Valley FRONTERSMAN
Published each Wednesday and Saturday
Palmer, Alaska
Jntered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947 at the post office
at Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Viola Daniels .Editor
Evon DeLand.Advt. Manager, Palmer
George Lynch.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, $8 a year
Delivered by earner in Palmer. Maiieo io ah pom.s m
Alaska and the United States.
Printed in Anchorage plant of Anchorage Daily Times
Daniels —In the Lion’s Den
A capable set of new officers, by-laws that really work, and no
job in view — that really sums up the plight of the Valley Cham
ber of Commerce at present. And a Chamber of Commerce with
out a job is in a sorry plight, indeed.
The Alaska Native Service hospital must await fund appro
priations by Congress before anything can be accomplished in
the way of even preliminary plans. For the present, at least, the
Chamber must wait until Congress acts before more can be done
to convince authorities that the Valley is the most logical location
for that hospital.
The Airport Association has plans for the expansion of Palm
er’s port well in hand, and the Valley Hospital Association is pro
gressing nicely with plans for the construction of a new permanent
hospital. The Grange is pushing plans which will make Palmer
• a more beautiful place in which to live.
To all these organizations the Chamber has promised “full co
operation." But there’s not much of a job in just sitting and co
operating while someone else is working.
So, while the larger plans are percolating for Valley improve
ment, why not just a couple of small jobs for the Chamber of Com
merce, just to keep the group in working practice?
Palmer badly needs identifying signs on the highways leading
into the town. Too many motorists leave the Valley with the be
wildered question, “but where is Palmer?"
The Chamber would be doing the Valley and its visitors a
real service if it would undertake to erect signs on the roads lead
ing into Palmer, welcoming the approaching motorist to our
town. It’s a friendly gesture, one that Chambers of Commerce
make the most of in the states. That’s a project that wouldn’t
take too much work, nor too many funds.
It should be done in time to help the Grange in its project of
roadside beautification and home improvement. The Grange
plans to sponsor a contest to name the farms—let’s have the Cham
ber name Palmer on appropriate signs not too far from town.
Right in keeping with that thought of welcome to our passing
visitor, why not make it a Chamber of Commerce project to ex
tend a more substantial welcome to those who plan to live
among us?
Figures are being quoted, which lead us to believe that this
entire area will grow like a mushroom after a rainstorm, during
the coming months. Why not extend a Matanuska welcome to
our permanent settlers, as expressed in a gift basket of Matanuska
products?
Anchorage has a similar plan, called the “welcoming hostess”
plan. It has received wide publicity through the states, and recip
ients write glowing letters of commendation. The Valley could
do as much. Why not plan a gift basket which would contain a
dozen eggs, a pint of Matanuska milk, five pounds of Matanuska
potatoes, a loaf of local bread, tickets to the local movie, a gift
subscription to the local newspapers, and merchandise orders of
a dollar or two in value on local stores and shops?
Permanent residents are not likely to flock to our Valley in
such numbers that the plan would prove too great a burden. And
perhaps it might encourage those who come, and who are greeted
with visible evidence of their welcome here, to make their stay
of long duration.
One Chamber member already has volunteered some time
to the project, should the plan be endorsed by the group. If wel
coming chores were divided among members of a committee of
six or eight, none would be too greatly burdened.
Let’s put our Chamber of Commerce to work on these small
projects, while they wait for the bigger assignments we know
will come in the months ahead. There’s no time to sit and wait
for work in the Valley today.
When you buy tires ask
about the guarantee
SPECIAL TRADE-IN ALLOWANCE
ON SETS OF TIRES
Be sure you see the new Gates
Silent Safety all-size passenger
tires
GRAHAM SERVICE
Machine Work
I
Welding
Oil
Repair
Gat
Joint Rate Slash
Is Announced
A new Alaska Steamship Co.,
freight tariff naming propor
tional rates on weight basis, be
tween Seattle and Tacoma,
Wash., and Valdez, will bring
down truck rates to many Alas
kan points, it was announced
this week by Robert J. Mitchell
of the Richardson Highway
Truckers Association.
Mr. Mitchell said lower rates
will be effective to Tonsina,
Copper Center, Chitina, Gul
kana, Sourdough, Paxon, Rapids,
Chistochina, Slana, Nabesna,
Tanacross, Big Delta. Richard
son. Fairbanks, Livengood and
Circle City.
Commodity rates in the tariff
for groceries, meats, fruits, veg
etables, furniture, oil, building
materials, cement, and other
items, now' apply on any quan
tity, thus eliminating the need
of ordering in carload lots to
1 obtain the lower rates.
Terminal charges at the Val
dez dock also have been revised
to conform with steamship and
truck rates.
Truckers hailed the new tariff,
saying it is expected to materi
ally increase the traffic moving
over the highway network in the
open season. It is believed the
increased volume will justify the
maintenance of the highways to
keep them open the year round.
The new tariff becomes ef
fective on April 5, 1948.
Added At Rate
Of 1,000 A Day
Installation of telephones in
farm homes is increasing at such
a rapid rate that telephone com
panies sometimes are hard put
to it to keep up with the de
mand. One remote area in Color
ado, which can’t be reached by
the normal method of stringing
wires, is connected by short
wave and radio telephone equip
ment. Eight ranches in this par
ticular area are served on this
hook-up.
Farmers were putting in
phones at the ratio of one in
four homes in 1940. That
figure had risen to one in
three by 1945. and it's now be
lieved to be higher than four
in ten.
Not only are the farmers ask
ing for service, they’re asking
for the most modern type of
equipment with that service. The
crank operated wall phone is as
much a thing of the past on the
farm as it is in the home of the
city cousin.
The farmer picks up his phone
and asks for a number, just as
I the businessman does. Some
times he picks up his phone and
dials that number. And even as
he dials, new phones are going
into other farm homes all across
the country for the installation
rate has reached a record high
of 1,000 phones a day.
Call 8 to get meeting notices
printed in the Frontiersman.
I ---
Coffey Insures Everything—
Remember? —Adv.
a NOTICE
i Party is known who broke !
j into Fred Larson home and 1
i took electric motor. Record |
J of motor's serial number has i
■ been kept. No questions asked *
■ if motor is returned to me.
’ (signed) FRED LARSON I
Wertanens Tanker
Service
METERED DELIVERY
Gasoline. Diesel and Stove Oil
Ph. 6-23Y-11 Eino Wertanen
Matanuska Electric
Association, Inc.
For Power Distribution
For a DIFFERENT Breakfast j
select several varieties of rolls from our
delicious assortment of breakfast pastries.
Eilher healed with butler, or eaten just as they are,
they'll have the family asking for
more for tomorrow's breakfast
SHAMROCK BAKERY
For All Yoar Refreshment Needs
in Palmer
VISIT
FRONTIER BAR
FRONTIER LIQUOR STORE
FRONTIER CAFE
All three open 24 hours daily,
seven days each week
JACK CARR SERVICE, iNC.
New and Used Aircraft
Parts and Supplies
Taylorcraft Distributors for Alaska
MERRILL FIELD
ANCHORAGE
J. VIC BROWN & SONS
uThe Live Jewelers”
★
ALASKA RAILROAD WATCH INSPECTORS
Across trow Cltr Hall Anchorage
3
The Alaska Railroad
Offers Valley Residents a complete passenger and
freight service—daily except Sunday
SCHEDULE
Leave Palmar .
Arrives Anchorage .
Leave Anchorage .
Arrives Palmer .
3:30 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
9:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
Fare-—$2.55 one way; $3.40 round trip
FOR INFORMATION
Call Palmer Depot — or Anchorage, ARCO 11