The frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
f
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may have lor sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 16
PALMER. ALASKA, THURSDAY. FEB. 17, 1955
PRICE TEN CENTS
RECORD ATTENDANCE
AT HOSPITAL
ASSN. MEETING
New officers in the Valley Hos
pital Association were named on
Tuesday night of this week, fol
lowing the annual membership
meeting, during which three local
persons were elected to the
board of directors. John Weisen
berger was named new president
of the association. Serving with
him for the coming year will be
Brian Cleworth, vice-president;
V. Louise Kellogg, secretary; and
Hugh A. Johnson, treasurer.
During the membership meet
ing which convened at 8 p.m. and
adjourned at 12:15 a.m., Dr. John
Burnett, Kay Pippel and Ann
Demming, all of Palmer, were
elected to fill three vacancies on
the board of directors. A record
number of persons turned out for
the meeting.
The meeting, which was presid
ed over by Hugh Johnson, opened
with the introduction of board
members and hospital staff mem
bers, and the presentation of an
nual reports from the association’s
various committees.
Members were presented a bal
ance sheet showing total assets
of the Valley Presbyterian Hos
pital at $681,605.37, as of Decem
ber 31, 1954. Balanced liabilities
included a net loss of $3,534.36. In
come for the 1954 year was $127,
767.77.
Expenses included $75,539.16 in
salaries and totalled $97,888.70,
showing a net profit before depre
ciation of $14,030.81. However,
depreciation of $17,190.17 produc
ed the net loss figure of over
$3,500. Included in the deprecia
tion were figures on the old hos
(Continued on page 4)
Alfred Hagen Named
New Area GD Director
Alfred V. Hagen, city council
man and Palmer businessman,
was appointed director of the
Greater Palmer Civil Defense
District on February 9, accord
ing to Harold Pomeroy, Civil De
fense director for the territory.
He will replace Rev. Edward H.
Imme who recently moved to the
States.
The Greater Palmer area con
sists of the city of Palmer and
towns and settlements of Butte,
Sutton, Jonesville, Eska, Wasil
la, Matanuska and Knik and in
clude areas served by the Glenn
Highway from the Knik River to
Moose Creek and the Matanuska
Valley and Willow Creek road
network.
Director Hagen announced to
day that a meeting of all Great
er Palmer CD staff members and
area directors will be held Satur
day afternoon in the basement of
the Valley Theatre at 4 p.m.,
when plans will be formulated for
greater efficiency in the CD net
work.
Area directors are Ralph Moore,
Palmer; Pat Carter, Wasilla; Phil
O’Neill, Sutton, and Bill Eldridge,
Butte.
Have you though of gelling
one of Ihe smart short hair
styles? We Make Evening
Appointments
Valley Beauty Shop
CO-OP SHOPPING AREA
HAGAR, THE EGYPTIAN
SATURDAY, FEB. 19th. 8 p.m.
CHURCH OF GOD
Presented by Youth for Christ
AU Invited
City Council
Proceedings
For the third week there was
no City Council meeting. The next
regular meeting is scheduled for
Tuesday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m.
in the office of the City Clerk.
Chamber Hears of
Increased Needs at
Experiment Station
A request to the Legislature for
increases for the program of the
Alaska Agriculture Experiment
Station was announced at the
February 16 meeting of the Ma
tanuska Valley Chamber of Com
merce by Dr. Allan Mick.
Appropriation bills will be
coming up in March, Mick point
ed out. The appropriations allow
ed for the Experiment Station
would effect the whole Matan
uska Valley. He pointed out that
the present payroll at the Experi
ment Station is $180,000 a year,
including the operations in town
and at the experiment farm. Dur
ing the past year the Experimenl
Station has purchased $52,000 ir
material, locally, contributing ap
proximately $240,000 to the local
economy.
The original farms were donat
ed in 1930 to the University oi
Alaska. The main problem since
that time has been expansion. Ir
1948 an expansion program was
started, and during the past sis
years rehabilitation work has
been done and is now ready foi
cn-Mi’+i/'.nc? Via caiH Prnnruals
would include additions to the
Experiment farms at the local
station ond in the Tanana Valley;
additional staff houses, green
houses, two additional staff mem
bers and laborers. These requests
could add another $118,000 to the
local economy during the nexl
fiscal year, Mick speculated.
