VfilU'd SETTLER
Published once a week in Palmer,
Alaska for the Matanuska Valley
Farmers' Co-operating Association,
for the purpose of giving news of
the Association's work, problems
and accomplishments.
By-Lucille Le Due
$1.75-per year
10^-per copy
I he Ccsrr BeforeThe Horse
One of the most sensible plans for
promoting agriculture in Alaska and
the Matanuska Valley, was the one
suggested by .Clair Stock at the
Wednesday meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce. That is to show the peo
ple of Alaska and, in our case,
Anchorage, the desirability of put
chasing Alaska grown products. At
the present time it is doubtful if
the people of the Territory pur
chase one-tenth of the potatoes and
other farm produce from .'dn.skan
sources, yet it seems reasonable to
think that if the people were will
ing to cooperate with the Alaskan
farmers and purchase their products
it ceuld easily double or even
triple the amount of money paid to
farmers for their products.
Most of us who are familiar with
the merchandising problems in
laska, see the stores loaded with
outside products that could be
raised in Alaska if the farmers
were given a break. There are large
areas that could be brought under
cultivation to produce more farm
products, if a reasonable amount of
help were given to the men who like
to till the soil. -
While- it is true that most of the
Territory's economy is geared to
fish and gold-that economy is not
too stable. Gold mines have the
habit of running out of gold-and
the fishing industry is confronted
with recessions caused by the fluct
uations in the amount of fish that
run from year to year. There are
lots of abandoned towns in la ska
inhabited by ghosts who were very
prosperous in by-gone years, but,
who lost their living and fortunes
when the gold and fish ran out on
them •
Palmer, and the Matanuska Valley
offer a contrast that is easy to
understand, because v/e have a lot
of things that just don't play out
like mines and fish.
V/e have the soil and climate that
produce agricultural products year
aftor year, v/ithout diminishing re
turns. It will bo a long time be
fore people can get along without
milk, oggs, potatoes and other farm
products. Anyway, we don't have to
worry about it now. All v/e need,
is good farmers with the v/ill to
produce, and the ability to sell
.thoir products. (Incidently, we
have other sources of income that
won't fold up and blow away. Remem
ber that we get tho first contact
with tho newcoomers over the Alaska
Highway, and, if that is properly
developed, it would moan a good in
pome, from now on.) Then, tho.
mines in tho Valley that produce
coal, are a big asset and will be
for years to como. Taking tho sit
uation as a whole, we doubt if any
part of /.laska has as much to look
forward to, as tho Matanuska Valley.
Wo. have a sure, stabilized economy, •
that can't fail if it is properly
handled.
There is one thing that could
jeopardize the good thing that v/e
have, and that is for an ovorly am
bitious group of citizens to get us
into debt beyond our ability and
needs, for things that we probably
need, but which we could get along
without, for some time to come*
Suppose, that instead of obligating
ourselves for large sums of money
on which we would have to pay int
erest and principal to the extent
that it would hinder the normal de
velopment of the Valley, that v/e
work on the problem of getting more
to back up the ability to pay? If
we can double the income of the
farmers and workers in the Valley
our financial problems could prob
ably bo taken care of without in
juring our economy* Suppose, in
stead of trying to' spend the money
before v/e get it, that we were to
assist our-farmers so that our farm
income could be doubled from a mill
ion dollars per year, to two million
per year. This in turn would make
the merchants and business men of
our community more prosperous, go
that they could absorb tho finan
cial burden without hurting their
business. How could this be done?
If funds for development and pro
duction were made available to the
people who would appreciate and uao
them to a good advantage. There
should not be any money "For Free".
This colony has’ shown that it does
n't work well that way. People
seldom appreciate things that they
get for nothing. Thi3 includes city
people as well as farmers. ’Vhile
most of the people who came to the
Valley in '35 have been willing to
pay for the things that they got,
it is true that a lot of others got
t/hat they could "For Free"-, and then
left. C.R.R.