FREE Barbecued Spareribs, Sat., Ian. 23« “
FOR ELKS AND THEIR LADIES ONLY _ _ELKS HOME-DANCING AFTER FEED
HELP NOW!
**«.
MARCH
DIMES
Jon 2-31
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may have for sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 18
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. JANUARY 21, 1954
PRICE TEN CENTS
ALASKA CAN PRODUCE
OWN FERTILIZERS,
EXPERT BELIEVES
A gathering, numbering be
tween 40 and 50 persons, heard
Lee Fryer of the Charles Lilly
Seed Company speak on soil fer
tility and fertilizers and their
importance in producing top
grade crops.
Fryer, who is in the territory j
arranging for shipments of fer- I
tilizer and seed for his firm, told
those present that he could for
see the day when basic fertilizer
needs will be produced in Alaska.
"Ammonium nitrate, a petroleum
by-product, can be produced
when your oil is developed”, he
stated. “Ammonium nitrate ship
ments to Valley farmers have
been very costly—when you could
get them. Fred Zieke got them
for you last year-this year they
are not promising anything above
last year’s arrangements”, Fryer
told those attending. ‘‘In fact”, he
added, “the steamship lines ap
plied for permission to charge
regular explosive freight rates on
ammonium nitrate”.
“Inevitably”, Fryer continued,
"when resources of the Territory
are exploited it >,\yould be silly
to boost the development of Alas
ka without boming Alaska agri
culture”.
Fryer predicted that in time to
come Alaska will be producing
fertilizers now imported from the
States and Europe. With this
development premium shipping
prices will be a*thing of the past,
he said.
The fertilizer specialist punc
tuated parts of his talk with in
formative films. Ed Baldwin of
Alaska Seed Company fi-om An
chorage accompanied Fryer, and
assisted in showing the films.
Following a general discussion
period coffee and doughnuts were
served by the Matanuska Valley
Farmers Cooperating Association.
While in this area Fryer also
spoke to a group of farmers who
sell milk to George Jackson of
the Alaska Dairy, and members
of the Anchorage Chamber of
Commerce.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert May, for
mer Palmerites, are back in town
this week after a vacation spent
in the States. They plan to move
to Anchorage soon. May is with
the Bureau of Mines.
Justification Must
Be Shown to Reopen
Office, Marshal Says
“Just show me good justifica
tion and i will do all I can toward
the reopening of a Deputy Mar
shal office in the Matanuska Val
ley”, Fred Williamson, U. S. Mar
shal told a large gathering last
Thursday night. Williamson had
been invited to the meeting by
the Matanuska Valley Republican
Club to discuss the reopening of
the office closed last year.
Representatives from nearly
every organization and business
in Palmer were in attendance,
including law enforcement offi
cers of the City, Territory and
Wasilla.
U. S. Commissioner May Car
ter of Wasilla told Williamson
that Wasilla is an unincorporated
area, that they are too small to
incorporate and therefore are
faced with a different problem
than areas where there are some
taw enforcement officers on duty.
We have difficulty in even gett
ing hold of an officer with the
only phone located at the Rail
road Dept, where the agent is on
duty eight hours a day. Territory
Police are located » outside the
area and without adequate tele
pho»e or radio communications,
it is difficult to even carry out
the work as Commissioner with
out an officer”, she pointed out
to the Marshal.
“The area is growing, with
many homesites and homesteads
being taken up. Many complaints
from owners who reported break
ins on their property had to go
uninvestigated because there was
no Marshal available. When ask
ed how many complaints of this
nature had been received this
past year. Mrs. Carter stated that
;he complaints were pretty well
scattered along the roads and that
they totalled between 30 and 40.
“In one case, I had a drunk and
disorderly complaint signed. I
notified the patrolman but got no
results until one month later”,
she told Williamson.
“If the office was closed for ec
onomical reasons,” Pat Carter told
Williamson, “I can’t see it”, and
went on to tell of a death at
Big Lake that at first appeared to
be caused by foul play. “We had
to fly officials in—the plane
stood by while they were in
(Continued on page 8)
ANNOUNCING THE OPENING
of the
MATANUSKA BARBER SHOP
LOCATED AT THE MATANUSKA HOTEL
HARRY PHILLIPS, Barber
On Being a ^ecd Neighbor
We all pride ourselves on being neighborly. Within the circle ol
our community, the helping hand is extended to those in distress
But being a good ftaighbor in just our own community is not enough
There are many mutual problems facing all of us that can be solved
only on a national level. Some of these are health and welfare problems
that are much better solved voluntarily—through all our own efforts—
than by a paternalistic all-embracing government.
The scourge of polio is one problem that cannot be solved locally.
Victory can be won only if every community voluntarily supports a
coordinated national attack against the disease. This requires a national
organization to lead the fight. Fortunately we have a battle-tested
leader in the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
For 16 years the National Foundation and its county chapters have
spear-headed the attack against polio. It is a purely voluntary organi
zation financed solely by the March of Dimes. It grew out of the recog
nition of millions of people that polio could be conquered only through
an expensive and expansive effort.
This is the American way of doing things, as opposed to the totali
tarian way in which government does it all and people must simply
accept what is done.
Some people believe that neighborliness should stop at the borders
of their own community. They would have the government take over
all large health and welfare programs. We don’t believe these people
realize what this kind of government program would involve.
As President Eisenhower recently said when talking about voluntary
agencies: “The slogan of a true democracy is not—Let the Government
do it. The true slogan is—Let’s do it Ourselves.”
