Alaska for the Matanuska Valley Farmers' Co
operating Association for the purpose of giving news of the Associations work,
problems and accomplishments.
THE "VALLEY SETTLEf?" A ' PRO B LEM
Probably most of our readers have noticed that the "SETTLER" has been coming out
In rather anabbrevlated form for the last few weeks, and no doubt an explanation
would be appreciated. ,,:ell It Is like this, when Mrs. Dorothy Bell resigned as
editor and publisher.a short tine ago, no one could be found who wished to take
her place. Perhaps many people felt that the standard set by Mrs. Bell would be
hard to maintain, and this Is probably true.
However, the Board of Directors of the Co-op. felt that the paper was Important
and requested that It be continued, even though It could not oe what we would }lke
It to be. So we have tried to keep It going and have succeeded In aplte of many
difficulties. But we would like to make It much more Interesting and with your
help we hope to do so.
For many years the masthead of the "SETTLER" stated that the paper was published
in the interests of the Co-op, giving it's activities, alms and purposes and
other news.of interest. As practically everyone in the Matanuska Valley has had
some business contact with the different departments of the Co-op, we feel that
they are interested in our organization in some way, and we desire to keep then
informed about our activities as well as the members of the Co-op.
Primarily the "SETTLER" was designed to keep the menbers informed, and it has
served as a bulletin to lnforn the members of the things that are important to
the members. Then, it has served as an advertising medium to the different de
partments, and to a lot of other business firms that had no other nenas of reach
ing the local buyers for several years.
The editorial section has been used mostly to teach cooperation, and to give the
opinion of it's management on local questions of interest. It seems unfortunate
to the writer, that past Boards of Directors required that the "SETTLER" main
tain Itself by subscriptions and advertising. This meant that the Editor had to
solicit advertising from business houses that were in competition with the Co-op,
end was therefore rather confusing to people who were not "in the know".
It seems to the writer, that it would be best to confine most of our activities
to the Co-op and it's members in the future, and try to create mere interest in
the affairs of the Co-op. As there are other papers that can give the news that
is usually printed in papers of general circulation, it would, seen best to let
them fill that place.
However, to make the "SETTLER" mere interesting to it's readers, we need items of
interest about our members and others in this community. People arc always in
terested in the things that are happening to the people with whom they live, in
a sanll community, so, whether you have had any experience before at all, don't
hesitate to give any news that you might be able to learn about, to someone whe
will send It on to the Editor, leave it at the Trading Post, 'Tarehouse, Creamery,
Garage, or bring it tc the main office. '.Yrlte it if you can, but if not, tell
it to someone that will forward the information to the proper destination.
During the meantime, we are going to try to get someone to take the editorship
over and do the Job better than we can now. Bear with U3 and we are sire it can
be done.
C.R.R
A word of caution was given to rabbit hunters this week by Dr. Robert L. Smith,
Assistant Connlssloner of Health, who pointed out that two cases of tularenla have
occured In the Fairbanks area during the current year and one case was reported
from there last year.
Tularenla, has been known to exist In Alaska since 1936, with wild rabbits be
ing the usual source of Infection.