Requests for appropriations are
going into the legislature fron
all agencies. If at all possible
Mick urged, please write as
groups or individuals, endorsing
our requests for this appropria
tion. If no opinion, on this requesi
is sent to the legislature, it maj
get lost in the shuffle, he pointec
out. A list of territorial legisla
tors was given to chamber mem
bers. M. D. Snodgrass announcec
that Ken. Johnson of the Ways
and Means committee is anxious
to help the Valley in any waj
possible. The Chamber went oi
record in approval of the request
Letters urging the confirmatioi
of Governor Heintzleman’s recen
appointments from the Valley wil
also be sent to legislators. Gov
(Continued on page 5)
Palmer Girls on
University Honor Roll
Three students from the Palme
area are on the University of A1
aska’s first semester honor rob
Dr. Neil W. Hosely, universit;
lean, announced this week.
The students, their grade poin
averages, majors and parents are
Nancy Lois Frank, 2.25, busi
ness administration freshmar
daughter of Darrell Frank; Don
na May Harris, 2.40, educatioi
freshman, daughter of Mr. an<
Mrs. John D. Harris of Eska; am
Alma L. Roark, 2.50, educatioi
fresman, daughter of Mr. an<
Mrs. Bill Roark, of Palmer.
Dean Hosley pointed out tha
all three students’ averages ar<
well above 2.00, the honor grad<
starting point.
WOOD EXPRESS FREIGHT
PALMER
3762
DAILY r
ANCHORAGE
38483
Air Freight Agent for NORMAN G. JENSEN
World Freight Forwarders
FEBRUARY 28 DEADLINE
FOR VEHICLE TAGS
Motorists were reminded
this week that February 28 is
the final date for securing 1955
vehicle license tags, after that
date all violators will be cited
officials reported. To accom
modate those unable to secure
their tags during the week, the
office of U. S. Commissioner
Dorothy B. Saxton, will be
open all day on Saturday, Feb
ruary 26. The office will be
closed on Tuesday, February
22, in observance of Washing
ton’s birthday.
COLONY DAY PLANNED
FOR SUNDAY, MAY 29
The Matanuska Valley Cham
ber of Commerce will again this !
year sponsor the popular Colony |
Day event, it was announced this ;
week by Jim Hurley, Colony Day
general chairman. The celebration
will be held in Palmer on Sunday,
May 29 and with the Alaska Rur
al Rehabilitation Corporation,
will honor the 20th anniversary
of the colonization of the Matan
uska Valley.
Special events are in the plan
ning stages and will feature the
popular free barbeque and baked
Matanuska Valley potatoes.
Games, entertainment, and fea
tured events will be combined to
make it one of the biggest and
most successful Colony Day cele
brations held in the valley.
Committee chairman named
this week are as follows". Pat
Hemmer, colonists and guests;
A. L. Smith, barbeque; Everett
Adams, finance; Lew Hanks,
sports events; A1 V. Hagen, mil
itary and civil defense; Jim Wil
son, rides and concessions; pub
licity, Virginia Gallant.
All interested persons, whether
or not Chamber of„. Commerce
members, are urged to volunteer
suggestions and help, to maRe tnis
one of the best celebrations pre
sented in the valley. Anyone hav
' ing pictures of the early colony
days and who would loan them
for the coming event is asked to
s contact the general chairman or
the publicity committee.
The Rev. R. Armstrong
Kiwanis Speaker
The Rev. Roland Armstrong,
[ Field Representative for the Na
. tional Presbyterian Board of Mis
. sions was guest speaker at the
l February 14 Kiwanis Luncheon
. meeting held in the Rec hall.
. In well chosen lucid words Rev.
) Armstrong explained the vital
t role religion is playing in the ex
panding economy of Alaska. He
[ added further that the rapid in
t flux of new people to the Terri
1 tory is increasing the demand for
more and better churches which
in turn create a healthier out
look and willingness to fight it
out in this last frontier.
“Civic Clubs and other organiz
ations in villages and cities of Al
aska can aid immensely in this
r cause by urging more church at
tendance and fostering religious
'* endeavors in the respective com
r munities,” were Rev. Armstrongs’
. closing remarks.
1 Lloyd Morley reported the Ki
: wanis chorus is rehearsing every
Tuesday evening in the music
l» room at Central school. More
singers are needed according to
} director Morley. Anyone wish
? ing to try out for the chorus may
1 do so any Tuesday evening.
J The local club went on record
1 to challenge the Anchorage Ki
i wanis to a membership attend
l ance contest for the three months,
l March, April and May. The losing
' club will treat the winners to a
picnic. _ _ -.u-Ln-n.-Lru-.--'-n-n,xr.-.-J-L- -
1$ PURPLE BUBBLE BALL 5
\ SAT., FEB. 26 !;
\ CORSAGES BY MAUD J;
l DESIGNED FOR “H-E-R" !;
!; Telegraph Delivery Service !;
I MATANUSKA VALLEY \
Jl GARDENS J;
;! Phone 32J11 Palmer S
FARM FORUM RESUME
SHOWS ADVANCES
MADE IN AGRICULTURE
Alaska’s first Farm Forum,
sponsored by the Matanuska Val
ley Chamber of Commerce to rec
ognize the 25th anniversary of the
Extension Service in Alaska,
brought together over 200 farm
ers, processors, and marketers
from all parts of the territory.