Robert T. Lansdale, New York State Welfare Commissioner, recently
said this: “Without the facilities and services of voluntary agencies,
vast sums would have to be spent by the State to build plants and
institute programs” and “while public and private agencies complement
each other, it is the voluntary groups which have explored, pioneered,
and developed techniques of assistance and set the pace for all pro
grams. Government and voluntary agencies do not conflict; both have
found a sound basis for their existence in the American social structure.”
We think this is sound reasoning. We hope that such voluntary
organizations will continue to be an integral part of the American way
of life. They provide a bulwark against regimentation and totalitarian
tendencies.
The 16th March of Dimes is just starting. It may well be the most
significant one ever held. The announcement of a new program—POLIO
PREVENTION—with a trial vaccine to be tested this year—may mean
a grim and expensive battle soon won. Victory seems close, but it can
only be reached if we all dig down and give more than ever before.
Here is our chance to be good neighbors on a national scale and
prove that the spirit of voluntary cooperation is a mighty weapon
against disease and disaster.
Local Loggers Invited to Second Meeting
A large representation of log
gers, and others interested in the
promotion of the logging indus
try in this area, attended a meet
ing held by the Matanuska Val
ley Chamber of Commerce this
past Friday.
As this was the first large
scale meeting ever held by local
loggers, nothing concrete was es
tablished. However, many discus
sions centering around ready
markets, lumber potentials and
availabilities, shipping costs and
various other subjects were con
ducted. Fred Zieke, Chamber
president, introduced William C.
Bittner of the Alasia Company of
Anchorage and George Hutton of
the Coastwise Anchorage office
who were present to answer ques
tions pertaining to their particu
lar phases in the proposed pro
gram.
Another meeting will be held
in the Co-Op club room on Sat
urday, January 23 at 3:00 pm. At
this time it is expected that those
attendihg the meeting last Friday
will have had time to formulate
some of the ideas advanced at the
meeting, including the possibility
of forming an association of log
gers and sawmill owners. Any
one interested in the program is
invited to attend the meeting.
Ticket Sales To
Begin for Annual
March of Dimes Dance
Don Magee and his orchestra, a
popular Anchorage dance band,
will be heard at the March of
Dimes dance to be sponsored by
local members of Beta Sigma Phi
on January 30 at the Palmer
School gymnasium.
Admission will be $2.00 per
couple and tickets for the annual
affair will be on sale the first
part of the week. They may be
obtained from any sorority mem
ber or members of a committee
appointed by sorority president
Betty Rice. Commiteee members
are Dorothy Saxton, Clara Buzby,
Dorothy Getsgo, Gladyce Jones,
and Virginia Gallant. Formal
dress will be optional.
Committee members have an
nounced they will combine a Val
entine theme with the March of
Dimes motifs and preparations
for decorations in the gym are
already under way. Check room
service will be offered.
Kiwanis members, who are
working with the sorority on the
local March of Dimes, reported
this week that contributions being
made in the “test tube” collection
cans are coming along pretty well,
with a few full cans already turn
ed in. The two service clubs have
joined forces in urging 100 per
cent participation in the 1954
March of Dimes campaign.
“Research will mean victory”,
members of the National Founda
tion for Infantile Paralysis have
reminded donors this year. Gam
ma globulin—obtained from hu
man blood-protects for a few
weeks. But it is in very short sup
ply. A new program, Polia Pre
vention, has been started this
year. To insure the success of the
program and to enable the com
(Continued on page 8)
r
SHIP LINES NEED
REVENUE INCREASE
TO WIPE OUT DEFICIT"
Freight rates for Alaska Steam
ship Company and Coastwise
Line will be increased 10 per
cent, effective February 10, ac
cording to information given
Delegate E. L. Bartlett by the
Federal Maritime Board.
This announcement, received
from Delegate Bartlett this week
in his “Washington News-Letter”
confirms the announcement made
at a recent Chamber of Commer
ce meeting when local members
went on record objecting to the
across-the-board increase with
out a public hearing being held.
The tariffs will apply between
Seattle and Tacoma and Alaska
ports on Alaska Steamship Com
pany vessels and between Cali
fornia, Oregon, and Tacoma ports
in the Territory on Coastwise
vessels.
“In keeping with everyone
else,” the two companies claim,
"the steamship lines operating to
Alaska have had substantial in
creases in various operating costs
since the last rate adjustment be
came effective March 1, 1952.”
Alaska Steamship Company of
ficials state that the estimated
revenues from passengers, mail,
freight, and other sources totalled
$16,967,539 for 1953, with operat
ing expenses totalling $16,859,786,
the net result before taxes being
$107,753.
Coastwise states that during
the past year its total operations
will indicate a loss of about $300,
000. Approximately 50 percent of
the revenues of this latter line is
derived from Alaska trade. The
Alaska Steamship Company has
projected 1954 operating losses
"using 1953 revenues and wages
and conditions which exist as of
(Continued on page 8)
n
Attention!
Business Firms
By City of Palmer Ordinances 14, 31, and
41 BUSINESS LICENCES FOR THE YEAR 1954
WERE DUE JANUARY 1, 1954. ANYONE
OPERATING WITHOUT A BUSINESS LICENSE
AFTER FEBRUARY 1, 1954 WILL BE SUBJECT
TO PROSECUTION. APPLY FOR YOUR LI
CENSE AT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK.
CITY OF PALMER
Carlson or Fred at FRED’S SERVICE, M
24 HOUR SERVICE y
FORMERLY CO-OP SERVICE