chance of restoring confidence
and my hope for pence and pros
perity in the Matanuska Valley.
We aro not insensible. to the.
many advantages that have accured
to this Valley, and the result
ant privileges afforded to this
community. We fo> 1 that the
present Admihistration at Wash
ington sincerely desires to
better our condition and provide
homes and security for our
families. But we also feel,
and sincerely hope, that ’Wash
ington will take steps to re
move the constant frcttinu and
uncertainty which is now our
lot under ARRC mana0cment.
• ith thousands of acres of good
tillable land, land how held from
development by the ARRC, await
ing development if made avail
able for additional settlement,
we feel that the Government
de ould take some action' to remedy
this situation.
At procent if we need grazing
land we must pl^.cc our cattle
under the -care of a herder,
and likewise according." to lav^
first obtain a grazing lease
from the Government • V/e cannot
turn our stock on the public
dome in without violating the
law. 'Jo cannot fence in the
public domain, or acquire title
to this range.
In former years a movement was
started to open such razing
.land in Alaska to settlement.
The ARRC Management frowned
upon such efforts. And nothing
was done to relieve our needs
lor additional grazing lands.
.Since leasing of grazing lands
does not encourage the small
farmer to go into livestock
production, the livestock in
dustry can make little head
way here unless such rertric
tions arc removed. Do this,
and hundreds of families will
settle hero to take advantage
of such an attractive proposi
tion,
oincc, according to my knowledge,
3
the ARRC has never announced
a policy, nobody knows their
aims. Occasionally a bit of
news filters through as to their
policy toward final debt reduction,
which, as it now appears, may
be the unloading of only the
debt-ridden units to the Cooper
ative. And that th> y intend to
remain in control so long as there
is sufficient collections made to
maintain their office headquarters.
But, unlike the Corporation, I
have no desire to shroud my ideas
and suggestions in secrecy; hence
would like to present the follow
ing suggestions to the people—
colonists and old settlors alike
-- of the Mntnnuskn Valley;
That tho business and facilities,
now held by-the ARRC, be turned
over lock, stock end-barrel to the
Cooperative, at once, that the
office force be reduced to a
collector and one'stenographer
to look after collections "due
the governmen;; that all collect
ions be placed in a revolving
fund to be used for one purpose,
land clearing, similar to the
provisions of the Federal Farm
Loans, subject to approval by the
Cooperative Board; that the ARRC
Board consist of -bona -fide
farmers; that the jr csent ARRC
Board, for their last act, modify
the contracts, insuring each
Colonist; a good and sufficient
warrantee deed to his tract
when he has made final payment;
and, that all forms of coercion
be removed from the contracts,
also allowing colonists to with
draw from the Cooper .tive, and
is now accorded the old settlor
members, of their own free will,
with the construction of Army
air bases at both Fairbanks
and Anchorage a military post at
Anchorage, Naval base at bitka
and Kodiak, beginning to got un
derway and the possibility of
the immediate" construction of the
International Highway, the result
ant market deimands for Valley pro
ducts should soon be felt. There
fore, wo, tho people of tho ilat
anuska Valley, arc sts.r.dlng on
(•( see pmge 4)