Valley FRONTERSMAN
Published each Wednesday and Saturday
Palmer, Alaska
Viola Daniels . .Editor
Marilyn Rhodes.advertising manager Anchorage area.
No printed material in the Valley Frontiersman may be re
produced except by permission of the editor.
Subscription rates .75c month
Delivered by carrier in Palmer. Mailed to all points in
Alaska and the United States.
Printed in Anchorage plant of Anchorage Daily Times
I
The
Letterbox
Editor:
The writer believes that pub
lication of this letter should give
rationally minded people of the
Valley food for thought. The re
cent controversy regarding li
censing of cocktail bars in Pal
mer is somewhat disturbing for
those of us who believe in and
have faith in the future of Pal
mer.
I have no interest in or with
tht liquor industry and have no
intention of becoming so affili
ated, however, I do feel the small
group of people who were trying
to force prohibition upon Mata
nuska Valley residents were and
are in serious error. There shall
be no doubt of the sincerity of
the 51 persons who entered pro
test against licensing the bars,
but we are sure they have
blinded themselves to the fact
that prohibition does not ac
complish anything, and, from
1918 to 1933 it was not only a
failure, but in addition infested
America (and Alaska) with
gangsterism, lawlessness, dis
honesty and other evils greater
than the evils of drinking.
Those who are opposed to li
quor establishments should re
member the National, State and
Territorial laws legalize such
establishments and they shall
not presume to override the
laws. Would it not be more ap
propriate to devote all their en
ergies to a campaign of educa
tion rather than prohibition?
The first bespeaks co-operation,
while the latter only breeds an
tagonism and contempt. A very
intelligent and sincere minister
i here in Anchorage is greatly op
posed to liquor uses and abuses,
yet he has stated to the writer
: “that a campaign of education is
the better plan for accomplish
i ment.’
As this is read many will won
der why I venture to voice an
opinion. My family has lived in
the Valley, we love it, have faith
in its prosperous future, and
plan to again make our home in
• the Valley beginning next sum
mer. We are the majority share
holders in the Matanuska Hotel
: and hope to have it open in April.
! The total investment of all
shareholders in the hotel shall
exceed $175,000 when completed,
j The hoiel shall have no liquor
establishment, but we are frank
in stating that the hotel and
every business establishment in
Palmer is dependent upon the
trade of those who come to Pal
mer from elsewhere. No com
munity the writer has ever
heard of found it possible to |
exist, grow or prosper solely i
I from limited agriculture and'
i swapping dollars between its
! cloistered residents. Even the
! churches are indirectly depend
| ent upon the funds arising from
i commerce with people outside
the town area. We must attract
people to Palmer.
I repeat, that in our opinion,
the misdirected efforts of a
minority group shall harm Pal
mer. During the past 13 days the
futility of prohibition was dem
onstrated by the number of peo
ple who drove to Wasilla and
Anchorage; these people were
not devoting their entire time to
drinking, they also spent money,
for other things, which should
have been spent in Palmer.
This is not an appeal for li
quor, it is an appeal for rational
ism and sane thinking; if some
of the people of the Valley
■choose to believe liquor is their
problem, that is their privilege,
however, we are remnided of a
story very appropos:
“A large colored woman in
church was punctuating the
preacher’s sermon with spirited
‘Amens’ and ‘Praise de Lawd’
as the minister lit into every
phase of sin from murder to
mayhem to cheating at marbles.
Then he moved in to the subject
of snuff chewing. Here the wo
man flared up, nudged her neigh
bor, and exclaimed: ‘Uh-oh!
There now! He’s done quit
preaching and gone to med
dlin’!’ ”
WILLIAM W. HEAD
Anchorage
To the farmers of Matanuska
Valley:
Self-aggrandkement is gener
ally considered to be not only in
bad taste but also to be grossly
ineffectual in its avowed purpose
of building one’s self-esteem.
However, in the light of recent
developments, a small minority
of Wasilla residents now can sit
back with satisfaction of a hard
job well done, and with a know
ledge of results that are gratify
ing in the extreme.
