THE MATANUSKA VALLEY PIONEER
Published every Thursday by ARRO
at palmer, Alaska,
Jack Allman Editor.
Evidently, the howls of the dis
gruntled who have returned to the
States are being taken with a grain
of salt (relief Issue salt at that)
by many farmers out there who find
themselves facing another possible
drought, or perhaps a reoccurance
of the sand storm menace.
General Manager Don Irwin re
ceives an average of fifty letters
a week from farmers applying for
a forty acre tract in the valley,
to be assigned them under the same
conditions as those governing the
original two hundr ed families. Six
hundred and twenty-five applica
tions are now? on file at his office.
It is not to the liking of many
men to be on relief, and no doubt
theso who are asking to be allowed
to fill the vacancies created by
returned Colonists would feel if
chosen, as do those of the origi
nal two hundred who remain, that
by their Industry in trying to es
tablish their hones here they have
again become self-supporting, mak
ing for a more enjoyable existence
than that which, through no fault
of their own, they hive found them
selves .
It is not within the power of
our government to prevent floods,
crop failures and sand, storms, but
It is within their power to create
opportunity for those who are am
bitious enough, and smart enough
to grasp it.
perhaps the most oft repeatod
question asked by those who have
not given this colonization pro
ject any study is: "what are they
going to do with their crops when
they do raise them?"
The answer is here in this ar
ticle by Dr. Charles E. Bunnell,
president of the University of
Alaska. Dr. Bunnell writes;
"On my desk through the courte
sy of the Collector of Customs for
the Territory is a copy of his re
port for the year ending December
31, 1934. The report is worthy of
exhaustive study. It speaks vol
umes to him who will listen.....
"The balance of trade in favor
of the Territory for 1934 was $31,
041,391, or an increase of $8,595,
180 over 1933."
Dr. Bunnell then lists the
urineipal outbound shipments and
ml lows with this list of imports
which are of such keen interest to
r.t,. uoro are the items and their
a, f and venl, fresh. . $519,828.00
porlr, fresh & pickled.
Ham & shoulders.
Bacon.
Mutton & lamb.
poultry & game, fresh.
Milk, canned.
Butter.
Choose.
Eggs...
Wheat flour.
Hay..
potatoes, whito.
Onions.
Vogot;;b1os , canaod.. . .
4117,534.
. .118,584
. . 163,69o
.. 50,598
. .100,805
. .882,268
. .379,130
.. 64,001
.#346,lol
. .282,160
. . 28,206
. .121,510
. . 50,8o8
. .275,358
Other vegetables, fresh
and. prepared.. 171,081
Regarding this list, Dr. Bun
nell has this to say:
"The grand total of these
items is 82,351,526 .'00. As I
understand the report, this sum
represents invoice value and
does not include transportation
which would increase the laid
down cost to the dealer very
considerably.
"i am sure that I an most
conservative when I estimate
that at least a million and a
half dollar’s worth of this pro
duce can and ought to be produced
by our own people.
"Through the efforts of the
IT. S. Department of Agriculture
and private individuals, it has
been demonstrated that farm pro
ducts of the kind listed can be
grown successfully. So much for
that. freight rates to the Ter
ritory operate as a high protec
tive tariff. And that is so much
more. The market is at horq,e ana
yet in spite of all the promtsin,
advantages tho cause of agricul
ture has fow takers.
"The reasons that bring about
this extraordinary situation ar,.
neither numerous nor complex....
Alaskans are either fish or min
ing min de d. ..Fifte en y o ar s ago i :
a hundred farmers with their fam
ilies had undertaken farming as
their sole industry... and had or
ganized to meet the demands of
the local market and had done so
on a competitive basis today the;
would be amply rewarded for the:! :
efforts and would have proven
what still remains to be demon
strated. The opportunity is bet
ter today than ever before."
NOTICE
With the ban against public
gatherings lifted, Dr. Albrecht
urges that proper hygienic cam
be taken to prevent any reoccur
one o of c ont agi ous di s eas e. Ho
advises paying special attention
to colds and sore throat. Notify
field nurse if they become sever
With, cooler weather coming on
avoid wot clothing...pneumonia
is a dangerous disease.