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Vol. li; Palmer, Alaska Juno 15) 195^ No. 21+
WELCOML
By-Bob Klera
Welcorao-you newspaper guys
To balmy Matanuska
Rest your feet and feast your eyes
On balmy Matanuska
WE SEE YOU COME-WE SEE YOU GO
THERE'S A HELL OF A LOT YOU'LL NEV
ER KNOW
WE'VE STILL GOT A LONG, LONG ROW TO
HOE
AND THAT MAKES MATANUSKA
Pretty farms and big square barns
That makes Matanuska
Famor Johns and turkey toms
That makes Matanuska
THE FARMING LAND IS GOOD FINE SAND
IT'S GOOD FINE LOAM IN TEXTURE
SOME GOOD SWEDES AND SOME MIXED
BREEDS
AND THAT MAKES MATANUSKA
Dairy cows and big bow-wows
That makes Matanuska
Cabbage heads and lignite beds
That makes Matanuska
FTBRING ROLES AMD MINES FOR GOLD
IT'S SKEETER BUGS OR WINTER COLD
IT'S PARADISE SO I'VE BEEN TOLD
AND THAT MAKES MATANUSKA
Chec-chaw-kors and bureau krats
That make3 Matanuska
Soldier boys and democrats
That makes Matanuska
PIONEERS AND HARD ROCK MEN
THE WAY THEY DRINK IT IS A SIN
THEIR GIZZARDS ARE MADE OUT OF TIN
AND THAT MAKES MATANUSKA
Big high winds and clouds of dirt
That makes Matanuska
And no one here to make it rain
In tho land of Matanuska
WE GOT NO SKUNKS OR FOUR-LEGGED
TOADS
WE GOT NO SENSE AND DAMN POOR ROADS!
WE SWEAT LIKE HELL TO CARRY THE
LOAD
AND THAT MAKES MATANUSKA
Fair-haired boys and cock-eyed
dreams
That makes Matanuska
And no fish in our fishing streams
continued on page 4
MEA HAS PROBLEMS
t
This is ono of tho problems that
the Board of Directors of tho Mat
anuska Electric Association havo to
face as tho policies of the Associa
tion takes form. Tho other day the
office rocoivod a trouble call from
a family who lives out Wasilla way.
They had been out of electricity
since 10 a.m. but the report was
not nado until late in the after
noon, that the power was off.
The new union contract that the
MEA has signed has the stipulation
for safety, that on all trouble
calls there will be two men, and
any hours worked after l+iJO p.m.
aro to be paid at double time.There
fore two men were Bent on this call
It amounted to two hours at double
time for the labor cost total of
|26.60; plus the insurance and SS,
15*52; and the cost of the car, $9*
The trouble had not been checked
before the call to the office, to
see whether any of the neighbors
had powor or whether the trouble
was in only tho one house. The men
found tho only trouble had been
from an overload on the breaker
switch and had tripped the breaker.
By a flip of a finger on the break
er button, tho power wa3 on.
The Association is a partnership
of all its membership, and when
there is a call that is not legiti
mate trouble it costs the whole mom
bership, as this 340.12 comes out
of tho reservo for maintainence and
if we should have sane important
troubles come up the fund shouldn't
be depleted for work that the mem
bership can perform for itself.
As wo all know, there is a short
margin for maintainence work and it
covers a membership of 8I4.5 consum
ers. There has never been a policy
set down for such a case, but here
after, in fairness to all the other
membors of the MEA, when the troub
le is on the premises on the con
sumer's side of the meter, includ
ing the consumer side of the out
door broaker next to the meter, in
such a case as above, two-thirds of
continued on page 3