Fublished 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#
CG-OPS RHO PUBLIC RELflllDnS
.. great many Co-op members soem to think that a Co-op is totally sufficient unto
itself. Especially where tho member is able to purchase practically everything he
needs from the Co-op,, and where he is able to sell his farm products to the same or
ganization. Tho functions of the Co-op that he i3 acquainted with seem to be in
dependent of all other organizations in his area. This is a false viewpoint for
many reasons, Principally because he forgets that his products have to be sold to
someone outside his organization, so that money can be derived from these sales to
finance his own and the Co-op's business. Our Co-op s^-lls its members' products to
the .army, Merchants in .jichorage and to the people in the Railbelt, to get funds to
pay the wholesaler _nd various other suppliers in the States and in ..laska. This
whole circle is required to maintain our business.
In the past, when inflammable and derogatory press releases were wired to the
States about the Co-op and its members, the big wholesalers in the States often stop
ped shipment of goods to the Co-op on the usual basis, that is, thirty days to pay,
and placed the Co-op on a cash with order or on delivery bngis, although there has
never been a time when this was justified. ..11 of this came about because the Co-op
did not have the means or inclination to contest tho often libelous statements made
about them. True, the Co-op h..s had its ups and downs, but never at anytime has it
been on the verge of bankruptcy, we doubt if any similar organization in ..laska
has done any better in the maintainance of its credit, than our Cc-op has done in
the past ten years.
The present ..dministration of our Co-op recognizes the need for better and con
stant public relations, <.nd we arc using the newspapers, radio and all other channel
to promote our organization. Sure, it costs money,- but we can't afford to do with
out it. Our relations are now so well established, that when one of our little, but
vocif^rious competitors, feeling the squeeze of competition, ran two full-page ad
vertisements in the newspapers of ..nchorage trying to make it appear that the Co-op
is misrepresenting onocf its products, it got a good laugh there. -The only ones -who
were sore, were the ..rmy Officials, who, from the wording of the advertisement, seem
ed to be the dupes.
Jhen one of the papers asked the Co-op officials if it would be all right to run
the ad, they were told to go ahead. It has proved to be good advertising for us.
Cur lawyer stated that tho ad was very close to libel, but, who are we to keep the
newspapers from making $^00 for a full-page advertisement, when it can help us too?
7/e maintain, th ;t when anyone, especially a sorehead, wants to lambast someone
else, it will not harm the person toward whom it is directed as much as it will the
person who wishes to vent seme spite. People as a whole are far more interested in
constructive things, than they are in helping someone who is trying to wreck ven
gcnco.
C.R.R
HONOR DR. SUflllE LL
The honoring of Dr. Bunnell, Ircsidont
Emeritus of the University of ~laska, by
piecing his name upon one of the no.7 U
niversity buildings was proposed, at a
recent .anerican Institute of Mining En
gineer's dinner in .aichorage, by Dr.
Terris Moore, President of the University
"The new School of Mines building about
to be erected, and other buildings in the
future plc.n of the University now in prep
aration by Mr. Prentiss French, architect
create an exc^ll<.nt and appropriate op
portunity to confer -upon Dr. Bunnell a
ipcrm.nent honor which will L.st forever,"
;Dr, Moore said. "L believe this dinner is
jjust the right occasion to suggest thc.t
[the Regents be urged to make this well de
served award ;.nd would like to sponsor it,
which I do herewith."
..NNU -L N-.TION.-L 4-H CLUB WEEK
The week of March 3-H has been proclaim
ed 4-H Club ./opk by governors of all. the
States. The purpose of 4-H Club Week is
to lot more people knew about club work
and to enroll all boys ^nd girls who wish
,to join in 4-K Club projects for the com
ing ye-r.
Last year there were about two million
Continued oi\ pyge. ,3