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TIIF VALLEY SETTLER is published
every Friday by the Matanuska
Valley Farmers Coopcratinc Associ
ation at ^airier, Alaska*
Mng, Editor: Marie Wilson
Subscription rates; $1*00 year
by mail 1.75 year
Mailed anywhere: 10 p copy
This paper is issued for the pur
pose of giving information and •
nows of the Matanuska Valley
Farmer's Cooperating Association's
work, problems,accomplishments,
and also, news of local and gen
eral interest; and to help foster
the cooperative spirit of the
farmers of the Matanuska Valley.
Report continued
of control together with an oper
ating fund so we can do the buying
and selling, handle cur own book
keeping and establish our own pro
ccedure along cooperative linos is
in my opion the turning point in
the history of this project.
This last agreement was brought
about by numerous conferences be
tween the directors,myself, and
Mr .Sho.cly and judgeing by a strict
interpertation it may bo full of
loop holes. However, it does
state the intentions of both part
ies and should be considered as
a more or less gentleman's agree
ment, with both sides willing to
arbitrate any differences. The
actual signing took place without
any fan fare or publicity. Mr.
Shcoly for the Corporation and
Mr.Huntley president, Mr, Rasmus sen,
secretary for the Cooperating
Association, net just before the
show and placed their signatures
on the agreements.
I like that democratic way of do
ing business -- thats cooperation.
Along with this authority we now
have accepted a responsibility.
A responsibility to operate on
strict business principles, a
responsibility to not jump at con
clusions but to weigh each 3tep we
3
take so that the final decision
trill work out for the good of all.
It is our responsibility to soc
that dissention among our members
if any exsist3 be eliminated.
Everyone has tho right to express
his or her opion regardless of
the fact that no one else might
agree with them unless we can
learn to freely discuss and de
bate the question and then abide’
by the decisions of the majority,
we had better forget about coop
eration.
-*-t is very probable that as we go
along, mistakes will be made.
It is our job to see that mistakes
-shall be kept at the minimum.
It is also very probable that some
decision may not be desirable on
the part of some members. It is
not humanly possible to have every
thing work out to each and every
ones satisfaction but it is poss
ible to try and strive for the
greatest good for the largest
number.
It is my intention to call in
groups of you that arc interested
in certa.in lines of production and
lot you set your own rules to be
governed by. It will be the duty
of the office force to gather and
make available to you,all possible
information regarding markets,
production, processing and handling
cost.
We expect to suggest that certain
crops be limited to markets avail
able but we do not expect to tell
you what you can plant and what
you cannot plant. If after the
information is made available to
you, you wish to disregard it that
is your responsibility. As for
the handling of this years crops
I think the procedure as approved
by the market gardeners of pooling
crops for sale or storage is sound
and the only way it can be handl
ed cooperatively. A3 for the de
tail of each operation on differ
ent crops I am frank in saying I
do not know the answer to all the
questions. In the states you
have marketing agencies set up for
one particular type of crop, be
it oranges, milk, butter, eggs,
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