THE*VALLEY SETTLOR is published
every Friday by the Matanuska
Valley Farmers Cooperating
Association at Palmer, Alaska.
Mng. Editor: Marie Wilson
Subscription rates: 01.00 year
By mail: 1.75 year
Mailed anywhere* 10 ^ copy
This paper is issued for the pur
pose of giving information and
ne?’s of the Matanuska Valley
Farmer's Cooperating Association's
work, problems, accomplishments,
and also, ne”’s of local and gener
al interest; and to help foster
the cooperative spirit of the
farmers of the Matanuska Valley,
EDITOR STAGGERS III SOBER
I have been accused of being
drunk ror the last two weeks, but
honest folks, I can explain it
three different ways.
The one about a vacation isn't 30
good, but the one about being
sick was so convincing, I believ,e
it myself.
There's just one thing- when
Dr,Albrecht says," liquid diet",
he don't mean champagne, I found
that out.
Also, this business of changing
the date of Thanksgiving around
so many times kirid'o gets a
fellow mixed up. About the time
I decided to eat what ever was
handy and be thankful I get orange
juice and quinine and then I lost
the crango juice and was given
some kind of oil w hich they said
was tasteless but it acted just
like the old fashioned kind.
And I've taken so many pills that
look like salmon eggs, I feel
ready to swim up the crook and
spawn.
Anyway, some times a follov; is
just naturally glad to say he
feels fine’even if he staggers-,
just a wee bit, which don't al
ways mean a thing..
»
COOPERATIVE
I'i-NAGEI'ENT
Tho success or fr.ilure of r co
operative is closely linked with
the character and ability of its
management. The re a. sen.' post
frequently stated for a failure
a ong cooperative associations
is "inefficient management."'
This not surprising, because,
fr'-n a broad point of view, nan
agcr.cnt is concerned with all of
tho activities of tho association.
Briefly stated, management is t he
direction and control of all of
the varied activities of a cooper
ative, including membership re
lations, financing, handling the
product, pooling'returns, pur
chasing supplies, merchandising
and the related activities of
advertising and selling, mainten
ance of satisfactory accounting
and other necessary records, to
gether with minereus other phases
of tho association's operations.
It may bo readily seen, therefore,
why "inefficient management"
is the usual reason given if a
cooperative fails.
I'ancger.ent of a cooperative
association is often incorrectly
thought of as including only the
general manager and his principal
as'sir.tants. This is far from the
fact, as management definitely
includes both the board of direct
ors and the supervising employees.
In a cooperative, members also
ha.vo a direct voice in manage
ment through their selection of
members of the board and their
approval of basic policies of
the association*
But-- it should also be remember
ed at this particular time, unless
a member is really informed along
cooperative linos and policies,
he bc:tter do one of bv/o things
before throwing a monkey-wrench
into tho machinery-- either
borrow tho books used by the
marketing class and get informed
or koep his mouth shut.