PALMER ALASKA ____ . CARL RASMUSSEN, EDITOR,
Published every Friday, a% Palmer Alaska, by the Matanpuska Valley
Farmers Cooperating Association, for the purpose of giving news of fche
Association's work, problems and accomplishments, Local & General news.
Subscription by ^all $ 1.75, yearly. Single Copy 10^, Box $ 1.00
WHY THE SMALL PURCHASERS OF BONDS, FAILED.
In the last issue of Time Magazine the statement is made, that while
the last War Loan drive was successful as a whole, that the small
ourchasers failed to meet their quota, by nearly one half*, lie large
purchasers were alloted 10 Billion Dollars as their sharee and the small
buyers were supposed to blithe other.5 Billion, The large purchasers
oversubscribed their allotment by a large amount so that the whole loan
was more than filled, but the small purchasers fell down pretty badly.
Maturely one wonders if the large purchasing class are more patriotic
than the little fellows or if some mistake was made in the porporti'diilpg;
of the allotment, we think that the latter statement explains the ‘case.
. Business is booming as all must admit, in fact it seems that our
National income may be, nearly four times as much this year as it was in
some of the depression years,( have you1 forgotten about them yet?)
but do- ' all of our people share in the boom and what is behind the
fact that the moss of our people are either unable or unwilling to buy
as many bonds as they were expected too.
We-think that we can present some facts that may explain the reason
that the local drive fell short, a,nd we have a sneaking suspicion that
these reasons nnd similar ones can be applied, Notionaly.
Three years ago, when the industrial organizations of the U.S. were
expanding and doing the largest and most profitable business in their
history, the farmers were exp.'erencing about the same difficult Jibs that
have existed for so many years, wages spiraled in the industrial sections
but farm income still remained low, then as steel and many other things
that farmers bought a lot of beg«fr. to get scarce, prices went up on
tools nnd machinery and in time the production was restricted to the
vanishing point, still farmers products were raised very little nnd
other vexous problems arose, farmers sons were called into the Army and
wages became unbearable to the farmer without a corresponding increase
in gross income to cover the higher costs of production.
Oh yesfwe went through the perplexing condition here in the Matanuska
Vr.lley too, and due to the fact that our problems were not understood
by our largest customers, we had a long struggle to have changes made.
The small farmer who stood by his guns on the farm had to grin and bear
it although it was pretty tough to have to be patriotic while he had to
bear such adverse conditions. Yes,it has changed#and times are a lot
better for the farmer. But remember that while about fifty percent of
the population were enjoying the benifits of a big boom the farmers
were still in the slough of despondency.
Aitd now that it appears that the farmers may enjoy a little temporary
prosperity, every agency that has any excuse whatever for doing it, will
try to get any profit that may accrue to the farmer from his operations
and in the long-run the farmer will probably be in about the same pasitii
in the long run os he was before. Luring the meantime motneryocb'oA^Qra jand
business parasites will try to trim all the benifits from the little
man who dosent know how to protect himself.