PALMER,ALASKA Dorothy M. Re 11,Editor
Published every week a t Palmer,Alaska, for the-Matanugaka Valley
Farmers' Cooperating Association for the purpose of giving news of the
Associations Work, Problems and Accomplishments and dissemination of
information of .a public character# i : \ j
subscription rat'e $1.75 Por year _ _
A line AND MVFCA
I.t comes as rather a surprise to many of us in the Valley when we bump
into people who do not know the difference between the ARRC and the
MVFCA. H owever, ther<- are people here who do not know the difference—
many thinking that they are one and the same*
►
The Alaska Rural Rehabilitation Corporation was set up under the laws
of the Territory of Alaska to engineer the Matanuska Project from 1935
to 19l+C»• The job of netting everything in running order was expected
to be complete at the end of five years. Therefore, the ARRC had an
agreement tha t the setup would be turned over to the people as a co
operative at the end of tha t time. This was done-at that time through
a contract with the newly organized Matanuska Valley Farmers' Coopera
ting Association* This Association agreed' to purchase everything ex
cept the farms and chattel mortgages. The farm mortgages and chattel
mortgages are still held by the ARRC#
Now—is the ARRC a government agency in the true sense of the word?
N o, it is not# It is to a degree under the supervision of the De
partment of the Interior, but It is not.a government agency* Therefore,
the farms which a re being purchased under contract from the ARRC are
not government farms# The only land held by the ARRC that Is govern
ment land is some op en land that may be purchased through the recom
mendation of the ARRC. Money paid into the ARRC on the purchase of
these farms now under contract goes into what is referred-to as a re
volving fund which is set up for future development of agriculture in
Alaska . With these funds the ARRC has carried out a land clearing
program.
Why brine; up this question now?
In recent discussions on the Incorporation of a school district, infor
mation has' been circulated that of the land in the Valley, Is not
taxable because it Is government land. This v/ould throw the burden of
taxa tion on a few people and a large'number of people v/ould receive the
benefits of the school, but v/ould bp tax free and therefore v/ould net
be supporting the school.
In the first place, every farmer who Is purchasing a farm from the ARRC
agreed to pay a 11 taxes that might be levied on this property* This
clause in Itself is binding.
I* the second -place, the land is not government ov/ned and therefore is
taxable* Th~ro seem to be no loop holes for anyone. Everyone is going
tr have to stand his just share of taxation when the time comes."Even
at that the tax problem In the Valley will be a difficult one Property
owners are scattered and a ctually v/ith all property considered It will
be difficult to raise the amount of taxes necessary to support a school
of this size. Fortunately the problem of school bus transportation
would not fall upon the district. Mr* Wimmer received a letter from
Dr. Ryan recently in which Dr. Ryan pointed out that the territory would
probably take care of bus transportation. Busses in Fairbanks and
A nchorage a re ma Intalnei by the Territory.
Finally-What is the position of the M.V.F.C.A? . '
The FVFCA, v/hen it was turned over or sold to the farmers in the Valley,
became a priva te enterprise. V/hen ife is cleared of debt or the mort
gages which It owes, it will belong entirely to the farmers who use it
and are members,____________
During the past ten years Farmers 1. Cooperatives have become very success
ful. Two "common sense rules"have been formulated by the FSA is a Co-op
is to be successful. They are: |
1. A co-op Is a business proposition and it must be run in a business
like way»
2. All members of a co-ap must work together for the good of the whole
group. A co-op is built on goodwill and every member must be willing
to do his share,