STONE ‘ SU hM I To,, REPORT
ON COLONY
The appraisal made by Kirk -Hi Stone of
the Matnnuskn Valley projectyuas mr.de pub
lic lest week by the Bureau of Land Manage
ment. Mr. Stone, Professor at the Univer
sity of Wisconsin in the department, of
geography for the Interior-Agriculture De
partments* Committee on Group Settlement
in Alaska. He spent the summers of 1941,
1946 and 1948 in the Valley compiling his
data.
Mr. Stone says: 51 The Motanuska Valley Col
ony hes been an effective and generally
successful experiment to increase permanent
settlement in the territory. In 1934 the !
Valley was a partly broken .and isolated
wilderness. At that time it was populated
by about 500 people who did some farming
in conjunction with mining, fishing,hunt
ing and trapping.
11 In 13 years the eastern half of .the Valley
has become a widely broken and accessible |
forested area. In addition, the Valley
has a population of 2,500 to. 3,000 people j
who are participating in a growing farming!
economy and who work at various non-agri
cultural occupations. These changes have
been made in an °rea of diversity that
borders the northern limits of the inhabi
ted Western world and they show that ad
ditional settlement is feasible fcherel
|
i? It is the methods by which the changes
were made that can be-improved, greatly.
Weaknesses in the methods used in the Col-1
ony have been disclosed by.geographical
and financial analyses. In most cases,
ineffective action had its origin in the j
speed required in the planning phase.The
Matanuskan experiences and weaknesses are
summarized topically below to underscore
the necessity of careful and deliberate
thinking about the new Alaskan group set
tlement. --
’“The settlement of Alaska is a desirable
objective. An attitude that additional
settlement should bu rapid and on a large
scale is not defensible. V7hat is needed ■
first is at least one year of objective .
appraisal and planning and at least two
years of intensive scientific investiga
tion. additional time will be necessary
to formulate plans carefully.
”Seven areas, have been suggested as suit
able for group settlement. What is known
about each of these areas is little mere
chat was known about the Matanuska Valley
when the colony was started there. The
experience of colonizing -the Valley proves
tl ■'u the old slogan, fLet*s settle Alaska,1
st be added the even older saying/Haste
Uc kes waste.1”
VISITING IN MINNESOTA
Mrs. Everett Yohn and small daughter, Dale
left by plane for Minneapolis last Sunday.
Mrs. Yohn will attend a wedding of a cousi
while visiting in Minnesota. ; __
Store Hours 9Am to 7:30 PM
TOYS.8-B GUNS
JIG SAW PUZZLES
small to large
MODEL PLANES
G AMES
S'lMRITUSM VfiLLEy4
G fi Rlifns
x,FLOWERS for _ rll Occasions ^
a
Maud
V ^
..■7
J
YOU HIX 33TTER
•AI5RANG3 FOR L
LOCKER
3EF0RE THE HUNTING
SEASON BEGINS .. EJE
ALSO HAVE
LOCKER KITS
i
C l< E D I I
UN ION
Nt WS
The Mrtanuska Valley Credit Union net on
Tuesday evening, of this week. The amount
anyone person can invest in snares was
raised from $500. to §750. Leu Rasmussen
was approved to serve on the Credit Con
. mittee for the remainder of the year, and
Rankin Tippins was approved to replace
Dorothy Bell as treasure when she leaves*
Mr. Tippins will be found in the General
Office of the Co-op.
LUCKY GUYS
Duane Goodrich, Leo Lucas, Leonard Kepler
and Harold Stephan were lucky vl nner's in
’ the sheep permit drawings held at the *
Fish and Wild Life Service at 10 am Tues
day of this week. Bill McAllister,Les Green
Esther Brockt & Ken Westenbrrger-rlternates.