THE HtONTIEBShAN
JCntrred as second class matter on Oct. 21. 1947, at the post office h'
Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of Marc*
/A. J. DeJulio__ Publisher-Manager
Editor___ Virginia Gallam
Subscription Rates 50c a month, $5 a ve»’ In Valley Area
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States
$6 per year
Mitional Adv. Representative — Weekly Newspaper Representative
404 Fifth Ave *— New York 18, N. Y.
Ibis week is a fine time to ask our occasional
readers and subscribers to have a little patience with
us if that certain little news item did not get in the
paper or perchance we make a few extra boners,
within the next three weeks. We can assure our read
ers that Virginia Gallant will be back on the job from
(her vacation sometime in February and we shall be
<only too happy to return the reportorial work over
to her.
In the meantime good friends, be patient. So we
leave you with a little statement repeated to us long
ugo. Always remember the lawyer sends his mistakes
to the pen; the doctor buries his; the farmer plows
tiis under. We put ours in the newspaper.
Not too many years ago the "gloomiest people
on the U. S. Business scene were the coal miners who
<are now rubbing their eyes in the sunlight at the end
tof the shaft." Thusly, in dramatic terms, Newsweek
describes the change in attitude of coal company
officials.
While Newsweek did not give a complete break
down on the motive for revival of the coal industry,
*we have garnered a few reasons for the upswing by
treading predictions of future energy demands by
.American industry, in various industrial magazines,
'which all add up to a tremendous demand for electri
city. In fact many authorities are now of the opinion
tthat electrical consumption will more than triple by
1975, and that coal, which is now the source of more
than half of our electric power, will be relied upon to
supply still higher proportions.
The National Coal Association estimates that
the U. S. Subsurface contains enough coal—readily
recoverable coal—938 billion tons. This figure does
not include the Alaskan fields, insofar as we were
dble to find«out. This tremendous tonnage is enough
fio Jast for nearly 2,000 years, according to the Coal
^Association.
iGetting back to Newsweek, the magazine points
^otit that the amount of energy power plants get from
a given ^amount of coal has constantly increased. Of
'Course, cooi still faces difficulties—primarily that of
••earning a fair profit, due to high wages and higher
-cost of operations and this is true, especially in our
Matanuska Coal field and others in Alaska. But
Ihelight is certainly looking brighter in that dark shaft! |
f I
J Featuring America's largest selling cleaner i;
:i ' • j:
The new automatic ELECTROLUX
j The cleaner you NEVER have to empty ji
ji' selling at 182.50 and up
GRASSERS
Hardware & j!
Sporting Goods jj
41 !
“Home of Dutch Boy Paints”
( NOTICE
| RESIDENTS OF PALMER SCHOOL DISTRICT jj
|: AND CITY OF PALMER are hereby called upon jj
| to file their 1957 personal property tax return jj
i; before February 1, 1957 in accordance with jj
j Ordinance 39 within the city, and Resolution 10 jj
I I outside the city.
Forms have been mailed by the asses- jj
sot's office. If you did not receive one, and re- jj
side within the School District or City, contact jj
the assessor at box 1757, located over the jj
bonk, stating whether you want school district jj
or city forms.
The school district extends roughly from jj
Knik River to the Talkeetna Mountains, and jj
from just beyond Four Comers to beyond Sutton jj
mile 65.
Should you fail to file, and that fact is dis- jj
j covered anytime this-year, the assessor will jj
! file a return for you, and you forfeit your right jj
of appeal to his valuation.
WM. WAKELANO, Assessor
With -62 percent of the Terri
torial appropriation now going
education, it does not seem rea
sonable to allot a larger percen
tage of Territorial income for
school purposes. Nor is a tax in
crease justified, at a time when
Alaskans are already over-taxed.
The Territorial Board of Edu
cation and local school districts
are asking for more money, main
ly on grounds of emergency due
to increased enrollment. Yet at
the same time, school money is
being used for branching out into
new types of service. For exam
ple, it was announced in Anch
orage last week that local schools
will provide weekend recreation
as well as evening facilities for
children.
These and other such services
are no doubt valuable to the com
munities involved, but at a time
when teachers are underpaid, and
all taxpayers claim to be taxed
to the limit, should the schools
take on new functions at general
public expense?
Few people realize the total
percentage of Territorial tax in
come that is spent for schools, in
addition to loea P^Perty taxes
and some federal aid In the last
biennium, nineteen and a quarter
million dollars — 62 percent of
the total appropriation—went for
forms of education.
