Palmer, Alaska
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VALLES
[IT
HE IDS
August 21, 1947
No. 34
local rsrs
A row accountant for the M.V.F.C.A. , Clay
ten Essingeris on -his way to- Falr.er b,r
ray of the highway, Hr. Essinger is mar
ried and has two children. Ho has beer."
highly recommended by the Seattle agent,
hr. 0steward.
Us. Gill is employed in the Co-op offices
as billing clerk. She rill replaco Dor
othy Graham, who is resigning.
Ofito a number of the male employees of
the Co-op .are spending a few days caribou
hunt in g.
Hr. H.E. Allar.son, Reginal Representative
for the Alaska Research Administration has
cone to Fairbanks.
n
i'cry . Jones has been employed as 1st.
grade teacher in the Palmer Schorl, Miss
Jones is nor in Anchorage and will be in
Palmer soon. She has had 3D years exper
icr-co teaching in'the primary -rades a- d
has a ?. A. degree. She rill reside at the
Lodge.
Mrs. Virginia Pine, teacher in Falmer
School, has returned from a for months
section in the States. She visited her
daughter in South Dakota; a brother in-Kan
sas, a dau;htcr in Texas, and also visited
in Colorado.
Mrs. Ann Johnsont rho has been employed,
at the Falmer Fountain and Cafe has resign
ed. She is spending a for days in Fair
banks. She will return to Suntrana ^o
visrlt her brother. She rill return to
Palmer and then plans to return to the , v
S4^ Ptoc
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CHANGES AR3 i'ADE IN LIBRARY
Cj'.pr^es arc being made in the Community
Liorary. “Ians arc bciri; made for seven
re-.- bo'k eases. At present need is not
sveila’cle to corooleto this cork.
Several nois mystery stories have beer, re
ceived.
runbor of people's cards have expired.
Too Library would appreciate havoing these
cards renewed so that more non books could
be purchased.
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1j. CUlvCEMENT HAS BEEN !' ADE of the engage
ipent of Joan Lento, daughter of l.Ir. and'lirs
Joe Lentz, to John Vanover of Anchorage.
POTATO MARKET STRONG DESPITE
MANIPULATION
Potato plantings in tho United States aro
considerably loss than last year. Ad
verse woother and loss liberal use of fer
tiliser will tend to reduce the yield still
further is the forecast on outsido potatoes
The early frost struck potatoes around
Anchorage , Eagle River and a portion of
the Valley and reduces the potatoes avail
able for the city of Anchorage and the
Army. Higher outsido prices plus incroascd
freight rates over last year tend to stren
gthen the local 'market. "Tailo local plant
ings were heavy, tho dry weather reduced
t’ c average yield oven before tho frost
damage. All these factors will be forces
urging tho market upward. Tho duration of
tho shipping strike which cuts off all out
side potatoes is not known.
Temporarily the local market is confused
by the activities of an individual farmer
produco buyer. This individual, it ape ears
made a large and unfortunate potato con
tract at a price considerably below narkot
to deliver potatoes which a-parcntly ho
docs not have. I'ho cut rate price contract
ed for docs not permit him to buy from the'
outside nor at the local fair market price.
Tho contract itself calls for local po
tatoes. lie desperation, it appears, an
attempt is boin$ made to break the local
market to a level whore he rill be able to
purchase local potatoes and resell them
at the cutratc -nricc bid. His plan seems
to bo that of promising all merchants that
he will supply them with potatoes after
September 1st at tho cut rate price, there
by causing merchants to hesitate to pay the
fair market price and temporarily pegging
the market at the low level. Tho flaw in
tho plan aopcars to be that he has no po
tatoes available to make good those prom
ises, as the merchants will discover, »ncl
the market will adjust itself. In the
meantino, it remains to bo seen whether or
not any growers will allow themselves'to
bo tricked into soiling by this stunt.
Thi.s typo of activity in the stock market
lands people in jail.
As quickly as tho ico is broken under this
attempt at manipulation of prices for per
sonal benefit at the oxwonso of his neigh
bors the local potato market Trill Improve
and establish itself in line with outside
potatoes plus freight.