VALLEY SETTLER, Palmer ALASKA.
Carl Rasmussen, Er’itor.
Publisher3 every Friday at finlmer Alaska, by the Mntnnuska Valley
Farmers Cooperating Association for the purpose of giving news of the
Association's work, problems, accomplishments# local and general news.
Subscription by Mail $ I.7J3 yearly. Box $ I.00. Single Copy 10 i,
will’ campaign for increased food PRODUCTION FAIL?
For some time now we have heard a great deal about the necessity
for increased food production in the United Stctes. Farmers have been
exhorted to raise more food, work herder and work longer hours so that
our Ar^ied Forces can be fed along with the civilition population and
then to supply our Allies and people who have become unable to supply
themselves with food on account of war conditions.
Farmers were assured that they would be given machinery and labor
to enable them to do the job, it was claimed that the food situation
had become dangerous and that something must be done about it, well the
program has bncn in the making long enough now to give some idea about
how much will be accomplished, and it dosent look good to the average
well informed observer.
Some interesting facts have been ferreted out and there will be a
let more before the campaign is over undoubtedly, one thing that seems
to be rather queer is the fact that an inexpierenced man was placed* in
charge of the handleing of machinery that was to be made available to
the farmers, and so it finely became necessary to place another man in
''iarge of the machinery an-4 other problems that were not going 30 well
'■’er the first setup, now while it always takes some time to work cut
plans of this kind, it means that if the plans are not worked cut in
time cn'3 the policy is is not adqueate, that somethin^ resembling the
f£'ll of Singapore, is usualy the result. Some things can be put off and
still carried out later on, but planting anr’ harvesting crops is not one
of these things and time is one of the essential elements to insure a
completion of the project.
Competent reporters say that a go o' many farmers are leaving their
farms anr1 t,oing into other work, because they cannot operate under the
restrictions placed up-:n farm operators and due to the lack of repairs
and supplies needed on their farms. Then the drafting of manpower in
Armed Forces has caused the loss cf toe many expierenced farm techinicf.
ions. Farming is both a trade and a profession that requires just about
as much troining rs my other trade or profession end to say that the
women and men transferred from the city to the farm, as projected by the
non-farming, farm experts, can replace the expierenced farm workers who
have been called tc the colours, is about as reasonable as the p liticinn
who stated,that " if oUr country is attacked, a citizen armfr will rise
over night and thrust them from cur shores."evidently this same politico
is still at large and willing to solve the farm problem by the same kind
n nsense.
And new while the extremests predict all kinds of trouble later on,
including food riots next winter, the average farmer is going on with
the machinery and supplies that are available and when fall ccr.es he will
try to harvest what he has been able to raise this summer. If the result
of his labour is not sufficient to supply those who must depend on him
then it will not be his fault, he at least will have a clear concience
but we wonder what the assorted experts, bureaucrats and p liticians will
use to sear tbeir concience when the supply fails.
THE PROPER PLACE TO SECURE REPLACEMENTS.
We ere pleased to notice that so many of our young people ore working
in the various departments that con use them. The logical place to get
employees for the local instutions is from our local population end even
if it does require a little more time to train them than it drcs employees
from the States, it will pay dividends in the long run. When the war ends
and times return to normal jobs may net be too plentyful and the preferenc.
should go to localy trained, employees, because a certain restlessness
always follows a great war, and with the return of stiff competition it
will require steady competent employees to operate successfully.