Fifty-nine percent of this sum
returns to schools within organ
ized districts, 14 percent goes for
rural school support and con
struction. This money is raised
through taxes paid alike by rural
and city people, with some collec
tions rebated to cities. .
In view of cold hard economic
realities facing resident AlasKa
taxpayers, I would like to sug
gest a possible way out of our
school dilemna. I propose that we
start first with the total amount
the Territory can afford'to pay
for schools, to determine what
stadard can be provided for
everyone, (rural and incorporated
areas alike), within that budget,
including reasonable pay for tea
chers. . .
Then, any community desiring
more expensive schools and ser
vices above the standard basic
curriculum, should then be per
mitted to provide the extras at
its own expense.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
BEN HITCHCOCK
Box 641, Caribou Creek
Palmer
r~ «1
TWO I
EASY ROAD TO I
SAVINGS... I
Gall Us Today I
A pocketful! of savings •.. a bin full of
coal.. • What more could an/one ask?
Call now and take advantage of our
low coal prices!
Lee's Coal Yard
YOUR BEST BET FOR ALL FUELS
individuals Limited
To Five Proxys
At Hospital Meeting
All Valley Hospital Association
members are reminded that un
limited proxy voting is no longer
permitted, said Board chairman
A. H. Mick.
The 1956 membership meeting
voted to lii#it the number of
proxys to five. At the next annual
meeting scheduled for February
15 (7:30 p.m. high school cafeter
ia) a single individual will be
able to cast no more than six
votes,—one for himself and five
for others.
In order to obtain proxy bal
lots, the members must present
signed proxy’s authorizing such
action. The proxy form accom
panying the membership card can
be used but it must be signed by
the member.
Ballots will be on special pap
17 PHS STUDENTS
MAKE HONOR ROLL
17 Palmer High School students
succeeded to the honor roll at
the end of the third six weeks
period.
From the 72 class ninth grade
were Judy Everett and Sharon
Hamblin.
From the tenth grade of 43,
Vadney Bledsoe and Joan Hurley
achieved the honors.
The eleventh grade class of 38
had Jill Cope, Gretchen Essling
er, Dorothy Lentz, Colin Mick,
Sharlene Samsel, Charmain Saw
by and Betty Jo Wilson.
The twelveth grade class of 35
had six. They are Rose Ann Bran
ton, Steve Colberg, Derain Cur
tis, Judy Hurley, Annetta Sawby
and Larry Trowbridge.
| _.
er to control proxy voting, said
Mick.
Attention
SECOND HALF 1956 PROPERTY TAXES AR^
DUE NOW, AND WILL BECOME DELINQUENT
FEBRUARY 1, 1957.
Taxes may be paid at the Assessor's office
over the bank, or by mail to box 1757.
Taxes for 1956 will incur 15% penalty
and 1 % per month interest after February 1,
1957. Fifteen percent means an additional $15*
for every $100 of tax.
Payments received after 5 P.M. February
1, or postmarked later than February 1, will
not be accepted unless penalty and interest
are included*
Pay now and save.
WM WAKELAND, Assessor-Collector
Palmer Independent School District
City of Palmer
The 9-passenger Country Squire
The 6-passenger Country Sedan
The 9-passenger Country Sedan
The Del Rio Ranch Wagon
The Ranch Wagon
FIVE NEW FORD glamour wagons
long, low and loaded with Go!
Leave it to the station wagon leader to make
the big news for ’57! And what news! Wagons
so big, so full of fine-car prestige that you’ll
w onder how’ it can be done at lowT Ford prices.
If your choice is the Country Squire, you'll
be proud to pull up at the finest places in this
new glamour wragon writh its wood-like trim.
If your needs call for a 6-passenger wagon
with four doors, you’ll love the new Country
Sedan. It has almost nine feet of loadspace—
nearly a foot more than ever before.
There's still another 4-door Country
Sedan. It has the extna third seat for 9-passen
ger room. And, as in all Ford wagons for '57,
i you have the new single control handle
which opens both the wrap-around liftgate
and tailgate with one motion. And they
can't be opened from inside!
There’s good news, too, about Ford’s
popular Ranch Wagon. This 6-passenger,
2-door model features Ford's new subdued
tones, and smart interiors which defy muddy
little shoes and drippy chocolate cones.
In the wonderful way that Ford can take
a fine thing and make it even finer, the Del
Rio Ranch W agon goes beyond the Ranch
Wagon in style, fabrics and trim.
Better take a Ford wagon for a spin. You'll
agiee that for styling it’s a sweetheart
for work and power, it’s an obedient slave I
I
Ask for Your
FORD
STATION WAGON
Action Test Today
Hartley Motors, Inc.