Don Irwin, chairman of the pro
gram committee, greeted the con
ferees who met in the new Pal
mer High School building. “This
is the first time in Alaskan agri
cultural history that the terri
tory’s far-flung farmers could get
I together to discuss their common
concerns. Agriculture is Alaska’s
fastest-growing industry. To meet
our growing needs for food and
feeds we must solve some big
problems — transportation, land
clearing, financing, marketing, re
search”, he stated.
Alaska is ideal livestock coun
try, Dr. W. M. Beeson, first fea
ture speaker of the Forum and
Purdue University animal hus
bandry expert, stated. Cattle, he
said, do best at temperatures of
70 degrees or below—they do
least well at temperatures above
70 degrees. He recommended that
Alaskan agriculture develop along
intensive, rather than extensive,
lines. Alaska should produce all
its carbohydrates ,import only
concentrated protiens, minerals
and possibly some vitamins. Fam
ily-type farms, he said, are best
for the Alaskan high labor cost
economjn
“Study your problems scientifi
cally," he urged. “Determine the
limiting factors in a very funda
mental way. You have good na
tural resources in land and cli
mate for a livestock industry.
Learn to supplement them to pro
duce a marketable livestock pro
duct as milk and eggs.
“I can see in the future a quick
' freezing process -for -livestock
leed. yuick-irozen semen will
make artificial breeding by the
world’s finest bulls a practical
reality—and that day is not far
off. The production of fish meal
concentrates should be an Alas
kan industry. Fishmeal has a high
er protien content than any of the
meals in common use today— Al
aska has abundant fish by-pro
ducts.”
Stresses Efficiency
Dr. George D. Scarseth, direc
tor of research, American Farm
Research Association, told Alas
kan farmers that their problem is
not essentially markets or outside
competition. ‘‘Your competition
is with yourselves,” he said, “and
you must learn to be efficient or
you will fail.
“Keep the fertility of your soil
high. Grow nutritious and abund
ant crops. People will buy and
markets will come automatically."
Alaskan agriculture is an A-l in
vestment opportunity for outside
capital, Scarseth stated. America
was built on borrowed money. It
.will be good for outside capital
and good for Alaska when long
term, low interest loans are avail
able to Alaskan farmers.
“Lower your unit production
costs,” he urged. “Alaskan farm
ers can be as sufficient as any in
the world. You have a great asset
in the long daylight of your
growing season. The ‘plant factory’
works overtime; it burns little
food during the short, cool nights.
Big crops are good crops; quality
and yield go together.”
Fertilizer Industry
“Your Fertilizer Dollar”, was
the topic of a talk given by Lee
Fryer, manager of the fertilizer
division of the Charles H. Lilly
Company of Seattle. “Alaska has
the natural resources for balanced
industry and agriculture,” he
said. “Your abundant power po
tential makes the production of
urea (a synthetic nitrogen) a fu
! ture industrial possibility. On all
sides, oil is being sought. Oil re
| fineries save a nitrogen by-pro
duct. Whenever oil refineries lo
I cate, fertilizer companies follow.
(Continued on page 8)
Chamber Opposes
Coal Tax House Bill
PALMER-ANCHORAGE
GAME HERE FRIDAY
The Anchorage Eagles will
tarvel to Palmer tomorrow night
for a basketball game with the
Palmer Moose. With Palmer in
the cellar position in the railbelt
standing, the Eagles will probab
ly be expecting to take over. How
ever, it was on the Palmer court
earlier this year that the Eagles
received one of their season’s de
feats. A preliminary game is
planned with the Junior Varsity
teams.
Although the Palmer High
School basketball team seemed
to be playing good ball in their
two-game series with the Fair
banks Malemutes last week, they
just couldn’t seem to connect
with the baskets often enough,
nor were they able to stave off
the volley of baskets that on
Saturday night sent the Male-,
mutes final score up to a record
75 points, with the Palmer Moose
on the 57-point end of the score.
'Friday night the score was c1 s
er, with the Malemutes taking ,ne
game with a total of seven points,
51 to 44.
High man Friday night was
Dennis Krise of Fairbanks with
15 points followed by another
Malemute, Jerry Williams with
14. Palmer’s Jack Worledge led
his team with 13 points, followed
by Larry Benetti with nine. Wor
ledge took top scoring on Satur
day night, accounting for 24 of
his team’s 57 points. Winegarner
accounted for 11 points. John
Nielson led the Fairbanks team
with 22 points, followed by Jerry
Williams 18 points.
