Published once a week in Palmer, ..laska,
for the Iuitenuskn Valley Farmers 1 Co-op
erating ..ssociation, for the purpose of
giving news of the association's work,
problems and accomplishments.
FARM PROBLEMS
Another spring js here and farmers are boginning to start work on
crops for the coming season. Of course farmers have always had prob
lems like most citizens. This year's problems seem a little bit worse
than usual because of many conflicting items.
First, there is a feeling of insecurity, and nothing is stabilized
this year. Farmers are faced with higher costs for everything that
they have to buy, and possibly considerable difficulty in securing some
of the things that are vital for economical production. No one knows
just how bad it will be, but if predictions come true, we are indeed
in for a bad time. Wages for labor are rising and it appears that it
will be difficult to got help at any cost, soon. So many young men are
being called into the Army and the industrial section of our country is
taking most of the surplus labor at high wages.
On the other hand, the farmer can't get very much more bor most of
the products that he has to sell, and this is especially so in Alaska.
Oh April 3rd., the Federal State Marketing Nows Service gave the follow
ing report on Parity Prices in comparison to the average price paid on
March 15, 19cl.
AVERAGE PRICE
Buttcr.fat (lb.) 69*7
Milk (100 lbs) $1+.51
Eggs (doz.) i+3*7
PARITY PRICE
76.2
$4.76
53.5
All of those items are under parity and most items that the farmers
have to sell are lower than the parity price too. Still there is tre
mendous amount of noise made about high prices of food products. Buy
er's strides arc not uncommon, and it appears that it will be difficult
to get any .adjustment on farm prices for some time to come. Someone
besides the farmer is making a lot of money on the sale of farm prod
ucts. Yet we hear that congress is aoing to put ceilings on farm
prices soon.
So far as we can learn, price ceilings on wages and industrial prod
ucts are so ineffective, that they are probably a hindcrance rather
than a help. Congress passes laws to prohibit or regulate a lot of
things, and then forgets to provide the funds or the means necessary to
enforce these, same laws. We will venture to say that probably by the
time ceilings are put on farm prices, that the "horse will be gone" and
that "closing the door" will be a futile gesture.
This v/ill be due to pressure by the big money croups to get all the
traffic v/ill bear, before any serious steps arc taken to really curb
inflation or control prices. Of course all of these things are really
preventable if the average citizen would exert his political power in
stead of being a slave to the political parties. We have the power to
change or regulate through the due process of lav/. Farmers have the
balance of power, and anytime they were to unite, they could easily
exert that authority and have things done right.
C.R.H
KIWANia MINSTREL SHOW con'td
laughs, solos; now costumes, scene
ry and li-ahting. In charge of this
year's show are Jim Hurley, direct
or; Arlene Day, talent; Mr. Udevitz
stage; Pill Remple, chorus.
There will be a nursery room un
dor the care of registered nurses
for children under school ago, dur
ing both night's shows.
CtILinG FfilCFS
JUNEAU—Two weeks remain for re
tail merchants to prepare and pre
serve their prioe lists to c orrply
continued on page 4