Valley
F rontiersman
VOL. II, No. 4
PALMER, ALASKA, OCTOBER 6, 1948
TEN CENTS
Fair Funds Are Low But Adequate
I
COORDINATOR
VISITS HERE
TO GET DATA
A six-year blueprint for the
Territory’s development is being
worked out by the Alaska Field
Committee of the Department of
the Interior, it was reported here
this week by Kenneth Kadow,
committee head. It is the job of
the Field Committee to co-ordi
nate the work of eight govern
mental agencies now located in
Alaska.
The,Committee will tie togeth
er the work of the Bureau of
Mines, The Alaska Railroad,
Alaska Road Commission, Bu
reau of Land Management, Alas
ka Native Service, U. S. Geologi
cal Survey, National Park Serv
ice and the Fish and Wild Life
Service.
The Field Committee will plan
the Territory’s future and then
will figure costs of putting its
plans into operation, with the
expectation of placing requests
for appropriations to meet those
costs before Congress. It is ex
pected that the 1949-’50 session
of Congress would .provide the
funds.
One of Mr. Kadow’s jobs is to
interest capital in the invest
ment of funds in Alaskan indus
try. Another is to provide hous
ing for the workers who will be
needed to develop that industry,
once funds are forthcoming.
Mr. K.aaow visited Palmer last
Friday, where he conferred with
several Valley agricultural heads.
He expressed interest in further
ing the agricultural economy of
the Valley and he asked many
questions concerning the princi
pal barriers to agricultural de
velopment.
While here, he stated that he
felt the three immediate needs
of this locality were: (1) A ce
ment plant, (2 > A sash, door and
flooring factory utilizing native
products, (3) a large-scale build
ing program designed to lower
the present high costs of con
struction.
Mr. Kadow stated that he
found it extremely difficult to
interest Outside capital in the
possibilities of development of
potential Alaskan industry. He
said he felt it is possible that
only government aid can meet
the Territory’s initial invest
ment needs.
Just For The Record
There is a misunderstanding current with regard to a
recent statement concerning the seed potato crop, M. D.
Snodgrass reported today. He wishes to correct the impres
sion that Valley farmers sustained a serious crop loss be
cause of disease.
The statement he made a week or two ago referred only
to certified seed potatoes, he said. He reminded that while
the incidence of disease is high, so far as seed potatoes are
concerned, the outbreak of blackleg does not impair the
commercial market value of the potato.
The certified seed field may not have an incidence of
disease higher than two per cent and still pass inspection,
Mr. Snodgrass reported. He again reminded farmers that if
they can clear out diseased hills from their fields, a second
inspection can certify seed for private use, although such
farmers may not sell seed commercially.
Mr. Snodgrass said some farmers are receiving unusu
ally heavy yields of potatoes, but he finds that his initial
estimate of three-fourths of a crop seems essentially cor
rect. He reports that a yield of 13 to 14 tons an acre seems
to be the top figure this season. However some farmers still
must dig their potatoes and that figure may be increased.
Fields lying west of Palmer apparently are harvesting
consistently better crops this season, he said. However Max
Sherrod has recorded an unusually heavy crop from a small
two-acre plot of potatoes.
Paving Job
Is Started
Paving operations on the Pal
mer Highway were approaching
reality today with the announce
ment that heavy equipment is
being moved into the Valley in
preparation *for the initial clear
ing and grading work. This part
of the job, which is expected to
require a crew of 20 men, will be
completed by Stock and Grove,
Inc., Anchorage contractors. That
firm also will place all culverts.
The over-all contract for, the
40 miles of grading on the Pal
mer Highway was awarded to S.
Birch & Sons Construction Co.,
and Morrison-Knudsen, Inc. The
two firms submitted a joint bid
of $1,689,752. The figure was ap
proved by the Public Roads Ad
ministration.
Paving is to be laid down on a
roadbed 24 feet in width, to a
depth of two inches.
The Palmer project is the first
of two paving jobs scheduled for
completion next summer. The
second, which calls for surfacing
44 miles of the Glen Highway
out of Fairbanks, also will be
done by Birch & Sons and Mor
rison-Knudsen.
ARMY SAVES
THE DAY FOR
ST. MICHAEL'S
Last-minute worries on the
part of conimittee heads plan
ning the Oct. 16 bazaar of St.
Michael’s Church were ground
less. Until this week, the ship
ping tie-up threatened to leave
bazaar packages on Seattle
docks, but boxes now are arriv
ing daily, following the docking
of an Army mailboat at Whittier,
and the bazaar will go on as
scheduled.
.inio years event, to begin in
the Palmer school gym at 7:30
on the evening of the sixteenth,
is to provide more fun for the
whole family than has any pre
vious bazaai's. Carnival-themed,
there will be wheels of chance,
dart-throwing, a Bingo game
and a return engagement by last
year’s foreteller of the future.
Admission is free.
On the business side of bazaar
activities, there will be lines and
household necessities to buy, as
well as costume jewelry and more
frivolous luxuries. For the hun
gry, roasted peanuts, hot dogs
and coffee and cake will be pro
vided.
Four prizes will be given to
bazaar-goers. They include a
BeJJ and Howell movie camera
(Continued on Page 6)
BOUQUETS,
GRIPES TOSSED
AT BANQUET
Even though there is only a
balance of $350 in the treasury
of the Matanuska Valley Fair
Association at present, this
year’s three-day event was un
usually successful, superinten
dents of departments stated at
last week’s banquet. All present
said they were more than satis
fied with the presentation of the
1948 fair, and all were quick to
add suggestions for a better fair
in 1949.
It was pointed out that al
though this year’s fair appears
not to have been a financial suc
cess, several permanent im
provements were made. Quonset
huts were erected at a cost of
$3,000. Final payments on the
grounds were made during the
past summer. An automobile in
the higher cost bracket was pur
chased this year.
Banqueters were told that
there are one or two sources of
revenue which can be expected
to swell the funds before next
year. Rental of buildings on the
fair grounds is expected to aug
ment Association finances. A
territorial grant of $1,000 also is
available to the Association.
Criticisms, invited from each
person who attended by chair
man Don Irwin, were primarily
concerned wuth building and
grounds improvement.
Suggestions for interior im
provement included better light
ing in the buildings; a step-shelf
arrangement for display of vege
table, canning and needlework
exhibits; better placarding of the
classes of exhibits; names of ex
hibitor on display following
judging; enlarged space for ex
hibitors; better provision for
protection of exhibits of value;
storage space for boxes and
crates used in transporting dis
plays; remodelling of barn space
so that fair-goers might pass by
the heads of animals on display
rather than at their heels.
As grounds improvement, ban
quet guests called for turnstile
admission gates, construction of
an outdoor pavilion for dancing,
construction of a rest spot for
fair-goers, erection of bulletin
boards outside of each fair
building to name classes of dis
plays within and erection of
added Quonset huts for another
year, if possible.
(Continued on Page 3)