During the final quarter of the
game Palmer accounted for 24
points.
Several Businesses
To Close On
Washington's Birthday
Several government offices in
the city and all departments of
the Matanuska Valley Farmers
Cooperating Association will be
closed on Tuesday of next week
in observance of Washington's
birthday. Offices of the Alaska
Agricultural Experiment Station,
U. S. Commissioner, U. S. Geo
logical Survey, Territorial Depart
ment of Agriculture, Soil Conser
vation, Extension Service, Ma
tanuska Valley Bank, and the
Co-Op Garage, Warehouse and
Trading Post are among those
planning to remain closed fo busi
ness on February 22.
CITY VEHICLES EXEMPT
FROM LICENSE FEES
Unanimous approval was giv
en by the House last week on a
bill to exempt vehicles of cities,
school districts and other sub
divisions from territorial vehicle
license fees.
The city vehicle tax measure
was one of a series drawn by the
legislative council and was intro
duced by Representative Richard
Greuel, Fairbanks and Charles
Fagerstrom, Nome. The House
knocked out the provfsion for a
refund to cities on the 1954 fees.
ONLY 18 DOGS
LICENSED IN CITY
To date only 15 male and
three female dogs in the city
limits of Palmer have been li
censed for the year 1955, ac
cording to figures from the of
fice of the city clerk. Dog
owners are reminded that the
license tags for dogs are avail
able from that office and that
license fees were due and pay
able after December 31, 1954.
Members of the Matanuska Val
ley Chamber of Commerce an
nounced themselves against the
passage of House Bill No. 8 by
sending a resolution to that ef
fect to members of the House.
The Bill, which was introduced
to the present legislature by Re
presentative Gilbert of Fairbai %
is entitled: “An Act providinj
gross production tax on Coa.
Under the proposed bill eve
person, firm, association or <
poration engaged in the min
or production within the te
tory, of coal would be compel
to pay to the department of t
ation, Territory of Alaska, a
at the rate of 30 cents per
on each ton of coal produced.
It proposes that these payme:
along with statements of proc
tion, would be made each mor:
According to the report p*
sented to the Chamber of Co
merce, some set-backs in the *
industry have been felt d
the past two years. Whei
Evan-Jones Coal Mine was
ployir r A men 18 months
they n re but 125. The no
ern c< ~ is operating at ab
the ijit ratio of employmf
aM production, it was pom.
o t. Basically, it was repor
the coal industry in the territ
is a sick industry and in need
of tax relief instead of additional
taxation.
A Bill has been introduced to
repeal the Alaska Mining license
tax, which in reality is the third
income tax that a mining com
pany has to pay. Elation of mine
operators did not last long in
view of House Bill No. 8
It was expressed that this new
Bill would indirectly effect every
one in the Valley, many of whom
are coal burners at home, in busi
ness houses, the schools, hospital
ana unit;rs.
The bill quotes in part that
“The payment of the taxes here
in imposed shall be in full, and
in lieu of all taxes by the Terri
tory, Divisions, cities, towns,
townships, school districts and
other municipalities upon any
property rights attached to or in
herent in the right to said coal,
upon producing leases for the
mining of coal, upon the mineral
rights and privileges fo- the coal
aforesaid belonging or appertain
ing to land, upon the machinery,
appliances and equipment used
in and around any coal mine, or
any mine producing coal and ac
tually us^d. in the operation of
such mine; and also upon the
coal hereinbefore mentioned dur
ing the tax year in which the
same is produced.” There is no
provision fpr payment of any part
of this tax to the school district,
city or other tax-collecting agen
cies.
The Bill is now in the hands
of the Ways and Means Commit
tee, of which Ken Johnson, Terri
torial office Bldg., Juneau, is
chairman.
Sven Johansson placed second
in the 18-mile cross-country North
American Classic ski race. The
Anchorage skier recently placed
first in the Pacific Northwest race
at Walla Walla. U. S. Olympic
committee members were on
hand to watch the 18-mile grind.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Dr. E. E. Bach, optome
trist from Anchorage
will be in Palmer to do
eye examinations on
Tuesday, March 1
For an appointment see Mrs.
Maud Hosier at the Flower
Shop in the Co-Op Rec. Bldg,
or call her at 32J11
ELKS VS ANCHORAGE
SAND & GRAVEL
7:30 P.M
BASKETBALL,
w
SCHOOL
GYM
SAT., FEB. 19
MATANUSKA HOTEL
VS MONTY’S
9:00 P.M.