As this vitally affects every
person in Wasilla, I believe we
are not amiss in asking the help
and cooperation of each and
every resident in the surrounding
territory.
As nearly everyone knows,
the recent Army contract for po
tatoes was shipped in good part
by potato farmers of the Wasilla
district. It is this potato grow
er’s pleasure to report, in the
words of the Army inspector,
that the “potatoes grown around
Wasilla far exceed in keeping
and cooking qualities any like
product grown anywhere in Alas
ka. In fact, these spuds are con
sidered as being on a par with
anything that can be shipped
from the states.”
Now this grower assured the
inspector not only of our pleasure
and satisfaction with his report
but of our continued and unceas
ing efforts toward further im
proving this agricultural product
of which we can be so proud.
The implications of this state
ment are manifold.
Upon the strength of this state
ment, this grower believes irre
vocably in the stability of the
future of this industry here.
There is no reason why Wasilla
can’t be the capital of the potato
growing industry in the north.
We have the land, we have the
M
^ Paddock's Paint Store, shown in the picture above, has just moved into its modern new
•>; quarters at 812 Fourth Avenue. Harold Paddock, owner and manager, announces that the
store is now handling a complete line of paints, wallpaper and all your needs for redecoration
of your home. If you are planning to do over your home in the near future, drop in at Pad
dock's with all your decorating problems. They'll be glad to give you the benefit of their
years. af experience in renovating and redecorating Anchorage hume6. (Advt.l
Tr'.”- January 17, 1948
growers, and we have the pota
toes. What we don’t have is or
ganization and cooperation.
This grower believes that in
the future all other endeavors
will be subordinate and in a good
measure dependent upon the po
to industry for their continued
good health and success. There
fore I believe it behooves every
one of us to get behind this
thing; to throw off the mantles
of jealousy and the differences
that have plagued this commun
ity in the past.
Never before have so few been
so dependent upon the good will
and well wishing of the many
for the success of us all.
Also, that we may work to
gether for common good, we be
lieve that the Chamber of Com
merce or the business men’s or
ganization of Palmer should
change its name to the Matanus
ka Valley Chamber of Com
merce.
ROGER LANGDON,
Wasilla
Editor's note: Oh, but it is
the Valley Chamber of Com
merce. Mr. Langdon. Wasilla's
residents are eligible, indeed
are welcomed, at the Valley's
Chamber meetings and lunch
eons. Regular meetings are
called to order at noon in the
basement of the Lutheran
church on the first and third
Wednesday of each month. It
would be a pleasure to fill the
vacant seats at those meet
ings with neighbors from Wa
silla. See you Wednesday
Coffey Insures Everything—
Remember? —Adv.
Coffey insures Everything—
Remember? —Adv.
IT PAYS TO LOOK WELL
Valley Barber Shop
Daryl Meeks, Prop.
Owen Jones
PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
TAX CONSULTANTS
Anchorage
SWEATERS
are your answer when
the “Matanuska” sends
chill drafts through your
home.
We’ve a complete range
of styles in varied colors
and in a wide range of
sizes.
VARIETY
VOGUES
-V
i VALLEY SERVICE
GOODYEAR TIRES & BATTERIES
STANDARD PENN OIL BLAZO
STOVE OIL LUBRICATION
! __ _
For quick starting, have your battery
charged now.
We’re now doing business at our new location at
the corner of Valley street and the Glenn highway.
DROP IN AND SEE US THERE. WE NOW HAVE SURPLUS
ITEMS TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION ON OUR SHELVES
Palmer Surplus and
Secondhand Store
T--**
| I
( Pm getting service now that 1 have j
entrusted my air freight problem to
! Dependable j
i !
Mt. McKinley Airways
j AU the Way. j
! FREIGHT AND PASSENGER SERVICE J
TO AND FROM SEATTLE
CHARTER TRIPS }
j
Mt McKinley
i AIRWAYS j
{ Agent at Dow Freight Lines, Palmer, Phone 4 }
521 E Street, Anchorage Phone Main 746 {
i •