Palner, Alaska Dorothy 1.1. Bell.Editor
Published once a reek at Palner, Alaska, fon tip. Ijatanuska Valley Farmers’ Cooperating
Association for'the purpose of giving neus of the Associations rork, problems, and
Ac coriplishnents.
Subscription Rate $1,75 per year $1.00 for six months 10$ a copy
SCKkY Th/aT-S ' . TfE . WAY IT- 1$.
This issue of the Valley Settler concludes the vrork of the present Editor in this
capacity, ,_rho rill continue this v.'ork is not knom at the present tine.
It has boon almost',five years,since the prosent Editor took over the printing and
publication of the.Valley Settler. Theso five years have been hobd ones for the Co-op,
but v:o do feel that it has cone over the hunp. The Editor sincerely hopos that tho'
Association trill cpnjtinuo td prospor and grow and bo of real sorvico to its nenbers,
TUtat she has nritton on those pages in support of Co-ops and their value to the
people who make of their memberships has been noro than just something to fill un
tho pages. It was rhat your editor believed in and still believes.
However, your editor doos not feel that the Valley Settlor has entirely fulfilled
its duty to the'members as an educational organ. It has not boon the medium of in
formation that it should have been.
.tad along the line of education let’s sec what other co-op members frofi other parts
of the country have to say in regard to this phase of thb Cooperatives? Prom Seattle
a co-op man has this to say—
"For some time I have sensed that the hunt for profits sets co-op policy rathor than
the formal statements made by many co-op leaders. Remove the "divide up tho profit”
plank from the program of some co-ops and '.-hat’s left isn’t impressivo.
■FFor instance, their education program should fehor, I believe, tho way tofrard a
bettor life, that wo can live happier and better lives by working together. Instead
it scons to fall into roughly three categories: (l) a top-lcvol, rathor high sounding
philosophy, that isn't reflected too well down below;(2) a ris-nash of twittery do
good phrasos that might be "\7oll meant” but fit nothing much in the year 1949; (3)'
a do-nothing policy existing in a local vacuum and bounded by tho desire to save two
cor.ts on a can of saucr kraut, ”
The writer admits that this might be both harsh and incorrect, but he says that ho
cannot find many points in recent years where the Co-op'educational program has ;
brought to' life any new or vital approach to our living.
/*nalocally—in spite of all that re have rritten one Valley farcer replied rhon
approached about joining tho Co-op, that he didn’t believe in this Co-op because it
had, too nuch property and oquipnont for 125 nonbors. Nor if you con mice sense out
of a statenent like that—you can do better than the Editor,' If-sono capitalist
OT.Tied and oporatod all this by h ins elf, no. ono rould think anything about it except
that ho ras a big business nan and rathor roll to do-but it is too nuch for 125
pooplc. And fron tho Editor’s point of view—it is pretty discouraging to have
rorked for alnost five years explaining the purpose of Co-ops, their place in the
oconony of our country and then to have sonoonc cone out with an inano rcnaric liko
that,. Had he said that the overhead for the anount of business done ras too large,
re night have agreed rith hinr-but renember—volurie cuts that dom. '
Rogardless of hor the Editor fools tornrd the success or failure of her r-ork on tho
Valley Settler, that is not tho roason for hor resignation, Th,c plain truth is, that
the Editor is tired. The work is getting too heavy and it is a natter of
health. The ’hours requirod to print nerspapors aro long and often nerve wrecking
and nineographod papers take a lot of extra rorlc.
The present Editor rishes to thank all those rho have cooporatcd with hor in the
publication of tho V:illoy Settler the past years. She sincerely hopes that tho ,
present problons confronting‘the Association rill all be ironed"out*to tho best
interests of all the nembers.
, . . —.- i
Co-ops arc groups of peoplo, and succeed- and prosper just to tho extent that those
pooplc give -then attention and support.
Good cooperative ncotings develop ncighborlincss, rhich is an asset in cooperatives.
Cooperatives extend omorship anong t.ho people and thus expand capitnlisn, rathor
than destroy it—but thoy take out tho exploitation.